ApartDirect Hammarby Sjöstad

The location made getting around easy: the commuter rail stop is right there, and a rail pass gets you to Gamla Stan and the tourist areas. Two good grocery stores with reasonable prices and hours are nearby. The housekeeping staff were especially kind and helpful. They even gave me extra time to sleep and get ready during their cleaning window, which I really appreciated because I have terrible sleep inertia. The place was super clean, with linens, towels, and extras in the cabinet. They provided dish soap, but no laundry detergent or salt and pepper, though the email said those would be there. The bathroom has plenty of cabinet space. The shower's magnetic glass doors mostly keep the water in, but the floor can still get wet and slippery. The towels were scratchy, so bring your own if that matters to you. The duvet was warm, and the square pillows were limp but worked stacked up. We heard thumping from neighbors and kids running above us through the thin walls, though not much else. The washer-dryer combo was nice but tricky to use, and laundry took some planning because drying space was limited. I never figured out how to open the windows or adjust the heat or cooling, and we couldn't work out the hob for about 30 minutes. We just lived with the temperature. Management could include simple appliance, thermostat, and window instructions in the first email, and provide a larger drying rack.

I booked this room so I could focus and get work done. Instead, for most of my eight-night stay, it felt like sleeping beside a construction site. On the first day I heard work in the next room; by day four I realized they were fitting out two rooms from scratch right beside mine. Nobody warned me. The noise ran from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Guests several doors away presumably paid the same rate without hearing it. The builders also shut off the water once without telling me. It was only about 30 minutes, but a room at this price should have running water, and guests should be warned. I raised it with the hotel. They apologized, but when I explained the room wasn't fit for its purpose and asked for half my money back, they refused. A hostel at a quarter of the price would have been just as useful as this construction site room. They should either not rent rooms next to active building work or clearly price and describe the noise. Their offer was late checkout, which was no help: after eight days of this, they offered two extra hours, but my Arlanda flight was at 11:30, so I had to leave by 8 anyway. I'll claim through Booking.com and make a video about the company. I'm avoiding all ApartDirect branches from now on, and suggest you do too. There are good hostels in both Hammarby Sjöstad and Älvsjö. Even if they cost a little more, I wouldn't book with ApartDirect again.

We stayed seven nights and really liked it. The room had everything we needed, and the place was clean and comfortable for a very reasonable price. Getting around was easy: take tram 30 to Gullmarsplan, then metro 17, 18, or 19 toward the city center or Gamlaspan. People mention the construction in front of the building, but we barely noticed it. We were in room 3113 on the first floor, with the machines literally below our windows, and couldn't hear them. One small thing I'd suggest is adding disposable slippers.

Shops, bars, cafés, restaurants, and public transport are all just around the corner, which made it a great base for seeing beautiful Stockholm. The room had comfortable beds, enough space, and everything we needed in the kitchen and bathroom. We'll be back next year.