Hotel Rival

Rooms

All 99 rooms are uplifting, modern and enormously welcoming. Long corridors are made exciting with Caroushka Streiffert’s striking carpets.

Inside, the first thing that hits you is the bold use of colour - particularly cheering in winter. Sheer beech panelling contrasts with a solid wall of red; or rich green curtains sit against silvery grey walls. A giant film still from Swedish cinema evokes Rival’s history. Beds are sumptuous, with good duvets and Egyptian cotton sheets; and there’s a pillow menu to ensure you sleep deeply.

The bathrooms make the most of a small space. They feature underfloor heating and plentiful Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. Deluxe rooms have baths, all others have showers. Music plays in the bathroom, with controls for wet hands, and there are large soft white towels and robes.

These are rooms designed by people who travel: there’s an iron, ironing board and umbrella. Also: a safe big enough for your laptop (which can charge while you’re out) and a well-stocked mini bar. The entertainment centre is impressive if slightly dated: a selection of CDs is provided (yes, including ABBA’s greatest hits), there’s either a 32" or 40" Samsung Smart TV with a blu-ray player and really excellent DVDs to borrow, a docking station for your i-pod, and a PlayStation with a few games for kids to borrow. The only problem is that you’ll be tempted to stay in.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Iron
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Rival’s history as a cinema lives on in some superb public spaces. Climb the wide sweeping staircase to find a round art deco bar with plush red seating, and, higher still, the bright spacious bistro, with its wall of windows giving views onto leafy Mariatorget square. The furniture is modern classic - dark wooden tables lit with candles - and traditional rugs on stripped wooden floors give a homely feel.

Breakfast is a really superb help-yourself smörgåsbord, but staff are also on hand to bring you cooked breakfast orders: pancakes, omelettes and porridge. The buffet is lavish and top quality. There's beautifully made scrambled eggs and bacon, plus a choice of cereals, including excellent home-made crunchy muesli with lots of extras to add, fresh fruit and a good fruit salad, baked bread, croissants, and home-made jams; two kinds of yoghurt (both excellent), and a selection of cold meats, smoked salmon and several fine cheeses complete the spread. This has to be the best breakfast in Stockholm.

You’ll be too full for a big lunch, but Rival’s Sunday brunch is famous - book ahead. The Tavern next door is buzzing all day and serves a good salmon salad at bargain prices for Stockholm. Dinner was equally delicious and the restaurant was buzzing from early till late. Smoked reindeer carpaccio, black roe on toast and the rainbow trout with fennel confit are popular choices.

There are many restaurants nearby in Södermalm: We’d recommend innovative Woodstokholm, casual café/deli Nytorget Urban Deli and excellent Thai restaurant Koh Phangan. Take the short walk to Gamla Stan, where unmissable Eriks Gondolen is the perfect spot for drinks with spectacular views.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Wander the streets of SoFo - Södermalm's trendy heart - to find 20th-century classic Scandinavian design in the many antique shops, and tiny designer shops making clothes and home wares
  
  
• Just beyond outside the hotel’s Mariatorget square, there are more lovely boutiques along Hornsgatan - beautiful jewellery at Smide och Form, and lovely things for the home at Ebba & Jag, as well as small galleries and ceramicists
  
  
• Gamla Stan - Stockholm’s old town - is just a 10-minute walk away, over the bridge from Slussen. A delightful place to stroll along cobblestone alleyways among historical old buildings
  
  
• Take a boat trip to see the best of Stockholm’s picturesque waterfronts. Stockholm Sightseeing boats leave from outside Grand Hotel
  
  
• A lovely walk on a sunny day: Djurgården island is home to the outstanding Vasamuseet - not to be missed - in extensive parkland
  
  
• And Moderna Museet, closer at hand on Skeppsholmen island, has a good collection of modern art, and a cheap café with spectacular views
  
  
• Cocktails at Eriks Gondolen - not to be missed
  
  
• Head to Hotel Rival's theatre to see a show or concert

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Traditional cultures

Kids

Children would love Rival’s bold design, and we think the hotel is best for older kids. A teddy bear greets all guests in-room on arrival, and a CD of ABBA's greatest hits (courtesy of owner Benny Andersson) is supplied in each room. The hotel is very centrally located for easy access to Gamla Stan and sights.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

An extra bed can be placed in Superior, Deluxe and Deluxe Balcony rooms, and all rooms can take a baby cot. Superior and standard rooms can also be booked as interconnecting, making them ideal for families.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Rival is in the heart of central and trendy Södermalm, renowned for its shopping, just 1km from Central Station.

By Air:
Stockholm Arlanda (45km) or Skavsta (110km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
From Arlanda
By Taxi: it’s a 40 minute taxi drive
By Train: or take the efficient train Arlanda Express that takes 20 minutes
By Bus: or the frequent bus Flygbussarna that takes 45 minutes – both arriving at Central Station.

From Skavsta
By Bus: Skavsta is connected by a reliable bus service with Flygbussarna; buses leave 20 minutes after each arriving flight, and take 90 minutes to Central Station

By Taxi: or you can take a taxi

For all the above see Rates.

By Car::
If you want to hire a car then see our car rental recommendations. There is a garage underneath the hotel, leave your keys at the front desk and they'll park your car for you.

By Train:
The nearest subway station is Mariatorget, 80 metres from the hotel and then it is only 3 stops to Central Station.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Sweden and getting around.