The Clarion Hotel Sign is the new one...opened in Feb., and just a few meters from the Arlanda Express train station.
Very modern and very Scandinavian. Design of each floor is by a different Designer...Swedish/Finnish/Danish/Norwegian. Standard rooms can be very small and expensive. For bigger rooms, go to the Sheraton or Diplomat.
fduvall
Quote:
Originally Posted by OxyChaz
Anybody have any thoughts on the Clarion? I heart is very Artsy. I'm going next week! Yikes!
The Clarion Hotel Sign is the new one...opened in Feb., and just a few meters from the Arlanda Express train station.
Very modern and very Scandinavian. Design of each floor is by a different Designer...Swedish/Finnish/Danish/Norwegian. Standard rooms can be very small and expensive. For bigger rooms, go to the Sheraton or Diplomat.
fduvall
Is this the third branding of what started out as the Royal Viking? Looks like it from the map. If so, I can confirm that if they didn't tear down any walls between rooms, the rooms are really tiny.
Thanks, I emailed the GM with a few questions not answered on their website. Depending on the reply, I might try it on my next stopover (in one of the larger rooms) as I am not overwhelmed by any other Stockholm hotel.
I am surprised that no Radisson hotels have been mentioned. The Strand has a great location. The single rooms suck because they are tiny and located around the central courtyard where you will suffer a horrible cacophony of noise when they start breakfast at 6 am or whenever due to the acoustics.
The double rooms (and an annex section) have decent size rooms and no noise.
My favorite Radisson is Royal Park or whatever it's called near SAS hq, but that's a suburban location and you need a car.
I heard that the Royal Viking is decent but never stayed there. I don't recommend staying around the central train station. It's not a very nice neighborhood.
The in terminal Radisson Sky City has nice rooms if you want to stay out there.
Radisson is one of the few chains that offers free internet.
The Clarion Karlaplan has good rates at times, free internet, even a free dinner buffet but beware the single rooms. They are so small that they mount the TV in the ceiling over the bed! Pay the small extra for a double room. It is in a downtown upscale residential area and 50 m from a subway stop. Maybe 10-15 min walk from the heart of downtown.
The "Abba hotel" got a horrible review for their restaurant. It was so bad that I would also be highly wary of entire operation and I am sure that it is grossly overpriced for what they offer. The location sucks too.
I've stayed at the Strand and the Royal Viking as well as the Grand, Sheraton, Hilton, Mr. Chip (Kista), and Sollentuna Star. I've checked out rooms at the Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton.
As I said earlier, I haven't been overwhelmed, or even whelmed, by any of them. However, I don't feel the least bit bothered staying near the central train station, the area doesn't seem at all troublesome to me.
I've stayed at the Strand and the Royal Viking as well as the Grand, Sheraton, Hilton, Mr. Chip (Kista), and Sollentuna Star. I've checked out rooms at the Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton.
As I said earlier, I haven't been overwhelmed, or even whelmed, by any of them. However, I don't feel the least bit bothered staying near the central train station, the area doesn't seem at all troublesome to me.
I know what you are saying. There is an institutional feel to most Swedish (and Nordic) hotels. It gets worse in smaller cities and I am sure that Mr. Chip (????) falls into that category. The only hotel that has whelmed me in Scandinavia is the CPH airport Hilton, although it's getting a bit worn now approaching 7 years.
The area around the central station is not dangerous per se, but it's not pleasant like most European cities.
OP has probably already left on the cruise but I wanted to add a word about the Terminus, near Central Station. A Best Western, not fancy, but really not bad, at least 5 or so years ago. It's an old building so it's solid and quiet, with high (10'? 12'?) ceilings. My standard single there was at least triple the size of a single in the Lord Nelson (I've seen at least 5 different standard singles there). If you have a very early air or train departure, as I did, it's really not a bad option -- you don't get that slightly flimsy and anonymous Scandinavian modern feeling. Of course, being Sweden, it's clean and facilities are totally modern.
Queried the GM of the Clarion Hotel Sign about rooms and he responded very promptly. My travelling colleague is a Hilton Diamond so if he needs the stay, we'll probably end up at Hilton Slussen, but if not I am very tempted to try the Sign and see what it's like -- in a larger room!
"Mr.Chip" has got to be the dumbest name for a hotel I've ever heard, but the other hotel in Kista (which is a suburb of Stockholm noted for having HQ of high-tech companies) is called the Memory Hotel -- not much better!
I stayed at the Hilton last week and had a very nice award stay. I know this forum isn't super complimentary of the hotel, but I found it more than adequate. My room was a pretty good size as well.
"More than adequate" is an excellent term -- there's absolutely nothing BAD about the Hilton Slussen, it just isn't that inspiring.
Anyhow, after a few email exchanges, the Hotel Sign has offered to charge us the standard double rate but upgrade us to a deluxe king (the 40sqmt room) on this trip. They'll also let me inspect rooms when there, which is in about a month. I'll report back afterwards.
Well, I do not know the Scandic Stockholm but stayed at the Scandic at Brussels and it was really horrible. So I personally would avoid Scandic...
I know of some pretty bad Scandics but Scandic Brussels is not one of them. I guess we just have different expectations. It certainly is no Four Seasons but the superior rooms are nice and the location excellent.
There are more Scandics in Stockholm than in any other city. I'll let others give recommendations about them, as my knowledge of the Stockholm Scandics is not that extensive. Scandic's loyalty program is excellent as well, for those that can make use of it.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Berns Hotel. My wife and I stayed there a few years ago, and liked it a lot compared to any other Stockholm hotels we've stayed at before or since. The main dining hall for breakfast is just spectacular, and the regular double room we had was small, as all are, but very nicely appointed with an eclectic mix of furniture, electronics, and art.
I'll be back in Stockholm for a few days in early October, but w/o my wife, so I'm reading this forum trying to figure out what a nice hotel would be, probably near the Arlanda Express station, unless someone has a great recommendation for a hotel on Gamla Stan?
