The Freys Hotel is located in central Stockholm, a few minutes’ walk from the Arlanda Express station. It shares its name with a famous horse who won a prestigious distance race between Stockholm and Jönköping in 1895. Recently refurbished, this 4-star boutique hotel offers 124 rooms over six floors. Some rooms have balconies and there is also a sauna, although I conveniently forgot my swimsuit (still working on that elusive bikini body).
We had booked two rooms: a superior twin room and a smaller twin room. Maternal paranoia kicked in when we discovered the superior room was on the sixth floor, but the kids’ room was way down on the first floor. Hubbie pointed out that, since our offspring are aged twenty and fourteen, they could probably cope. The kids, of course, were delighted.
The first floor room was quite small but very cosy, with Cath Kidston-esque wallpaper. There was a single bed and a very comfortable sofa bed. The shower room was also small but perfectly formed.
Our room was quite spacious with relaxed, shabby chic décor. It was bright, thanks to three large windows along one wall. There was very little hanging space in the wardrobe, because (joy of joys) an iron and ironing board took up most of the room. Hiding behind a honey-coloured velvet curtain, we were delighted to discover a tiny kitchenette, complete with sink, hospitality tray, kettle, microwave, 2-ring hob, glasses, and a fridge.
There are no baths to be found in the Freys Hotel. Our en-suite had an alcove with a shower and a vent in the sloping floor. Two frosted glass swing doors provided an enclosure of sorts, but the rubber seal around the doors was broken in places. This proved problematic, as water seeped under the ineffectual doors. A scraper had been provided so that we could clear up the resultant flood, but meditative showers (my personal preference) were out of the question. On a more positive note, there was a generous supply of toiletries and towels.
The beds and bedlinen were superb; climbing into bed on the first night after a hectic day was like sinking into a fluffy cloud or (to quote my daughter) a giant marshmallow. Needless to say, we all slept like logs.
Breakfast was fabulous. A wide range of cooked and continental options were available – enough to make even the grumpiest morning person happy (you know who you are). The atmosphere in the dining room was peaceful; there was no rushing about, no jostling at the buffet, no waiters swiping your plate away before you had finished eating. I could have stayed there all morning, grazing and people watching.
Despite the leaky shower-cum-wet room, I would highly recommend the Freys Hotel. The rooms are clean and cosy, with lots of little extra touches that make a difference, e.g. umbrellas, sewing kits, spare toothbrushes, and toothpaste. There’s good Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, although I would have preferred a Wi-Fi dead zone in the dining area. The staff are professional and courteous without being overly solicitous. The aim of Freys Hotel is to create an ambience of tranquillity. Mission accomplished.
Freys Hotel Bryggargatan 12, 11121 Stockholm, Sweden. Website.
