Where to stay in Stockholm: Norrmalm, Gamla Stan, Södermalm, Östermalm, Vasastan, Kungsholmen, Djurgården and Hammarby Sjöstad compared, with the hotels in each

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: For a first visit, stay in Norrmalm, round T-Centralen and Stockholm Central Station, or in Gamla Stan: the Arlanda Express ends at the Central Station in 18 minutes, all the metro lines meet at T-Centralen, and the Royal Palace is on Gamla Stan’s streets. Södermalm has the bars, Östermalm the smart dinners, Vasastan and Kungsholmen are residential, and Djurgården has the museums but no metro. Sweden charges no city tax. Prices change with the dates, so check yours on Hotels.com. Or book a walk: the Gamla Stan walking tourad is from SEK 150.

The areas, compared

The last column counts how many of 39 English-language travel sites give the area a heading of its own in a where-to-stay guide.

How the city works

The metro, the tunnelbana, has three colour groups that meet at T-Centralen: blue (lines 10 and 11), red (13 and 14) and green (17, 18 and 19). Each area below names its stations by colour. Stockholm public transport has the fares, and Arlanda to the city compares the ways in from the airport.

Sweden charges no city or tourist tax on hotel stays, so the room price is the price you pay.

Dates that affect a stay: Skansen’s Christmas market on Fridays to Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026, Nobel Week Lights from 5 to 13 December, New Year’s Eve, Stockholm Design Week from 8 to 14 February 2027, the Stockholm Marathon on 29 May, Midsummer on 25 and 26 June and the Stockholm Culture Festival in the middle of August. See the best time to visit Stockholm.

What the official sources say about safety

The UK Foreign Office says pickpockets often target tourists for passports and cash in Sweden’s major cities, that gang-related crime, including knife crime, shootings and explosions, has been reported in Malmö, Stockholm and Gothenburg, and that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Sweden. The Government of Canada asks for a high degree of caution because of the threat of terrorism, says pickpocketing is common at airports, stations, transport hubs, hotel lobbies, concerts, restaurants and tourist attractions, and says gang violence, which it places mainly in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, has not typically occurred in areas frequented by tourists, though there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Australia’s Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions and puts Sweden’s terror alert at elevated, level 3 of 5. See the UK Foreign Office and Government of Canada pages for Sweden.

None of these sources ranks neighbourhoods as safe or unsafe. Keep bags and phones close on crowded trains and at the station, in hotel lobbies and in restaurants.

The hotels

The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Star grades are from the Hotelstars Union register for Sweden, which is voluntary: a hotel with no grade here is not in the register, which is true of the chains and most of the design hotels. Michelin’s Keys are the guide’s own ratings for hotels. For the hotels by distance from the station, see hotels near Stockholm Central Station, and for the airport, hotels near Arlanda Airport.

Norrmalm and the City

Visit Stockholm calls Norrmalm the hub for public transport, with both T-Centralen and Stockholm Central Station. Sergels torg, Hötorget, Drottninggatan and Kungsträdgården are here, and so is Blasieholmen, the waterfront with the Grand Hôtel. T-Centralen has all three colour groups, Hötorget is green and Kungsträdgården blue. The Arlanda Express ends at the Central Station: see Arlanda to the city. Hötorgshallen, the food hall, is under Hötorget: see Stockholm’s food halls. Canada names stations, transport hubs, hotel lobbies and restaurants for pickpockets.

Grand Hôtel Stockholm

Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8 · 279 rooms · 5-star superior · two Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad

Open since 1874 on the Blasieholmen waterfront, looking across to the Royal Palace and Gamla Stan. It has five restaurants and a spa with a pool.

Lydmar Hotel

Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2 · 46 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

It has shown more than 60 photography exhibitions in its lobby since it opened. Guests use the spa at the Grand Hôtel next door.

Nobis Hotel Stockholm

Norrmalmstorg 2-4 · 201 rooms · 5-star · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

A 19th-century stone building converted by the design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. Michelin notes it is the former bank site of the 1970s robbery that gave rise to the term Stockholm syndrome.

