The Clarion Sign Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden
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Looking for a hotel in Stockholm that is modern, sensible price and it doesn't make you feel like a cheapskate dork?
The Clarion Sign was recommended to me by people at VisitSweden's London office who use it when staying in their capital.
I found it in the rain - on a well placed square at the end of Vasagatan, ten minute's walk north from the Central Station and Bus Terminal. This square is quite busy with traffic but has green open space and trees in the middle, plus some cheapish food vendors that won't give you food poisoning and a smart open-air cafe in front of a small conference centre.
There are restaurants all around here ranging from Burger King to some really swanky ones you won't be able to afford. It's five minutes walk to the main shopping streets to the east and 15 minutes south to Gamla Stan, the old town where tourists wander round with their mouths open.
From the square the hotel looks like an office block with a tower and big darkened glass facade to hide the ruthless money-making business going on within. But approach the front steps and you'll start hearing cool jazzy music being piped out into the street from external speakers. It's not an office then…
No, it's a fairly swanky hotel. You can get late rooms here from just over £100 although the rack rate is more like £250. Haggle. With 558 rooms, Stockholm's biggest hotel, it takes some filling.
Automatic glass doors open into a busy foyer that seems to be a hip place for smart young city slickers to hang out. I think the hotel's Aquavit grill and bar may be a trendy place to eat. Or maybe it's just the free wifi. Anyway, the restaurant looked expensive to me and the hotel PR wouldn't let me try it for free, so I can't report what it's like.
Perhaps people are attracted to the Clarion Sign by the spa up on the eighth floor. This is admittedly rather cool - there's an open-sided triangular bar looking out across the city scape with seats in bubbles hanging from the roof. Also there's the usual treatment stuff, a gym with a view and an impressive heated rooftop pool. On hot days this is surrounded by bronzing Swedish bodies that you can peruse at your leisure from odd-numbered bedrooms above the eighth floor.
Reception is pretty brisk and thankfully devoid of form-filling. Public areas are decorated with some good Scandinavian art, mostly photos but some good 3D stuff too. There's some conference facilities, a night club sort of bar, but no hotel parking and the back of the hotel overlooks the main railway lines into Stockholm.
The rooms are modern and simple. There's a big window on one wall that opens a couple of inches only. The bed is that Nordic type, very comfy base with two strange thin single duvets side by side. TV is a bit limited. Only one channel in English, most of the rest are local Swedish stuff - bearded men arguing about tree-felling and adverts for Volvos featuring blonde people. There are some pay films that start at awkward times. Wifi is fast and free though.
Other bits: modern light wood desk, two modern stylish chairs. No coffee/tea but a min bar at prices to deter. There's a limited room service menu too. Once the bed base and one of the chairs had some mysterious white stains.
Bathroom is light and modern but there's only a liquid soap dispenser, no hard stuff. That's awkward for a bath. The bath has a shower attachment but it's a bit cramped to use.
Breakfast is excellent: everything from fresh fruit salad to as much salmon as you can ladle onto your plate. Most types of breakfasts are here - including even those weird people who happily eat cold processed ham and hard boiled eggs.
Östra Järnvägsgatan 35, Stockholm, Sweden
Contact tel: +46 8 676 98 00, e-mail:
Services spa, swimming pool, fitness equipment, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, room service, business services, internet access, wheelchair accessible, air-conditioning
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