Located in the heart of Stockholm city, Nobis Hotel is as convenient as it is luxurious. The hotel is within walking distance of all public transport, major shopping hubs, the water and attractions.
Staff here are extra helpful, friendly and approachable. If it’s your first time in Stockholm they’ll give you a map and circle the major attractions, transport hubs and any other relevant information you’ll need during your stay. They also explained the cheapest way to travel on the metro system and where and how to purchase tickets.
We stayed in the Standard King room which was as luxurious as the website claimed but without the space. The bathroom was a bit small and the shower had two doors which would open randomly as you were showering. That made it a little awkward to shower because they were hard to keep closed. But it was a cosy, comfortable and very sophisticated room with a great view of Stockholm.
The buffet breakfast served here is one of the best I have ever had included at a hotel. There was a wide selection of fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juices, pancakes, bacon and eggs, and the usual toast and cereals.
Because the hotel is so central to everything, we weren’t really in it very much. We simply used it to shower and sleep and for that it was great. The only problem was trying to fit two suitcases and all of our heavy winter jackets into such a confined space.
I would definitely stay there again but if I was spending more time in Stockholm I’d probably opt for a larger room. Just so I can easily walk around the room without having to crawl across the bed.
I give Nobis Hotelfour and a half stars.
Need help exploring Stockholm? I did it in just two days! Don’t forget to check out my review of the famous Ice Hotel in Kiruna too.
The train pulling into Luleå train station in Sweden’s north during winter is greeted by a sea of white and the occasional local shuffling by. My boyfriend David and I are one of five people to step off the train, each of us with suitcase in tow. We spot the one driver waiting in the otherwise empty car park and he sees us instantly, as if it could be no more obvious that we’re not locals.
We’re going to Harads, an hour’s drive from Luleå along wide open roads surrounded by nothing but the forest. It’s one of the most beautiful countryside landscapes I’ve ever seen. Sitting in the back of the luxury European car all I can think is “it’s a good thing we’ve booked our stay at the Treehotel!” Immersed in the natural landscape, Treehotel is an eco-friendly resort run by a Swedish family which promises to provide a truly authentic Scandinavian experience.
With only six tree houses to choose from, bookings are undoubtedly hard to come by. The trick is to plan ahead and book as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. You won’t have any control over which house you get, but if you spend a couple of nights there you can stay in a different house each night.
David and I spent two nights at the resort, the first in the blue cone, a red cubby-house, and the second in the aptly named bird’s nest. We were more excited and impressed by the latter because it meant we were actually suspended high up in the trees for the night – just like you would imagine a tree house to be.
Each of the tree houses is built for four people so families are well accommodated for. Peak periods include both summer and winter for the midnight sun and northern lights respectfully. We stayed during winter in January 2015, passing through on our adventure around Scandinavia.
As the tree houses are environmentally friendly, you won’t have access to running water inside. Instead you’ll have enough in the fridge to keep your thirst at bay, a giant jug of water for washing your hands, face and brushing your teeth and of course, water to boil should you want to make tea or coffee. The toilets on the other hand, incinerate. You’ll be shown how they work on check-in but it’s really very easy. Instead of a “flush” button, these toilets have a flame which is actually really cool.
“But how will I shower?” I hear you ask. There are two saunas. You’ll have to book with reception when you’d like to use them so no one interrupts you. We made our bookings for straight after dinner. You’ll have two hours in the sauna which includes access to two steam rooms, a shower, mini-bar, robes and towels. Of course you don’t have to spend two hours in there if all you are after is a wash. But who can resist a good sauna in winter time?
The family’s house is where you’ll enjoy all of your meals (unless you book activities like snowmobiling where it will be provided for you), and where you can store your bulky luggage. You’ll want to stick to taking just an overnight bag to the tree houses because you might have to climb up into them, depending on which one you get. The meals here are homemade by members of the family so you’ll feast on a taste of Sweden that won’t be served in a restaurant. From locally caught pickled herring to freshly baked apple and lingonberry pie, the hearty food is perfect for a winter pick-me-up.
On check out we paid for all of our extra expenses (food, sauna bookings, etc) before we were driven back to Luleå. For us it was straight to the airport where we left Sweden for the wonders of Finland.
We loved our stay at Treehotel, not just for the unique rooms and toilets which literally burned our waste, but for the warm and friendly, family atmosphere. The saunas were an added bonus!
If you can, get out to Harrads Tree Hotel for an experience unlike any other.
I give Treehotel five stars.
Have you stayed in a tree hotel? Leave me a comment below! Don’t forget to check out my other articles on Sweden.
Travelling to Sweden in winter? Then book a night at the iconic Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi!
You’ve probably heard about the phenomenon that is ice hotels and trust me when I say they live up to the hype.
