Kalmar Hotell

If all you need is somewhere to sleep, this basic, no-frills hotel may do. Its location is outside the main city hub, without the same vibe or atmosphere as other city hotels. Check-in was unattended: I was sent directions for opening the main door and finding the key. The room was simple and clean, and tea and coffee were complimentary. Breakfast was a letdown, with stale bread, few choices, and a very basic buffet of mostly cold items.

We booked a room for two adults and our five-year-old, but when we arrived there were only two beds. We called the administration and were told the child should sleep in the same bed with us. The service was disgusting. I don't recommend this place.

The bathroom was clean and nice, but there was no shower soap or shampoo, and breakfast was mediocre. The four-bed room felt like a depressing hospital, with bare white walls, no decorations or flowers, very bright ceiling lights, and just one bedside lamp. The door was locked when we arrived in the pouring rain. Luckily, some kind people gave us the code. Apparently reception closes at 16:00, which is pretty bad. If you only want a clean room to sleep in and don't care about anything else, this could work. For a real hotel experience, look elsewhere.

Most things were great, even though service was mostly self-service. There was no AC unit, though that's not very common in Sweden anyway, and the TV basically had only 3 channels.