Background and Location
I needed a hotel for my first time in Stockholm, and I found the Nordic Light Hotel. The hotel is conveniently located next to Stockholm Central Station and is within walking distance to many parts of the city, or an easy metro or Uber ride away. Also, it was extremely convenient to take the Arlanda Express to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) as it was just a few steps from the hotel. Despite it being more expensive than an Uber for 3, I love the Arlanda Express. It takes only 18 minutes to get to the airport, which is amazing given the fact that the airport is 25 miles away.
Choice Hotels has a master franchise agreement with Strawberry (formerly Nordic Choice Hotels), and since the Nordic Light Hotel is part of Strawberry, it’s also part of Choice Hotels’ Ascend Hotel Collection. The major plus is that you can use Choice Privleges points at these Strawberry properties. I was able to book a night for 20,000 points, which I found to be a good deal as you can often buy Choice points at a discount when they are running a sale, around 0.80 cents a piece (sometimes lower, sometimes higher).
So by buying 20,000 points at 0.80 cents a piece, that means each night was $160. This was a bit of a discount for a standard room during my summer dates, but the best news was that I could book a “suite” category for the same points rate, which was going for about $350 a night. This was nice since I was traveling with my parents and the 3 of us would appreciate the extra space.
Takeoff Points
Date of Stay: August 2024
Room Type: Suite
Pros: Convenient location, modern/clean rooms, and breakfast is included for everyone.
Cons: Suite sizes can vary significantly and they sell them all under one “suite” category, AC is limited.
Arrival & Lobby
We arrived around 4 PM and were quickly checked in. I found the lobby to be nice and modern, and it opened to the lobby bar and main restaurant.
The First Nordic Light Suite
So, we spent the first night in this suite on the top (9th) floor next to the elevator. I found out that the suites vary in size at this hotel, and I’m not sure why they don’t differentiate between their suites as they have some with extra bathrooms, and others are much larger with extra seating/storage.
Unfortunately for us, the first suite we got has to have been one of the smallest suite options. Since I’ll review the second suite in more detail, I’ll just highlight some issues with this suite.
- Did not have a 2nd bathroom
- Missing extra closet/storage
- No seating/table in the bedroom
- The bathroom was tiny. Plus the shower layout was weird, could not place toiletries in the shower.
- AC leaking in the living room.
- AC knob (no central air or AC units) did not work, the room was very warm and only had 1 in the living room, versus 2 in the larger suite.
Since I saw photos online showcasing tables with chairs in the bedroom and bathtubs, I inquired at the front desk if I could move to a larger suite as this suite felt super tight for the three of us. They said they would try and check back the next morning as they were sold out for our first night. Thankfully, we were able to move the next day.
The Second Nordic Light Suite
Our second suite was located just a few doors down from our original suite.
At the entrance, four hooks to hang backpacks/umbrellas were on the wall, which was a nice touch to have.
A welcome amenity of sparkling water, chips, and some candies was provided.
As you enter the room immediately to the right is a small bathroom that has a sink, a shower that has the drain on the floor and is not enclosed, plus a toilet. Toiletries are provided by Grown Alchemist. Body lotion, body wash, hand wash, conditioner, and shampoo were provided. There was a wand and rainfall shower. Thankfully this shower had a small bench, as well as a spot for the toiletries to be placed so you could grab them while you were showering, unlike the other suite.
The design and small size of the shower made the floor get a bit wet, but nothing too bad.
As you enter the living room, there is a sofa and table. When you have a 3rd guest (or 4th), the sofa turns out to be a full-size sofa bed, though it is quite creaky and makes a lot of noise. Here, there is a television in the living room as well as a console that houses the minibar with items for purchase.
They don’t provide bottled water, but instead give empty reusable bottles to fill from the tap, which is supposed to be very good in Stockholm.
Bedroom
In the bedroom is a queen size bed, that can be split into two single beds. We had it set as two singles. There are charging ports on each side with one side having USB and the other side not having it. And, there were two chairs plus a table near the window, which was much appreciated. The other suite was much smaller and did not have a table and two chairs.
A TV and closet complete the bedroom space. We had a nice view of some buildings across the street.
To the right is a storage area with four shelves and a sliding closet door that opens up to more closet space with hangers where you can find an iron board and an iron is provided as well. There is a hot water maker and mini bar items for purchase and tea bags/instant coffee.
Second Bathroom (Yay!)
And then, there is a second bathroom that has a sink and a large soaking tub. I did wish this bathroom had a toilet as there was space for it and would be very convenient. But, an extra sink and a tub are always helpful. Again, Grown Alchemist products were provided and also this room had the hairdryer, slippers, a vanity set as well as bath salts. The slippers were too small for my size 11 feet but could fit those with smaller feet.
There’s no central air, but there is this nozzle device that was present in both the bedroom and living room where you could make it colder or warmer. It’s controlled by the hotel, as the air cooling systems operate essentially throughout the hotel and can be adjusted slightly within your room, using the knob on the wall. An extra fan was provided which helps make the space have more airflow. Additionally, both windows could be opened slightly, which helped a lot in bringing some fresh air. The second suite didn’t have too many issues with it being too warm, but the first suite was way too hot (not sure why).
In this second suite, the living room and the back bedroom had adjustable thermostats (2 total), though in that smaller suite, the only adjustable thermostat was in the living room, which was quite unfortunate. Maybe that’s why the first suite was so hot.
A weird occurrence was that there was a trashcan in both of the bathrooms, but then on our last night, it seemed that housekeeping took away our trashcan in the bathroom with the tub, which was inconvenient.
On the plus side, the room was generally clean.
Overall, the second suite was much better than the first and I’d highly recommend requesting a larger suite if you book one and if you’re traveling in a bigger group.
Restaurant
Restaurant Lykke is located next to the lobby and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s described as a modern bistro serving Nordic-inspired dishes. The bar section of the restaurant also has extended hours after the restaurant itself closes.
Breakfast
Breakfast is included for all guests, and the only annoying part is that the hours changed on the last morning and no one informed us. Thankfully, we already were able to get some food, but we just got interrupted when they started clearing out all of the food items.
The breakfast area did get quite busy around 8:30 AM, and it was a little cramped/messy. Thankfully, we were able to find seats each day.
The buffet selection included many hot & cold dishes, as well as a cereal station and pastries. I liked the juice offerings, smoothie, and ginger immunity shots. They had a self-serve tea/coffee station as well.
Fitness Center
On the basement level, there is quite a spacious fitness center. It had many machines, as well as a yoga room. I did a workout one night and it was empty which was nice. There was a bike that also provided classes like a Peloton, which was nice.
The Verdict
Overall, the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm can be a decent option for visiting Stockholm, and it is conveniently located next to the central station. The breakfast buffet that is included is pretty solid for a 3.5/4 star hotel. If you’re booking a suite, I’d recommend requesting a larger suite as they do vary in size.
Have you stayed at the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm before? How was your stay? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
