Where is it?
Elite Stora Hotellet is located right in the city centre just by the main square, Stora Torget. The location is about as central as you can get in the city with shops, restaurants and most places of interest just around the corner. The main railway station is about a 10 minutes walk from the hotel.
The arrival experience
The grand hotel building was inaugurated in 1852 and has a beautiful exterior in Gustavian style. It is one of the oldest city hotels in Sweden and definitely one of the oldest still is full operation as a hotel today. The hotel has seen many owners over the years and is now run by Elite Hotels.
I arrived at the hotel at 6 pm and was immediately checked in by a very friendly and courteous young woman who also helped me register my frequent flyer card in the booking to earn points, as it was not possible to do this during the booking process. The check-in process was quick and efficient.
The room
There are 117 rooms in the hotel. I had booked a standard room for single occupancy and was assigned a room on the second floor. The room was fairly small and although it had everything needed with a bed, a desk and an armchair it did feel quite tiny.
Naturally this was a standard room for just one person and there are obviously larger rooms available including double rooms, superior rooms, deluxe rooms and suites. The room was nicely decorated though and in an excellent condition, but there should have been something more on the walls.
The bathroom was also quite small with a toilet, sink and shower.
There was a limited view of the large square, Stora Torget through the window but very little outside noise reached the room.
Food and drinks
The hotel has a bar and a restaurant called Storan Restaurang & Bar located on the ground floor with a large veranda overlooking the square. The restaurant has a focus on traditional Swedish food. There is also a bar section.
There is also a cooperation with The Bishops Arms, a popular chain of pubs in Sweden. The pub is not actually located inside the hotel but a short walk away.
Other facilities
The hotel has a small gym on the top floor and also a mixed sauna in the same area.
Service
The service was friendly throughout the stay with nothing to complain about. The same young woman who checked me in also checked me out the following day and remembered me well and also made sure I was happy with the stay.
Breakfast
The breakfast was served in the magnificent breakfast restaurant on the first floor. The buffet-style breakfast was quite decent with plenty of hot and cold options.
Final impression
Although the standard room was quite small the rest of the stay was pleasant. The building from 1852 is really beautiful, the staff were friendly and helpful and the breakfast was decent. Overall good value for money, especially with a weekend rate.
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