Grand Hôtel

"When in Stockholm, do as your peacocking predecessors might have done, and make a reservation at the opulent Grand Hôtel, opened in 1874; it's as fit for a Northern European Grand Tour as any palace wing, with a proper Nordic spa to boot. Of course, you can count on expeditious service—don't expect to sit around waiting for a room—and celeb-status extras, like silk robes and floral arrangements. Rooms are spacious in that special, old world way, with high ceilings and delicate crown moulding, but don't expect any fusty, floral-seized linens here: Duvets in cool shades of gray and navy, or sometimes a heady turmeric, prevail, endowing suites with a modern, but elegant feel. For a little extra elbow room, book a suite with an attached parlour, whose size can be customized to your exact needs (just note that you don't refer to these parquet-floored boîtes as merely 'small-' or 'medium-sized,' but rather, as 'grand' or 'grandiose.'). A must-do during your stay? The Nordic bathing experience: up here, saunas and cold showers are as much a daily rite as brushing your teeth (but way more glamorous). Sweat it out in the pine-scented sauna, then submerge yourself in the ice-cold pool—and repeat. For a little extra assistance in abating jet lag, add in the Nordic Detox treatment—you can't go wrong with a deep-tissue massage and heat wrap to help those sad, swollen limbs recover from a long flight."