I've always wondered why so many hotels, even those claiming to be business hotels, are so ill equipped for the business traveller's needs, especially the female business traveller's needs, so I was delighted to stay in Stockholm's Scandic Malmen recently.
No, there were no tea- or coffee making facilities in my room, it was after all a Swedish hotel. Scandinavian hotels, especially Norwegian and Swedish ones, are very frustrating in this respect - especially to those of us spoiled by travelling a lot in the UK where even the simplest B&B usually has such facilities. BUT - and this is truly a big but - Scandic Malmen had hairdryers and ironing facilities in the room, which was a great surprise as far too few Scandinavian hotels have this.
More often the hotels I've stayed in in the region will only have a trouser presser in the room, and I've always wondered how you iron a shirt with that - cause even business men use shirts, right? Anyway, this post was not supposed to be about my frustrations with Scandinavian hotels as I actually liked hotel Scandic Malmen a lot. It even had a free coffee vending machine in the reception and sold diet coke in the reception too, which sort of catered for my caffeine addiction even if I had to go down to the reception to feed it.
Also, the breakfast was really nice with lots of fresh products, included freshly ground coffee, and the rooms were nice (held in old romantic Swedish style). A Lebanese friend even had her room upgraded to a Queen suite with no extra charge. All in all, I'd love to stay here again - it's a 30min walk from the central station, but it's a nice walk - that is, if I can't find a reasonably priced hotel with tea- and coffee making facilities in the rooms...
Photo by me from Gamla Stan (the old city) in Stockholm snapped with my mobile phone camera while walking from the hotel to the central station
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