Bank Hotel

Arsenalsgatan 6 · 111 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

In a former bank building from 1910, a few steps from Strandvägen. One of its restaurants, Bonnie’s, is named after the bank robber Bonnie Parker.

Hotel At Six

Brunkebergstorg 6 · 343 rooms · Hotels.comad

Part of the redevelopment of Brunkebergstorg square, with interiors by the London studio Universal Design Studio and an art collection, according to Michelin.

Hobo Hotel

Brunkebergstorg 4 · 201 rooms · Hotels.comad

The headboards turn into desks and the walls are pegboards hung with gadgets. The ground floor shows work by local businesses, and the rooftop restaurant is TAK.

Berns Hotel

Näckströmsgatan 8, Berzelii Park · 82 rooms · Hotels.comad

Berns has been a house of entertainment since 1863, and its Red Room is the setting of Strindberg’s novel of that name.

Miss Clara by Nobis

Sveavägen 48 · 92 rooms · Hotels.comad

A 1910 Art Nouveau former girls’ school with a modern top addition by the architect Gert Wingårdh, according to Michelin.

Haymarket by Scandic

Hötorget 13-15 · Hotels.comad

In the PUB department-store building on Hötorget, styled on the 1920s, with a brasserie one floor up. The hotel says the Central Station and Stureplan are within walking distance.

Scandic Grand Central

Kungsgatan 70 · 391 rooms · Hotels.comad

In a building about 130 years old at the corner of Vasagatan and Kungsgatan. The hotel says trains, buses, the metro and the Arlanda Express are a few minutes away.

Clarion Hotel Sign

Östra Järnvägsgatan 35 · 558 rooms · Hotels.comad

On 10 floors in a 2008 building by Gert Wingårdh, next to Norra Bantorget square near the Central Station. It has a spa.

Nordic Light Hotel

Vasaplan 7 · 169 rooms · Hotels.comad

A former 1960s office block turned into a design hotel on Vasaplan, according to Michelin.

Hotel C Stockholm

Vasaplan 4 · 367 rooms · Hotels.comad

In a 2001 building next to the Central Station, with the ICEBAR on site. Breakfast is included.

Sheraton Stockholm Hotel

Tegelbacken 6 · 465 rooms · Hotels.comad

The first Sheraton to open in Europe, in 1971, according to Michelin.

Generator Stockholm

Torsgatan 10 · Hotels.comad

A hostel with dorms, female-only dorms and private rooms, a bar and a café.

Hotel Kungsträdgården

Västra Trädgårdsgatan 11B · 94 rooms · Hotels.comad

In an 18th-century building beside Kungsträdgården, with a French brasserie. Its concierges are members of Les Clefs d’Or.

Best Western and hotel

Apelbergsgatan 40 · 3-star superior · Hotels.comad

The rooms are compact and space-efficient, and breakfast is always included, according to the hotel.

Skeppsholmen and Djurgården

Skeppsholmen is the island between the city and Djurgården, and the two share the bridge and the ferry. Djurgården has no metro station: the museums on it, among them the Vasa Museum, Skansen and ABBA The Museum, are reached by tram, ferry or on foot, and evenings are quiet. Visit Stockholm says nowhere in the city has more attractions and museums. See the Vasa Museum, Skansen and ABBA The Museum.

Hotel Skeppsholmen

Gröna gången 1 · 81 rooms · 4-star · Hotels.comad

Two buildings from 1699 on Skeppsholmen. The tennis court by the water was built by King Oscar II in 1882 and is Sweden’s first outdoor court, by the hotel’s account. Breakfast is always included.

STF Stockholm Skeppsholmen

Flaggmansvägen 8 · Hotels.comad

A hostel with dorm beds, family rooms and superior rooms, looking across to the Royal Palace and the ship af Chapman. The hostel puts the Central Station about 20 minutes’ walk away.

Villa Källhagen

Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen 10 · 4-star · Hotels.comad

On Djurgården, with a lobby bar, a conservatory and a terrace. The hotel describes the rooms as quiet while still close to the centre.

