http://www.trivago.com/stockholm-52297/hotel/birger-jarl-41219 http://www.trivago.com/stockholm-52297/hotel/birger-jarl-41219 http://ie2.trivago.com/images/layoutimages/logos/default.png http://www.trivago.com/stockholm-52297/hotel/birger-jarl-41219/review-o682061 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:16:00 +0100 Looking through Booking.com there were a few hotels that looked nice and were reasonably priced but when I clicked on them to check the room they would have available would be the size of a cupboard and contain bunkbeds and have no windows. This wasn't really the type of holiday that I was hoping to have. Just when I was about to give up and raise my budget I stumbled across the Birger Jarl hotel which looked nice, had outside windows and a double bed all for a decent (well for Stockholm) price. Obviously there had to be something wrong with it or so I thought but from reading the comments it seemed the previous people who had stayed at the hotel all thought quite highly of it. The only problem I could see was that it was a little further from the city centre than some of the other hotels but as I am a young relatively fit young man I didn't really see this as a problem and booked the room.

When we arrived off the airport bus at the central station I was clutching my map of the directions I had downloaded from booking.com and set off to find the hotel.
It was quite a hike from the central station but it seemed relatively straight forward and only involved walking a very long street and taking a turn off. We walked for about 15 minutes and soon found where we needed to turn off. The hotel is situated on a quiet side street and would be easy to pass if you weren't looking for it. The only reason we found it straight away was because it has a small terrace outside and as it was a lovely sunny day there were guests sitting out drinking coffee.
The entrance to the hotel was quite inviting with big vases either side of a revolving door with a canopy above it. The terrace next to the doors was small but full of people and had some really nice wooden furniture. I have to say first impressions were good.

Upon entering the hotel my first impressions improved even more. There is a large front desk directly facing the entrance where there were three smarty dressed receptionists who were extremely friendly and very efficient and had us checked in, in less than a couple of minutes.
There were a couple of computers for guest use and there were also lots of maps and leaflets on things to see and do.
Also in the reception area was a large bar and some tables with comfy seating. The decoration was minimal and stylish and made a really good impression. Off the bar is the hotel restaurant where they serve dinners and lunches and this is also where breakfast was served.

To use the lifts you had to use your room key which I liked as I always feel more secure in a hotel when they do this.
After being so impressed with the lobby of the hotel I was excited to see the room. On the website they had made a big deal about how some of their rooms were individually decorated and on some of the pictures they looked really modern and indevidual. Unfortunately we had a plain old boring room that looked like 99% of hotel rooms the world over. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it but after the rest of the hotel being so good I had expected something a little nicer.
The room had those single beds that are pushed together to make a double which I hate but I am used to hotels doing this and at least I can say they were extremely comfortable.
The rest of the room was as expected with a small desk, TV, reading lamps etc. There was absolutely nothing to distinguish it from every other hotel room.
One nice touch about the room was that in the mini bar there was free bottles of water and chocolates which I did appreciate.
The windows overlooked the front of the hotel and they actually opened for a change and I was pleased that I had found a room with external windows which I had no idea previously was considered a luxury in Swedish hotels of the budget variety.
The bathroom was a little shabby to be honest and in desperate need of an overhaul. It had a shower, bath, sink and toilet and there is not really a lot to say about them. They worked. Towels were plentyful and the maid service replaced them every day of our stay.

Breakfast was included in our room rate and this was a highlight for me. I like my food and there was plenty to choose from. There was plenty of bread, pastries, fruit etc and also hot food like bacon and sausages. There was machines for coffee and juice where you could help yourself so you didn't need to rely on the waitress which was good as it was busy with a constant stream of people coming and going.
The waitresses were really good with coming and clearing up the dishes so you could go back and have another plate without being embarrassed about the amount of plates piling up on the side of the table.
I really cannot fault the breakfast or the service of the waitresses who also were very friendly and smiled everytime they took away a dish.

The hotel has a small gym which I didn't use but did have a peek in and it looked well stocked and perfectly fine for a short break for the gym bunnies.
It also has a sauna which I did make use of and this was a lovely bonus of the hotel.
I'm afraid I didn't eat at the restaurant but from the menu it looked like set menus and the prices were very high for what they served.
The best thing about the hotel was the feeling of it. I have never before stayed in a hotel where I actually wanted to sit in the lobby bar and have a drink but the atmosphere here was so good that I actually enjoyed having a drink in it before I went out in the evening. The ouside terrace was also lovely and always busy and it was nice to sit here in the early evening sunshine and enjoy a drink. The atmosphere seemed to have extended to the other guests as it was always a nice social experience.
A lovely touch that they hotel did was they would fill jug of water filled with strawberries and cucumber and leave them at the front entrance for guests to take onto the terrace. It was onyl a small thing but it was this attention to detail that made me enjoy my stay so much.

