While in Stockholm for an evening I chose to stay at the Sheraton. Why ? I was really just passing through, arriving from Paris via Frankfurt on Saturday late afternoon to leave for Phuket via Istanbul on Sunday morning, so I wanted a hotel close to the train station which is very efficiently connected to the airport. Then we tried this Sheraton several years ago, it was one of our first common stays at the launch of TravelGuys and we were a bit disappointed. The hotel was being refurbished at the time so this was an opportunity to see if things had improved.
- Booking
- Location of the Sheraton Stockholm
- Arrival and Check In at Sheraton Stockholm
- Sheraton Stockholm Superior Room with View
- The overall style of the Sheraton Stockholm
- Fitness and spa
- Restaurant and bars at Sheraton Stockholm
- The staff and the service
- Check-out
- My opinion on the Sheraton Stockholm
Booking
As usual I booked a standard room on the Marriott app to be guaranteed the best price.
A few days before my arrival I would see in the same application that I had been upgraded to a “superior room with view and balcony”. Very stingy while Junior Suites were still available for booking and therefore in contravention of the conditions of the loyalty program.
Standard, superior, suite, with or without view, with or without balcony, king size or double beds….the Sheraton Stockholm offers no less than 18 room types. This is quite ridiculous for this category and, as we shall see, for the level of service.
Location of the Sheraton Stockholm
The Sheraton Stockholm is located right next to the train station and due to the shortness of my stay this dictated my choice as it was not for sightseeing. The Arlanda Express takes you from the airport to the train station in 18 minutes. From there 5 minutes to the hotel.
If you are coming for sightseeing you may prefer to stay in the old town of Stockholm. But the Sheraton is just across the street and you only have to cross a bridge to get there.
Arrival and Check In at Sheraton Stockholm
I arrive from the station. The hotel doesn’t look like much and reminds me of all those “old” standardised Sheraton hotels without personality that are destined to change or disappear as part of the rejuvenation that the brand is undergoing.
I head to the check-in. The lobby is large, cold and low-ceilinged.
On the other side towards the bar and restaurants it looks more friendly and warm.
The person who takes care of me at the reception desk is, if not French, at least French-speaking, and she is obviously happy to speak to me in French. It is true that in February she must not see many foreign tourists.
A very pleasant check in even if she is a little embarrassed when I point out that there are suites available and that they are interpreting the loyalty programme in their own way.
Anyway, once the formalities are done I go to my room.
Sheraton Stockholm Superior Room with View
The room is quite simple…a desk area, a mini “lounge” area and a bed.
The bathroom is large and bright, even though it is blind, and includes a bathtub that doubles as a shower.
For a room with a “view” and “balcony” this is what it looks like:
The balcony is an immediate reminder of the hotel’s age. Given the weather and the temperature outside I’m not going to dwell on it anyway.
On the other hand, the view of the old town is quite nice.
I have mixed feelings about this room. It is sober, clean and comfortable. But it’s more like replastering than renovating: it’s fake and has absolutely no warmth.
The overall style of the Sheraton Stockholm
To cut to the chase, this hotel embodies all that is wrong with the old Sheratons: a total lack of style and personality. So yes, the renovation is quite correct but you will see later that it is uneven and does not hide the age of the hotel.
Amusing detail (or not) one still sees many vestiges of the time when Starwood had not been bought by Marriott with omnipresent references to the defunct program “Starwood Prefered Guest” today replaced by Marriott Bonvoy.
Nothing but proof of a certain cheapness on the part of the property that refuses to invest 2 years after the rebranding. In fact, that’s the impression the hotel leaves: everything is done to a minimum and at the lowest cost. We’ll see in the rest of this review.
Fitness and spa
Surprisingly the fitness room is quite well equipped and not unpleasant.
I did not test the spa.
Restaurant and bars at Sheraton Stockholm
During our previous stay the lounge was under construction and was replaced by something cobbled together in the meeting rooms. This time it was open.
Big disappointment. It is much smaller than the replacement lounge we had. When I arrive it’s full to bursting while the hotel is practically empty. I can’t imagine when it’s full. So it was redone a few years ago…it doesn’t show. It is already worn out and not even nice. It was not until almost the end of the service that people left to take some pictures.
The buffet looks OK.
The salads are good, the hot dishes totally tasteless.
It’s noisy, there are children, the staff push you around while serving your table….nothing memorable.
During our previous stay we really appreciated the bar and in particular the talent of a passionate French barman who was very good at making cocktails.
The bar is located in the lobby. You can sit there or in one of the many armchairs and sofas that surround it.
I’ll go and sit at the counter as usual.
The menu is not bad at all
The barman will turn his back on me for 20 minutes without being otherwise overwhelmed before taking an interest in me. The cocktail I’ll have will be good but nothing more. Lacks personality and is too weakly dosed, it’s like drinking melted ice cubes.
All around, the tables are in disarray, badly cleared or not cleared at all.
In the end I’m not inspired by it all and I won’t go to the restaurant. Anyway, I’ve already eaten two in-flight business class meals during the day and enjoyed the buffet in two airport lounges as well as in the hotel.
The staff and the service
A friendly welcome but I didn’t like the fact that the loyalty scheme rules were not applied, a bit rude in the lounge, and the bar was smiling but unacceptably slow.
So bottom line: not good.
Check-out
I will check out on my phone and leave the hotel without having to go through the reception…and so much the better.
My opinion on the Sheraton Stockholm
I can’t remember being so bored in a hotel for years and finding it so mediocre. We are not reaching the records of Klaus K in Helsinki but…