Backstage Hotel

Djurgårdsvägen 68 · 57 rooms · Hotels.comad

Next to ABBA The Museum and across from the Cirkus arena, with rooms themed on music and theatre. The hotel puts central Stockholm about ten minutes away by tram, car or taxi.

Gamla Stan and Riddarholmen

The Old Town, which Visit Stockholm says was founded in the 13th century, with the streets round the Royal Palace, boutiques and restaurants. The Royal Palace, the Nobel Prize Museum and Storkyrkan are on foot: see Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace. The Gamla stan station is on the red and green lines, and Slussen is one stop away. Riddarholmen is the small island beside it, where the yacht hotel is moored. Canada names tourist attractions for pickpockets. Stockholm walking tours and food tours start in the Old Town.

Hôtel Reisen

Skeppsbron 12 · 144 rooms · Hotels.comad

On the Old Town waterfront in a building dating to 1617, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The Tjärn spa is built into the old defensive wall, according to Michelin.

Hotel Gamla Stan

Skeppsbron 22 · 81 rooms · 4-star · Hotels.comad

Three buildings between Skottgränd and Stora Hoparegränd. The oldest part dates to the 1600s, and the old city wall once ran through the buildings.

Victory Hotel

Lilla Nygatan 5 · Hotels.comad

The largest of the Bengtsson family’s hotels in the Old Town, named after HMS Victory and opened in 1987. It is filled with antiques.

Lady Hamilton Hotel

Storkyrkobrinken 5 · Hotels.comad

A listed building dating to the 1470s next to the Royal Palace, opened as a hotel in 1980 and furnished with folk-style antiques.

Lord Nelson Hotel

Västerlånggatan 22 · Hotels.comad

A house under six metres wide on Västerlånggatan, which the hotel says is Sweden’s narrowest hotel. The rooms are ship-themed singles and doubles, and it has taken guests since 1974.

Mälardrottningen Yacht Hotel

Riddarholmskajen 4 · 3-star · Hotels.comad

A yacht hotel and restaurant moored at Riddarholmskajen on Riddarholmen.

Södermalm

Visit Stockholm calls Södermalm the place for the city’s latest trends, with cafés, bars, restaurants and boutiques. SoFo, the streets south of Folkungagatan, has vintage shops and cafés. Mariatorget, Zinkensdamm and Hornstull are on the red line, Medborgarplatsen and Skanstull on the green, and Slussen has both. Pelikan, Kvarnen and Meatballs for the People are here: see Swedish meatballs in Stockholm. The streets round Medborgarplatsen are busy late, and a food walk starts there. Clarion Hotel Stockholm is on Ringvägen, well to the south of the centre, and Långholmen is on its island to the west.

Götgatan in Södermalm. Photo: Arild Vågen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hotel Frantz

Peter Myndes Backe 5 · 48 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

A family-owned boutique hotel by Slussen in a red-brick house from 1647 built for the tailor Frantz Bock. The hotel puts itself a stone’s throw from Gamla Stan.

Stockholm Stadshotell

Björngårdsgatan 23 · 32 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

Two restaurants, a bar, a lounge, a sauna and a courtyard, run by restaurateurs.

Hotel Rival

Mariatorget 3 · 99 rooms · Hotels.comad

A bistro, bars, a café and a theatre salon seating 735.

NOFO Hotel

Tjärhovsgatan 11 · Hotels.comad

A design-led boutique hotel in SoFo with room concepts inspired by the owners’ travels, and a wine bar.

Scandic Malmen

Götgatan 49-51 · Hotels.comad

Next to SoFo. The hotel says the commuter train to Stockholmsmässan takes 7 minutes from the nearby station.

Clarion Hotel Stockholm

Ringvägen 98 · 532 rooms · Hotels.comad

In a 2001 building, with the Elements Spa and a heated outdoor pool.

Hotel Zinkensdamm

Zinkens väg 20 · 87 rooms · 3-star superior · Hotels.comad

In the green setting of Tantolunden park, with a hostel in the same complex.

