Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg, Junior Suite: great location and what a spa!

Next step in my discovery of Gothenburg: after the very pleasant Clarion Hotel Post, I’m off to stay a few days at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia.

For the record, the program for my stay.

Booking

Booking made on the Radisson app. Members of the Radisson Rewards program can benefit from attractive discounts on public prices, depending on the period.

I chose a junior suite.

Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg location

Like the Clarion Hotel Post, the Radisson Blu is located at the entrance to the city’s shopping and pedestrian center, just a stone’s throw from the train station.

If you’re arriving from the airport, the hotel is a 20-minute drive away; if you’re arriving like me from the Clarion, it’s a 2-minute walk.

Once again, an excellent location, since you can discover all the charm of the city on foot, and most of what there is to see in town is within a 20-minute walk.

Hotel arrival and check-in

So I walk to the hotel from the Clarion. The hotel is modern and faces a small canal, with a totally unobstructed view over the canal and a large square where you’ll find the Clarion and the train station…as long as you get a room on the right side.

It doesn’t have the charm of the Clarion’s old stones, but it’s not horrible either.

With COVID in full swing, the reception area is virtually deserted.

Lobby – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

Check-in doesn’t take long, and once again, as at the Clarion, there’s this unfortunate habit of wanting to charge for the stay at check-in. It’s getting annoying.

Cordial welcome, but no presentation of the hotel’s services or the impact of health measures on the various services.

Overall style of the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

If you’ve fallen under the Clarion’s spell, you’ll be disappointed. It’s a large, modern downtown business hotel with little personality.

The hotel is distributed around a large atrium where the property’s bars and restaurants are located.

Atrium – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

If you’re lucky, you’ll get a room with a view of the city; if not, you’ll get a view of the atrium.

The bright but equally cold and impersonal corridors are no more charming.

The Junior Suite at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg.

My room is on the 4th floor, overlooking a small street that runs along the back of the hotel. The view is not impressive.

The bedroom opens onto a rather minimalist lounge area.

Junior Suite – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

You really get the impression that they’ve tried to cram as much furniture as possible into as little space as possible.

It’s a shame, because it’s obviously been renovated recently, the furniture is quite sober and the room could have been given a more airy, pleasant feel.

Let’s move on to the bedroom.

It’s in the same style, but in the opposite direction: it’s large and so spartanly furnished that it’s almost cold.

Sober but pretty decor, a furniture in the same vein, wood everywhere, we’re well in Scandinavia. No false notes, but I do regret the “imbalance” between the two rooms.

Another detail that exasperates me personally is the fact of having two half comforters for a double bed and not one large one. Again, part of the local charm…

Let’s finish with the bathroom.

Again, sober and functional. Nothing to complain about.

I almost forgot the balcony. The lounge opens onto a very large balcony, which should be very pleasant with a little furniture in summer, but which is of limited use in November.

In fine weather, it must be a really pleasant feature of the room! And on this floor, the fact that you’re overlooking the back street isn’t a problem, because the view is totally unobstructed.

It must be less pleasant for the floors below, though.

And we can end with the traditional video!

Junior Suite – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

The verdict? A bright, well-renovated room with a warm, uncluttered design. I really like it if you put aside the lounge overload and the comforter story. Too bad I couldn’t really enjoy the balcony at that time.

Gym and spa

No pool as such, but a spa that more than makes up for it and a gym. To save the best for last, let’s start with the gym.

It is located in the basement of the hotel. A pity at a time when we’re trying to make gyms as bright as possible and get them out of the cellars where they’ve been hidden for so long.

Speaking of cellars, the entrance is amusing, to say the least.

Gym – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

The room is medium-sized, long and fairly well-equipped.

As is often the case, I can’t help wondering whether the capacity is sufficient when the hotel is full.

In any case, a very functional and pleasant gym that does its job well.

Now let’s move on to the spa. The Spa at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia is operated by a well-established spa in town with, I’m told by local sources, an excellent reputation. This too takes place in the basement.

The welcome is very spa-like, with an Oriental touch, which breaks with the hotel’s setting and is all the better for it.

Spa – Radisson Blu Scandinavia Gothenburg

The interior is in the same vein.

A central space, with an ambience that’s neither too dark nor too bright, and still with an oriental touch.

8 people can sit in these submerged armchairs with integrated massage jets.

As someone who often complains about the water temperature, which I often find too cold, this was perfect.

All around, spaces to relax in total comfort.

Re-belotte on the other side with a more intimate space and a fireplace.

A little more secluded, with small private areas for napping.

Spa means sauna, especially in Sweden. Logically, it’s bigger than what you’ll find in other European countries, and perfectly clean and well-maintained. It looks like new.

There’s also a hammam that’s just as big and pretty…but taking photos with the steam doesn’t is useless.

One more for the road!

On reflection, I wonder if this isn’t the most beautiful hotel spa I’ve ever tried. All right, we have to agree on what a beautiful spa is: some people like this type of atmosphere, others something more “clinical”, others darker, others brighter, others modern, others more authentic… But if comfort and calm are important to you, I think my two favorites are this one and the one at the Intercontinental Bordeaux (which has since been redone…) not forgetting, in a different style, the one at the Heliopic in Chamonix.

In any case, I’ve never felt so calm in a warm, relaxing atmosphere in a hotel spa, and it really makes you want to come back.

I also tried out the treatments, which are also of a high standard (and my back says thank you), with the downside that there’s only room for one client at a time, so if demand is high, you’ll have to wait.

If you’re passing through Gothenburg, whether you’re a hotel guest or not, if you’d like to try out this spa or another from the same house, this is the place to do it: https://www.hagabadet.se/

Bars and restaurants

I didn’t try any of the hotel’s bars or restaurants during my stay.

During this COVID period, the hotel was really empty and hollow, and unlike the Clarion, its bar was not at all appealing. Cold and empty in the middle of the atrium, it had nothing in common with the festive atmosphere of its predecessor.

Check-out

When I left my room I put my key in the “express check out box” before someone explained to me that it wasn’t possible. Indeed the spa from the day before was left on my bill and so I had to go through the desk to pay because “due to GDPR they weren’t allowed to take card imprints and therefore debit it after I left”.

I’ve never heard that one before… So I complied, but not without reminding him that in Stockholm it worked very well and that he should try out the mobile check out on the Marriott app if he was looking for an area for improvement.

In short, a failed checkout experience when you have to go back to the desk. Similar experience at the Clarion, by the way: I don’t know if there’s some kind of “local curse”, but for the moment my check-outs in Gothenburg leave me with a bitter taste that ruins my stay a bit, especially when you’re talking about the check-out, which is the last contact you have with a hotel.

Bottom line

The Radisson Scandinavia Gothenburg is a good hotel in a good location. Modern, it has no particular charm, but nothing unpleasant either: neutral and all-purpose.

While the health context and the fact that the hotel is virtually empty obviously have an impact on the perception one has of its personality, I didn’t feel the friendliness and warmth of the Clarion, just a two-minute walk away.

Pleasant staff even if interaction was limited, but disappointing check-out experience.

But the spa alone is worth the trip!