If I went to Stockholm again I wouldn't hesitate to stay at the Birger Jarl hotel again. Yes it is a little far from the centre but there is a metro near the hotel and the walk into the centre was a nice one that allowed us to see pars of Stockholm we probably wouldn't have seen without staying there. The rooms are basic but adequate and besides you won't be spending a lot of time in them and the rest of the hotel more than makes up for this.
We paid SEK 2970.00 for three nights in summer which is approx £274 and frankly for Stockholm this is a steal. ]]> http://www.trivago.com/stockholm-52297/hotel/birger-jarl-41219/review-o667191 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:12:00 +0100
General Information

Name: Hotel Birger Jarl
booked at: www.booking.com
Address: Tulegatan 8. 10432 Stockholm
Phone: 1946 8674 1918 1900
Email: infobirgerjarl.se
Website: http://www.birgerjarl.se/
Number of rooms: 235
Elevator: Yes

The hotel is a genuine Swedish hotel in Stockholm and anyone you ask will know where it is located. Why? The hotel bears the name of the founder of the city, so the average citizen of Stockholm will certainly know where it is also because the street is also named after the founder! The founder of the city is Birger Jarl and in the twelfth century, this town was founded.

You can book the hotel in several different ways. You have the option on the hotel website itself, but also through other sites like Hotels.com and Booking.com. The last one gave us the best price. We had a room for 2 people for 3 nights with breakfast for 2970 Swedish crowns. It was the cheapest four star hotel we could find near the center of Stockholm. There were hotels that were cheaper but I had no window in the room! Very strange.

We arrived in Stockholm from Skavsta airport by bus, which lies about one hour from Stockholm. You arrive by bus at the Central Station. From this point it is approximately a 20 minutes walk to the hotel. You walk through the center and the center itself is also around 10 to 15 minutes from the hotel. You can take the metro to the hotel and is approximately 5 minutes walk, so we thought it was not really worth it. The metro is ideal if you want to go further into Stockholm.

One suggestion is to buy the Stockholm Card. You get not only free public transport but also free admission to 75 attractions including all the popular ones like the palace. This card costs about 395 Crowns per person per day, but remember that you have access to the palace and a lot more so you will save a lot of money in the end.

The hotel is easy to find in the street and at the reception we were helped by a neat woman who spoke good English. It is a fairly large hotel and also quite modern. The reception desk is always staffed by two persons or more, you also have a bar and lounge. Checking in was very easy and we got our key along with a map of the city. The hotel has lifts so that was also no problem.

The room was nice and looked clean. The room was bigger than we had expected and had a double bed and a sofa bed. It had a real Ikea feel to it but in a modern way and very practical so it did lack some personality. What we noticed straight away was the lack of air conditioner in the room and with 25 degrees outside that was a disappointment.

The double bed was comfortable and at both side you have a lamp and night tables. You also have a television, desk and wardrobe with a safe. You also have a mini bar and here you have free two bottles of water. Furthermore, you also had a kettle in the room with instant coffee and tea. Ideal for when you come back from town.

The bathroom was good with a bath. The bath was very spacious and even I with my 1.98metre could easily lie in it. You got two large and two small towels that were being changed every day. There was soap and shampoo which also were replaced every day. A nice room, just a pity of the air conditioning.

At the hotel is no possibility to have dinner but you can have a drink in the bar or have breakfast. On the ground floor is a modern and cozy bar. You can get almost all drinks. In the back you have the room for breakfast and given a big hotel, the breakfast room is also spacious, but the selection was ok. They had a wide selection of bread and egg, bacon, sausages and even small meatballs. Your can cut your own bread. Also you had juice, water, coffee, milk and tea. If anything I've missed was more delicious treats, such as chocolate croissants. Furthermore, the staff was friendly and very fast to clean and refill, so definitely no complaints there.

Breakfast in bed is possible at this hotel but we didn’t do this. On the ground floor you have access to a computer with free internet, throughout the hotel you have free Wi-Fi. The hotel also has an ironing service, ticket service and a fax. Next to the elevator you'll find a ice machine. Also located on the top floor gym and a sauna. The hotel is accessible for wheelchairs. Both the entrance and further spaces is easily accessible for someone in a wheelchair.

Hotel Birger Jarl is definitely a must to look at it when you are planning a weekend to go to Stockholm. It is a nice modern hotel and I am definitely happy with the stay. It made me much like all the furniture company Ikea, which is more positive means. It has a fresh and modern look.

The hotel is quite centrally located and it’s 15 minutes to get to the center. No problem for us, but i imagine if you are older or have some difficulty walking, this could be a problem. In addition the breakfast was excellent, the room was good and clean and the staff friendly. Just a pity that the hotel does not have good air conditioning, because it can obviously get pretty hot in the summer and that is surely a serious drawback. What we loved was the terrace at the front where you can relax after a long walk and it was often pretty busy too. Also you have here again complimentary chilled water and even flavored. All in all definitely a hotel to take into your decision when you go to Stockholm.

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