Grand Hôtel

"Located in Stockholm, this opulent property boasts high ceilings, intricate columns, and delicate crown moulding. With its art nouveau architecture, the Grand Hôtel embodies luxury and glamor akin to The Grand Budapest Hotel's early heyday."

"This Scandinavian beauty boasts one of the strongest and most stable economies in Europe. Sweden also happens to be the perfect country where you can watch one of nature’s greatest spectacles—the Northern Lights—or stay up all night under the midnight sun."

"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."

"At the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, for example, which was voted No. 4 this year, you’ll find plush fabrics and wallpaper in florals and stripes. Over in Stockholm, the Grand Hôtel has been welcoming guests since 1874 and hosted the first Nobel Prize banquet in 1901. Now it draws epicureans with two restaurants from Swedish chef Mathias Dhalgren, one of which (Matbaren) is recognized with Michelin’s Bib Gourmand designation." - Travel + Leisure Editors