FREEDOMTravel Hotel Picks: Stockholm and Beyond

FREEDOMTravel in Stockholm: Haymarket by Scandic

FREEDOMTravel is a Stockholm travel magazine run by Peter and Helena, not a hotel. The Stockholm entry is Haymarket by Scandic, in the heart of the city, and the package is the reason to take it over a plain city room: breakfast, dinner at the hotel restaurant and a guided city tour come with the stay, which covers the two meals that eat into a short city break and does the orientation a first visit needs.

The hotel itself is a large central property with a restaurant, a bar, a gym, wi-fi and conference rooms, and it takes pets. Location carries the rest of the argument: Stockholm Palace and Odenplan Square are both walkable, which keeps the main sights on foot and leaves the metro for what lies further out. Check that breakfast is in your rate for your dates before you weigh it against anything else in the city.

Nordic City Hotels: Pick by Why You Are in Town

The Nordic hotels are city properties, and the reason for the trip separates them more than the look of the lobby does. Gothia Towers and Upper House in Gothenburg is the family and conference one, next to the Liseberg amusement park and Universeum, with a spa, massage, a breakfast buffet and several restaurants. Quality Hotel View in Malmö answers the same brief for events, near the Malmö Arena and the Emporia shopping centre, with a gym, a sauna, a bar and conference rooms; it is built around events and shopping rather than the old town.

Further north the calculation changes. Scandic Havet and Home Hotel Grand Bodø both sit in central Bodø with a gym, a restaurant, a bar and conference rooms, so the tiebreaker is the extras: Scandic Havet has parking and takes pets, while Home Hotel Grand Bodø leans on eco-friendly and cultural credentials and adds laundry. Clarion Hotel Grand Östersund carries the most for a family, with parking, pet-friendly rooms, an indoor pool, a sauna and a breakfast buffet. In Finland, Hotel Kakola is the spa and conference hotel in central Turku, with massage, air-conditioned rooms and a breakfast buffet, while Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone sits in the commercial core with a gym and two restaurants. Take Kakola for the spa, Solo Sokos for the desk.

Old Buildings or Full Facilities: The Trade You Make

The hotel picks split between heritage buildings and purpose-built modern blocks, and it costs you something either way. First Hotel Christian IV in Kristianstad occupies a preserved building from 1901 and pairs period detail with a guided tour, a restaurant and parking, but there is no large fitness centre or spa wing inside it. Stationen Bed & Breakfast in Ystad makes the same trade on a smaller scale: a buffet breakfast, parking, a reception and a position in the centre of Ystad near Stortorget and the Ystad Theatre.

Modern properties take the opposite deal. Hilton Tallinn Park gives up old-town architecture for spa access, an indoor pool, massage, a restaurant and conference rooms. Hotel Imperial, also in Tallinn, sits in the city centre with a sauna, a breakfast buffet, a bar and tour assistance: more facilities than Rija offers, fewer than the Hilton. Polonia Palace Hotel in Warsaw is the rare case that does both, housing a business centre, massage rooms and a breakfast buffet inside classic architecture in the centre of the capital. Rija Old Town Hotel in Tallinn is the one to think hardest about: it puts you inside the medieval quarter with breakfast and wi-fi included, and what you give up is the pool, the spa and the gym that Hilton Tallinn Park carries.

Waterfront or Old Town: Picking a Base in Europe

Outside the Nordics, choosing a hotel is really choosing which city you want to wake up in, and the split that decides most of them is water or old centre. Sofitel Grand Sopot is the beachfront case on Poland's coast, with breakfast, an indoor pool, a sauna, massage and airport transfers, which makes it a summer hotel in a way the inland ones are not. Haffner Hotel & SPA sits in the middle of Sopot instead, steps from Monte Cassino and the beach, with breakfast and dinner, a spa and an indoor pool. Cornaro Hotel and Hotel Park both sit in central Split, the first built around a spa, a sauna and a fitness centre, the second around an outdoor pool and a short walk to Bacvice Beach. Barceló Fortina Malta in Sliema adds private balconies and several pools to a spa and a fine dining restaurant.

