Hotel Skeppsholmen

"Transforming a military barracks into a luxury hotel isn’t an easy task, particularly when the building, dating from 1699, is so historic that structural changes are forbidden. Fortunately, the design firm of Claesson Koivisto Rune overcame the obstacles, producing a triumph of Swedish style—a modest, minimalist, yet supremely comfortable property housed in two low, long buildings. The sense of antiquity is preserved (stone staircases worn smooth by the centuries, wooden shutters in the bedrooms), but there’s no shortage of modern amenities, from the amazing Duxiana beds to bathrooms with rain showers. The hotel takes its name from the island it sits on: Skeppsholmen is an easy walk to the Nationalmuseum, NK department store, and high-end shopping in Östermalm. It’s an even easier ferry ride from the Old Town, visible across the water. By day, lots of people cross the bridge to visit the hotel’s neighbor, the Moderna Museet, but at night the island is virtually soundless. As a result, the hotel is perfect for those who want quick access to the best of the city followed by undisturbed sleep."