hotlguy

I heard from DUS IC Duty Manager that the Grand Hotel in Stockholm ( Leading Hotels of the World member ) will be reflagged IC starting march 2008. He said some work will be done to the property but not a major refurb.

Raffles

'tis true. I saw this a while ago tucked away in the 'new hotels' thread but it never got its own thread. This is great news especially for RA's - there are some great suites there. And some truly, truly shocking standard rooms, I'm afraid.

AJLondon

Excellent news indeed! ^

SanDiego1K

Fabulous location, rooms can be quite disappointing. Because it is an old hotel, windows weren't built to maximize the view. We've had rooms where once seated the line of your eye is below the window ledge, thus missing the glorious harbor view.

It is where the Nobel laureates stay for their induction ceremony.

Camino1

Are you saying don't go unless you have a suite?

Club_IC

I am really happy to hear the Grand is to become an IC.

I stayed there for five days recently in a sixth floor room facing across the harbour. The bath rooms are a little disappointing, and the standard rooms are not very large, but the beds are very comfortable, breakfast is great, service is very good and the location is excellent.

Raffles

I'm saying that they have standard rooms that measure only 15 square metres - and they are even happy to admit it:
http://www.grandhotel.se/in%5Fenglis...room%5Fsuites/

15 sq m is about 33% of the size of what I would consider an acceptable size. Or, put another way, those unbelievably small rooms at LeGrand in Paris are actually 22 sq m - 50% bigger than these rooms!

Camino1

Do they slide meals under the door?

nicolas75

I am planning to stay - with a beautiful young Italian girl - at the Intercontinental Grand Hôtel Stockholm.
What would you say about this hotel?
Are upgrades for RA generous or not?
Is there any Club InterContinental? If any, do RA members have access to it?
As I booked a standard room, do I need to book some superior room to get a suite?
I have seen that Wallpaper magazine voted the hotel restaurant as the best new in the world : "Located in a new building and with interior design by Briton Ilse Crawford, Mathias Dahlgren’s restaurant at the Grand Hôtel Stockholm is divided into two complementary areas – Matsalen for à la carte dining and the more informal Matbaren – by a Studio Job-designed gilded narrative screen featuring kitchen tools, rustic Swedish icons and Viking longboats".
http://www.wallpaper.com/food_drink/...estaurant/2032
Does it really worth it?

Thank you for your comments!

stimpy

I have stayed there a few times before the switch to IC and I can say it is a great hotel. I've not been since the switch SINCE IT IS TOO COLD!!. Brrrrrrrr. Maybe this summer I'll go.

aleinvolo

Italians always win !

nicolas75

Yeap. A good reason to stay in the room...

bebert

as you're nicolas75, maybe her name is Carla B ?

nicolas75

young, for me, means under 30

Raffles

The Grand only became an IC on Jan 1st so I don't think we have any RA's who've been there yet.

You need to understand 1 thing. The Grand has some truly wonderful rooms, and some truly, truly terrible rooms. The cheapest are 11 square metres which is about as big as the average Four Seasons bathroom. Even some of the harbour view rooms are badly outdated. However ... they do have some very, very nice refurbished rooms PLUS all of the brand new rooms in the new wing.

All I would say is ... don't arrive too late, go look at your room, and if you don't like then go and fight them until you get a better one.

The first trip I took with my partner was to the Grand, interestingly, about 5 years ago. I flew from the UK and she flew in from a business trip in Germany. I was there first by about 4 hours and was given a terribly ugly harbour view room which had been sold as a 'deluxe'. Luckily it was early enough in the day that I could go down to complain and was reallocated a superb junior suite, which made her very happy when she eventually arrived.