Radisson Blu Royal Viking Stockholm – Business Class Room

Arrival at the hotel

Stockholm Central Railway Station

The hotel is easily reachable. It is in the city center of Stockholm, less than 2 minutes walking distance from the subway and the railway stations. It only takes twenty minutes by train or by taxi if there is no traffic jam to reach the Arlanda airport.

If you take a taxi, make sure to watch the rate displayed on the rear door of the taxi. It allows comparing. As rates aren’t controlled in Sweden, they can vary from simple to double. You also need to know that you can negotiate a flat rate with the driver which is highly recommended to avoid nasty surprises.

I arrived at the hotel around 13h30 which is before the regular check-in time. Despite this and even if a lot of people were waiting for their room to be ready in the lobby, the desk person found a free room for me in just few minutes. I suspect that my Club Carlson Gold status has weighted in the balance.

So I get to the 7th floor where my Business Class room is located. Based on the title, you expect something big. In reality, this isn’t really the case, but this is Stockholm.

The Business Class Room

View from the room

The room size in Stockholm is usually small in the hotels. Generally speaking, it is around 15-20 sqm (161-215 sqft). The suites are also following this rule, around 30-40 sqm (323-430 sqft), so far from the standards of others European countries.

So I enter into my Business Class room. The first feeling is mixed. It isn’t really huge but pretty clean. Looks like it has been renovated recently. The hotel has renovated rooms and non renovated rooms. Obviously, you’d better opt for renovated rooms.

The bed is very large, this is a positive aspect, with a good bedding quality, which is usually a key point in a Radisson hotel. The mattress overlay and the pillows allow having a pleasant soft feeling. There is a little working space with a table and a chair which isn’t really comfortable. Indeed, you can adjust the chair in height and since it has probably been thought for a Swedish customer, it is very low, way too low to work at the desk when you don’t measure 1m90. Then it isn’t padded at all and you can feel the metal frame which isn’t really pleasant.

The room is a bit dark. It lacks adequate lighting. Additional lights in the ceiling would have been appropriate.

For the soundproofing, it is almost perfect. My room was overlooking the street but I could almost hear nothing, even if the avenue has two lanes in each direction. So it is a very positive point. We can only hear a bit the bathroom ventilation but it is light.

The TV set is convenient to use. It even broadcasts a French channel (France 24).

The WiFi Internet access works very well. There is no problem with the throughput and the connection is pretty simple. In the evening, it can sometime be a bit slow when everybody gets connected but overall, it works fine.

For storage space, the room is impacted by its small size. There is only a little wardrobe and that’s it. A little bit light…

There is a Nespresso machine and a kettle with enough capsules and teabags available to coffee and tea addicts. The minibar is also well supplied.

The bathroom is similar to the room : kept to the minimum. We can find there a walk-in rain shower. Toilets aren’t separated. Bathrobes are available. Those are made of cotton but not really soft. The slippers are more enjoyable.

The room decoration is light and warm. I appreciate the turquoise blue carpet, it is nice even if I wouldn’t put that at home. The mirror with a black lacquered frame is nice as well.

Indeed, the only issue with this room is its size. You feel a bit cramped. I would have enjoyed a larger bathroom with a nice bathtub and a bit of space to put my suitcase in the room entrance.

Catering

The breakfast can be taken on the first floor, in the hotel inner courtyard, under the glass roof. Starting 6h30, a large buffet is offered to you. There is really something for every taste : cold cut, cheese, crepes (a bit too thick for me), several fruit juices (with some delivered by an automatic distributor where you make your selection on a touch pad), Viennese pastries, white cheese, cereals and few jams (served from the jar). The hotel size allows having a large and varied buffet, which is a key point. Even if the room is large, between 7h30 and 8h30, it is almost full but you can always find a seat.

I have also tested the room service. It was quickly delivered. Unfortunately, it was too salty. Fries were almost inedible. The club sandwich was good with onions but the general taste was too salty. The chocolate truffle isn’t so interesting, it lacks creativity and fantasy.

I have also been to the Sky Bar on the 9th floor. It is opened in the evening, when it is dark on Stockholm. The view is panoramic. The setting is pleasant. Don’t wait for someone to come to take your order or to serve you. You need to get to the bar to take the menu and place your order. The beverages are directly prepared on demand and if you have ordered something to eat, they will be brought to you a bit later. I have tasted the nachos and it took almost 20 minutes to prepare those while it shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds to open the bag and put those in a basket. I have to say that the quantity was there…

Activities

The hotel has a large fitness room with an impressive number of equipment. There is really something for every fitness addict.

There is also a small swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The pool water temperature was a bit cold for me (26° C). But I really enjoyed the original setting around the pool, really nice. The lockers weren’t really clean, probably due to the number of guests inside it at that time.

Conclusion

The hotel location is very central in Stockholm. So it is the right choice for someone looking to simply use the public transportation.

It is quite modern. The room aren’t very large but enough for a short business trip (where you spend little time in your room).

The hotel staff is pretty Swedish, with a true kindness but a bit cold, still very efficient.

For the rate, the bill is a bit salted (as the room service is!) but it is pretty common in Stockholm where hotel rates are a bit high.