Earlier in the year I spent the night in a room carved from ice by talented artists at the famous Ice Hotel in Swedish Lapland. Everything from the bed and mattress to the door and walls are made of ice – so don’t expect any mirrors, bathroom or lights in this room!
To get there, you’ll have to catch the train to Kiruna. There are plenty of overnight trainoptions available from Stockholm and transfers to and from the train station can be booked through the hotel. Once you arrive at reception, a member of staff will explain how to survive spending the night in a room made of ice. You will be given free access to sleeping bags, clothing and snow gear, showers and saunas, bathrooms, storage rooms and a warm lounge lit by fires.
The Ice Hotel is an art gallery and is open to the public so you won’t have any privacy until around 5pm when the gallery is closed. You’ll also have to be out of your room by 9am, unless you want to be part of the exhibit of course. But don’t worry, a member of staff will wake you up with a warm cup of lingonberry juice which (trust me) is much needed! During the night you will only be able to wear a layer of thermals and a beany. You have the choice of your own sleeping bag or a double bag for couples who like to cosy up but as staff will explain, it is much harder to keep warm with a shared sleeping bag. We opted for single sleeping bags so we wouldn’t have to worry about getting cold during the night.
At first you’ll find that the room is a bit eerie. It’s awfully quiet and extremely cold! But before long you’ll find that your sleeping bag is warm enough and you’ll drift off to sleep. I actually slept better in the ice hotel than I did on the overnight train to get there!
After surviving the night, you will be transferred to a much warmer and much more comfortable cabin, complete with your own private bathroom. Your bags will be transferred for you and yes, you still get free access to snow gear so you can leave the cabin without suffering from hypothermia.
The cabin is much more relaxing so I suggest staying in the ice room first. It’s like a reward for having survived the ice!
During your stay there are only two restaurants to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner and booking arrangements can be made through reception. You can always visit the supermarket up the road for supplies. Don’t forget to visit the ice bar at night where even the cups are made of ice!
During the day, make the most of local guides and staff and take part in activities like reindeer and husky sledding, snowmobiling and northern lights sightseeing. They may be expensive, but they’re worth it!
When you check out of the resort you will be handed your diploma for surviving the night in an ice room. Along with your name and a picture of the ice hotel’s main doors will be the inside temperature (-5 degrees Celsius) and the outside temperature from the night which for us was -25 degrees Celsius.
Local staff, activity guides and the ice room itself definitely live up to the expectations. I give the ICE HOTEL five stars.
Swedish foods might not be at all what you’re used and it may take your tastebuds time to adjust to some the flavours, but there’s no excuse to miss out on tasting Sweden’s traditional delicacies.
Herring
You’ll find this little fish on the menu at every restaurant and at your hotel breakfast buffet. Yep, it’s everywhere! It’s usually pickled and gives off a strong odour so if you’re like me and you don’t like seafood, you’re going to have to get used to it.
Lingonberries
Whether you drink warm lingonberry juice in winter or you have meatballs and lingonberries for dinner, you’re probably going to eat them at least once while you’re in Sweden. The berries are small, red and sweet which Swedes enjoy with pretty much every meal throughout the day.
Meatballs
Don’t just settle for the IKEA ones, try real Swedish meatballs while you’re there. Meatballs are often served at restaurants with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – delicious!
Cinnamon Roll
You’ll find these at most bakeries and supermarkets throughout the country. Usually enjoyed with coffee, they make the perfect morning snack or breakfast on the go.
Reindeer Meat
Reindeer comes in a lot of forms in Sweden. While we were in Sweden, my boyfriend and I ate reindeer kebab, reindeer burgers, reindeer jerky, reindeer roasted over an open fire (that was my favourite), and reindeer stew. Reindeer meat is extremely healthy and it tastes great with lingonberries (of course).
Pancakes
Pancakes in Sweden aren’t as thick and fluffy as American styled pancakes, they’re more like crepes. Perfect for dessert after meatballs, you can also enjoy your pancakes with (wait for it…) lingonberries!
What are your favourite Swedish foods? Salivating over the thought of a reindeer burger? Grab one at the Ice Hotel in Kiruna!
In early January 2015 I had the privilege of staying at Kiruna’s Ice Hotel in northern Sweden. The resort, like many others in the Scandinavian Arctic Circle, offered plenty of winter activities and adventures. Most of these activities cost around $200AUD but they run for at least three hours, include at least one meal and certainly justify the price tag.
My boyfriend David and I went on the Reindeer Encounter for a total of $200 each. Upon booking the activity we were under the impression that we’d be able to feed and pat wild reindeer. What we didn’t realise was that the encounter also included an attempt at riding one around a track.
The activity begins with a snowmobile ride to the reindeer farm, just outside of the Ice Hotel grounds. Once there the guide will hand you a bucket of hay before opening the gates and letting you into the enclosure to feed and pat the reindeer. Once they have been fed the guide catches three of the more calm looking reindeer and leads the group to the starting grid of the sledding track.
