The Steam Hotel

The rooftop pools and spa were the best part for me, especially with that view over the skyline at sunset. I also slept well in a spacious, clean room with a comfortable bed and a great view of Lake Mälaren. The warm lighting and quality bathroom products made it feel especially cozy. Steam Hotel has a striking mix of old power-plant character and modern comforts, from the high ceilings and exposed steel to the stylish details throughout. Breakfast had plenty of fresh, tasty choices, and the staff were friendly and helpful with requests and recommendations. I’d happily stay again.

The lobby food counter is handy if you arrive late or would rather not go out. You can eat there for about 145 SEK or buy food by weight to take away. There’s also a basement virtual-golf room, plus table tennis, which makes for an unexpected bit of entertainment. The gym is open around the clock and has a sauna, useful after a long day. Rooms were quiet, clean and well looked after, and the staff were welcoming. Scandic Skellefteå is a short walk from the centre, so it’s easy to explore on foot. It’s a practical, good-value option for a short trip or a longer stay.

The stay started out pleasantly. The dinner was well prepared, the atmosphere was nice, and the spa was decent apart from the music. It was somewhat crowded, but manageable. Then a party in the room above woke us after we’d gone to bed fairly early. People were jumping, shouting and playing loud music on the 9th floor. I called the lobby, and security came up. From our room on the 8th floor I could clearly hear the guard knock and the people inside respond, “Helena! Stäng av musiken!” That gives you an idea of how little soundproofing there is. The noise kept coming through until about 3am, so we were awake from 1am to 3am. Getting sleep is one of the reasons to book a hotel, and this was unacceptable. Based on that alone, I wouldn’t stay here again. Breakfast was also overbooked and packed with people. They began removing food before 10am, even though breakfast hadn’t officially ended. With that many guests, they should have extended it. The crowding already made breakfast stressful. For the price and the place’s potential, it’s unfortunate that what began as a nice visit became stressful and left us short on sleep.

The room at Teg was comfortable and really nice, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The food let the stay down: the meat was very dry and the jasmine rice much too sticky. The next morning I waited about five minutes just to order coffee, which felt slow. The accommodation was great, but the food and service need work.