Barken Viking

Honestly, it's hard to write a bad review for a place that could be outstanding. We had cheap below -deck rooms and they were horrible but that was our mistake. I'm told my partner that the rooms upstairs were much nicer. And yet... You're on a boat and you cannot go outside so what's the point of booking such a stunning location? Also, they have a virtual reception, there is nobody there when you arrive. Breakfast is also not great, and there is no room cleaning unless you ask for it. It all feels a bit cheap despite the classy surroundings. And it would take so little to make it a superbly great experience! They could open the restaurant and bar in the evenings, perhaps as a cooperation with the restaurant next door. Sitting on deck would have been gorgeous. At breakfast, a bit more care and putting out, and refilling, smaller portions would already go a long way. We were there for two nights, and the same sloppily cut tomatoes, cucumbers and chewy pancakes were served on both days, nothing was really fresh. We stayed at several other hotels directly before this one and the quality was distinctly better in every single one. Overall, this place feels like someone is just milking it for the name and location without caring about the actual experience their guests have. If you want something nice and special, this place is not it - and it's so sad, with a few changes and a little more care, presence, friendliness and attention to detail, it really could be.

Barken Viking is a beautiful ship and a good hotel. Sitting in Gothenburg's harbor it is only a short walk from the Gustav Adolf square, very lively. The top deck though is inexplicably closed which significantly diminished the value of the stay, one can only imagine resting up there in the sun... or having a drink as the sun sets, a shame. Check-in is a little strange, there is nobody here to check you in, and the only staff you'll see are the cleaning crew, which feels a little impersonal. However the room was clean, and our bathroom was nice.

It was great...10 years ago! No reception, no personnel. Broken toilet seat. No closet! Nowhere to store your stuff. Many stains, dirt. Towels and hair dryer were missing in my room. So I called the "virtual reception" (no personnel there at 7 p.m. // 19:00). The man's advice: >Wait until tomorrow, the "lady for breakfast" will give you a hair dryer<. ...and this is what you get for €120/night!

We had a room in the bowels of the ship. Although windowless, fluorescent lighting in a hotel room was a shock. I thought that had disappeared in the 1980s. I’d expected somewhere to hang clothes but there were no cupboards, no wardrobe, no drawers, no towel rail, not even a coat hook! The only furniture were two chipped and battered side tables from Ikea and one rickety straw chair that had seen better days. In fact all the furniture in the public areas had seen better days. It looked worn and tired. The room had no kettle with complimentary tea or coffee which combined with no restaurant left us with no access to hotel food or drink until morning breakfast. No reception after 2pm so any random stranger could wander in off the street if they lurked outside the front door and timed their entry with someone else exiting. And they did. The hotel receptionist was also overseeing breakfast the following morning. She works hard. Overall the ship looks uncared for. Don’t be fooled by the romance of a hotel on board a ship in a major Scandinavian city. The reality is anything but romantic!

This was a decent place for a last minute emergency. I had a staff member remotely help me check in at 1 am (thank you). The room had a smell to it and it was a bit of a dated/ faded/ non-imaginative experience. The bed was clean and comfortable enough. The breakfast was appreciated.

Well this place is sadder than the ending of the titanic! It's far from a romantic expirience. The ship feels empty, a lot of rooms and the top deck aren't officially accessable. There is no reception, just a phone leading to some uninterrested, unhelpful staff. The rooms are underwhelming, and you hear every grunt through the walls. Now to our special surprise (the ice-berg of our stay): we found a full diaper and several empty cans of beer under our beds, alongside other trash. We tried to cancel our stay, but there is no chance getting your money back. The only somewhat good thing about the ship is its proximity to the Goteburg center and an ok morning buffet. So think twice before booking here, there are lots of better options to choose from!

Nice stay with lots of character. We enjoy a themed venue and the Viking energy was abundant. If you’re looking to add a quirk to your stay in Gothenburg then here is the place. Breakfast included which was plentiful and comprised of traditional Swedish platters. Great addition to this stay and would recommend for this inclusion absolutely. Felt very safe as a Queer couple staying there too!🏳️‍🌈 thanks Viking!

Superb value! Quirky ship hotel, very clean and clever use of cabins. Ensuite shower excellent, great pressure and plenty of hot water. view over docks, great location (easy scooter ride to the park). Very reasonable pricing, breakfast excellent with a vast choice of food. When we went, there was no evening meal option, but plenty of space downstairs to have takeaway delivered.

My wife and I stayed here two nights during our stay in Gothenburg -- the staff was friendly and helpful, the overall atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, and the room was comfortable and clean. The highlights are that it's close to a lot of things in the city, easy to find if you lose your way, and a novel experience seeing as how you're sleeping on an old ship. Make sure to clarify in your booking that you'd like a king size bed or two twins -- the option isn't made very clear so it can be tricky.

This review is for the bar only. This is a pretty cool place when you think of it. I am surprised it hasn't more customers on a Saturday night. Bartender took forever to mix a mojito. Go here for a cool view and atmosphere.

BED BUGS. DON'T STAY. I'd give this place ZERO STARS if I could... Our first night, we watched as a bug crawled out of one of our pillows. We were pretty sure it was a bed bug, but since it was the only one we saw and reception was closed for the night, we figured it was a fluke. We went and told reception first thing in the morning, they claimed they had dogs come in and check our room. No compensation or even apology was offered-- they just claimed the room was fine now so we stayed another night. When we got in the room, we found another bug carcass on the bed, but it was dead and all we saw at the time, so we stayed because we had to leave early in the morning... big mistake. We woke up at 4 am to MULTIPLE BUGS CRAWLING ACROSS THE BED. The white sheets appeared to be infested with tiny dots of all sizes running up and down. We grabbed all our stuff as fast as we could and waited at our bus station for over two hours because we didn't want to spend one more second in this disgusting place. We left a note for reception with our keys and still didn't hear anything from the hotel staff-- I can't even compliment them! Bites were confirmed by doctor to be bed bugs... so I honestly don't believe anything was ever done about our complaint... the whole boat is probably infested now, at this point. I've never been so disgusted. I would never recommend this place to anyone. This hotel is TERRIBLE.

This place was very dirty, stains everywhere and very few amenities. The novelty of sleeping on a ship was lost on us not being able to go up to the deck. Good breakfast though. I would recommend going somewhere else tbh