There have only been a handful of moments I can recall having feared for my life and I can honestly say that this was one of those moments.
During the sledding introduction our local Sami guide made it clear that whatever happens out there on the track, if you ever feel unsafe or if you happen to be thrown from your sled, release the rope and let the reindeer go. Sounded clear enough. But the next thing we knew our guide was flung from her standing position to the ground by the wild reindeer she was holding onto. Instead of releasing the rope, she allowed the animal to drag her into the surrounding metal fence and along the ground, in the snow, in sub-zero temperatures, around the track twice. Yep – twice!
At this stage you can imagine my fright. I did not want to get on that reindeer sled! Lucky for me there were two other reindeers who looked more relaxed (or so I thought).
David took his turn first and returned safe and sound so I took the same reindeer he had assuming it would also return me to the finish line safe and sound.
All was fine for the first 20 seconds. My reindeer guide was calm, cool and collected and so was I. Then the unimaginable happened. Another reindeer was catching up. I remembered to hold on tighter, anticipating my reindeer to race the other. I was right. What I hadn’t anticipated was my reindeer getting angry. At about the halfway mark on the track, the reindeers were neck and neck – I was having a lot of fun at this stage – then my reindeer turned to face the other and went in for the attack. The reindeers locked antlers. Both myself and the man at the end of the other reindeer were thrown from our sleds.
We made the walk back to the start/finish line as our reindeer were caught by the others upon finishing their race with no riders on board.
From behind us another reindeer came charging through and we were both thrown from the track a second time. Luckily we made it back in one piece with a pretty cool story to tell.
After everyone had raced a reindeer, we made our way into the nearby tepee for reindeer kebabs and coffee roasted over a live fire.
Then we were taken on snowmobiles to a Sami museum to learn more about the indigenous culture of northern Sweden before returning to the Ice Hotel for reindeer burgers, a nice warm shower and an Aurora display that lit up the night sky.
Despite my sledding story, I would recommend the activity to anyone who has ever wanted to meet a reindeer. If you have the money to spend and the time to spare, make the most of the activity while you’re staying at the Ice Hotel. You won’t be disappointed!
For more Ice Hotel reindeer activities, check out the website here.
Have you got an interesting holiday story to tell me? Leave it in the comments below!
So you’ve booked a trip to Stockholm. With plenty of attractions, a unique culture to experience and a whole different part of the world to navigate around, how do you best explore the city? Only having a total of two days to spend in Stockholm, my boyfriend and I had to prioritise the things I wanted to experience. So grab your map and travel to Stockholm with me.
Getting Around
Lucky for you, Stockholm locals are taught English throughout school so as long as you can understand English yourself you’ll find it pretty easy to navigate your way around the city. If you’re planning on making the most of your time there, get yourself an access card. The card will enable you to catch all public transport for 24 hours – unlimited. It makes a huge difference if you’re planning on seeing as much as possible in just one day! The tram and train networks are extremely easy to use.
Attractions
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to exploring a city. Do you opt for the “touristy” attractions? Or do you try and make your experience as authentic as possible? Por que no los dos! Mix it up and make the most of everything the city has to offer! Here’s what my day looked like:
First thing we did was head to the closest train station (that was T-Centralen for us) and purchase our access card. Then we caught the train to Globen where we visited the Ericsson Globe and rode a mini globe to the top.
Then it was back to the city centre where we used our access card to catch a train to The Vasa Museum. There are free tours run by the museum in a number of languages so be sure to join one! You’ll be able to make your way through the museum a lot faster that way.
Just up the road from the museum is an open museum, shopping district and farm in one –Skansan! At 100SEK per adult, you’ll want to make the most of your time in the town. Here is where we ate traditional meatballs and lingonberries for lunch. With reindeer, seals, bison and wolves to watch and views over the whole of Stockholm, you’ll find it hard to leave.
Just across the road from the main entrance to Skansen is ABBA The Museum. Whether you’re a fan of the dancing queens or not, the museum is one of the best attractions in town. The hands on museum makes it fun for everyone, from children to grandparents. The museum is one of the best I have ever been to.
After mixing our own ABBA song, we caught the city loop tram back into town for some shopping (don’t forget Sweden is the home of Zara!) and dinner.
Squeeze in a little more sightseeing before your meal and walk to Gamel Stran – Old town. You’ll get to see The Royal Palace, historic architecture and traditional Stockholm streetscapes, all on your way to dinner!
And there you have it! You have now explored Stockholm and it only took you one day.
Do you have any tips for exploring Stockholm?
NB I travelled to Stockholm in winter when there is less tourist traffic in the city. You may have to line up for attractions during busier seasons.
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