Fritiden Hotell & Kongress

I was looking forward to sleeping in after a long drive and seven hours on the ferry at the start of my Sweden vacation. Instead, the very friendly woman at check-in said breakfast had to be booked because of the pandemic, and the latest slot was 7:45. This was July 2022, when, as the next hotel I stayed at assured me, Sweden had no restrictions in force. Just amazing. Also, if you ask about parking and are only told about the hotel's paid lot, there's a free parking lot across the street from 6 pm to 9 am, and other options not much farther away.

The rooms were quite all right, and the restaurant was too. The staff I met were accommodating and helpful, and reception quickly sorted things out when I reported a cleaning issue. On the second morning, the cleaner made the bed but left dirty glasses, coffee cups, and half-eaten fruit in the room. The next day the room was cleaned, but the sugar for the complimentary tea and coffee hadn't been replaced. The breakfast restaurant's window sills were also really dirty. Without those problems, I would have given the hotel another star.

The breakfast buffet was good, and the breakfast staff were amazing. I liked being able to choose a bottle of water and bring it back for a refill, even though that meant doing a job I feel I pay the staff to do. The rest of the staff seemed to think the hotel was there for them rather than its guests. The bed gave me back pain, though the linen was nice. The restaurant looked good and the menu was promising, but I didn't eat there.

The room had neither a coffee machine nor a fridge, which were the only things that kept this from being a five-star stay for me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it: lovely decor, a great restaurant, a superb rooftop bar, and great staff.