The city hotels are picked for the address. Pierdrei Hotel HafenCity in Hamburg is the modern harbour one, with a rooftop terrace, a restaurant, a bar and parking, and no pretence of historic streets. In Brussels, Hygge Hotel is the small, cosy option near Avenue Louise with breakfast, a bar and parking, while Novotel Brussels City Centre carries the indoor pool, the gym, spa access and air-conditioned rooms. Hotel Dubrovnik in Zagreb is the practical central choice, with a gym, a guided tour, air conditioning and a breakfast buffet, and The Marmara Pera in Istanbul puts a rooftop pool and a gym above the city centre. The Anatolian Houses Cave Hotel in Cappadocia is the outlier: rooms cut into the rock, a spa, an indoor pool and guided tours.

Mountain and Coastal Hotels: How Much Comes Arranged

The mountain hotels differ mainly in how much of the trip is arranged before you arrive. Hôtel Nendaz 4 Vallées & Spa in Haute-Nendaz starts at 1,340 SEK a person, with skiing, spa access and guided tours part of the booking, which takes the treatments and the days on the mountain off your to-do list. Rooms Hotel Kazbegi in Stepantsminda is the scenery version, with an indoor pool, a gym, a breakfast buffet and guided tours under the Caucasus, and Crowne Plaza Borjomi adds a spa, massage and a swimming pool in the Georgian highlands. If you want the capital instead, Rooms Hotel Tbilisi has a spa, massage, fine dining and 24-hour room service in the centre of Tbilisi.

On the Mediterranean the trade is between the beach and the city. The Residence Tunis has a private beach, a golf course, a spa and several restaurants, while Dar Said in Sidi Bou Said is a small boutique property with an outdoor pool, a steam room and airport shuttles. IL Mercato Splash Aqua Park in Sharm El Sheikh is the family end of the range, with two outdoor pools, a spa and dining on site, and InterContinental Cairo Semiramis is the city end, with a pool, a sauna, a casino and guided tours in central Cairo. Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik in Zadar takes the all-inclusive route, with several pools, a spa, a fitness centre, tennis courts and water sports, which is the choice to make if you would rather not decide where dinner is. Which one you want depends on whether you plan to leave the property at all.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best hotels in Stockholm Sweden?

Haymarket by Scandic is the Stockholm property in the FREEDOMTravel list, a large hotel with a gym, a bar, wi-fi and conference rooms.

Which hotel does FREEDOMTravel recommend in Stockholm?

Haymarket by Scandic, in the heart of Stockholm. Dinner at the hotel restaurant comes with the stay, which settles the evening meal before you arrive.

Where is the best area to stay in Stockholm?

Central Stockholm, within walking distance of Stockholm Palace and Odenplan Square. That keeps the main sights on foot and leaves the metro for what lies further out.

What is the best hotel in Stockholm for first time visitors?

Haymarket by Scandic, because the guided city tour that comes with the stay does the orientation a first visit needs.

Which Stockholm hotels are near the city centre and public transport?

Haymarket by Scandic sits in the heart of the city, and Stockholm's public transport runs on metro, tram, bus, ferry and commuter train, so the whole city is on one network from there.

What is the best hotel in Stockholm with a good breakfast?

Haymarket by Scandic, where breakfast is part of the stay. Confirm it is in your rate when you book rather than assuming it is added at check-in.

Which Stockholm hotels are good for couples?

Haymarket by Scandic, a romantic pick that also takes pets, so a couple travelling with a dog can bring it.

Is FREEDOMTravel hotel in Stockholm worth it?

FREEDOMTravel is a travel magazine run from Stockholm by Peter and Helena, not a hotel. Its hotel pages spell out what each stay includes, so you can see what a booking covers before you make it.

Are there Stockholm hotels with rooftop bars and good views?

Haymarket by Scandic has a bar, a restaurant and a gym indoors but no rooftop terrace, so a rooftop bar means a different Stockholm hotel.