Långholmen Hotell

Långholmsmuren 20 · 3-star superior · Hotels.comad

Rooms in the former cells of the Kronohäktet prison on Långholmen island. The cell key and breakfast are included.

Östermalm

Visit Stockholm links Östermalm with upscale shopping and fine dining and some of the city’s most expensive addresses. Östermalms Saluhall, the food hall, is at Östermalmstorg: see Stockholm’s food halls, which also gives its closed Sundays. Östermalmstorg, Karlaplan and Stadion are on the red line. Hotel Diplomat and Hotel Esplanade have adjacent addresses on Strandvägen.

Karlavägen in Östermalm. Photo: I99pema, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ett Hem

Sköldungagatan 2 · 22 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

Three private houses in the Lärkstaden district. The hotel describes itself as something more personal than a luxury hotel.

Hotel Villa Dagmar

Nybrogatan 25-27 · 70 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

A small wellness centre, Dagmar Spirit & Retreat, with two treatment rooms.

Hotel Diplomat

Strandvägen 7C · 130 rooms · 5-star · Hotels.comad

Rooms and suites in an Art Nouveau building overlooking Strandvägen.

Hotel Esplanade

Strandvägen 7A · 4-star · Hotels.comad

An Art Nouveau hotel on Strandvägen since 1910, designed by the architects Hagström & Ekman, with rooms facing Nybroviken or the courtyard.

Story Hotel Stockholm Stureplan

Riddargatan 6 · 82 rooms · Hotels.comad

Behind a 1930s facade just off Birger Jarlsgatan, with street-art-inspired decor and reclaimed vintage furniture, according to Michelin.

Best Western Hotel Karlaplan

Skeppargatan 82 · 101 rooms · 4-star · Hotels.comad

Singles to family rooms, in the hotel’s own count.

Vasastan

Visit Stockholm calls it the northernmost district, with the public library, art museums, theatres and Vasaparken, which has an ice rink in winter. Odenplan, Rådmansgatan and Sankt Eriksplan are on the green line. Lilla Ego, Babette and BORD are here: see where to eat in Stockholm. City Backpackers is the exception, 650 m from the Central Station on Upplandsgatan.

Odenplan in Vasastan. Photo: Ljuvlig, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Villa Dahlia

Tegnérlunden 8 · 103 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

Opened by the family behind the Diplomat hotels, with a Nordic spa upstairs, a rooftop and a petanque court in the courtyard, according to Michelin.

Hotel Ruth

Döbelnsgatan 81 · 62 rooms · one Michelin Key · Hotels.comad

A family-run hotel in a 19th-century corner building. The lobby doubles as a living room with board games.

Blique by Nobis

Gävlegatan 18 · 249 rooms · Hotels.comad

Across a former warehouse and an apartment block, with a Korean restaurant, ARC, and a rooftop terrace.

Clas på Hörnet

Surbrunnsgatan 20 · 24 rooms · Hotels.comad

A tavern building from 1731. Breakfast is included.

Best Western Hotel at 108

Sveavägen 108 · 3-star superior · Hotels.comad

Most rooms are below ground, which the hotel says shuts out the noise of Sveavägen.

City Backpackers Hostel

Upplandsgatan 2A · Hotels.comad

Dorm rooms of 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12 beds and three private apartments for 6 to 8 guests with their own kitchens.

Kungsholmen

Visit Stockholm calls it primarily residential, the seat of the City Hall and the municipal buildings, with a good choice of restaurants and cafés for lunch. Fridhemsplan has the green and blue lines and Rådhuset the blue: see the City Hall tour.

Kungsholms strand on Kungsholmen. Photo: Holger.Ellgaard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Clarion Hotel Amaranten

Kungsholmsgatan 31 · 461 rooms · Hotels.comad

In a 1969 building by the architect Hans Asplund. The hotel puts the Central Station 7 to 10 minutes’ walk away.

Scandic Go Sankt Eriksgatan

Sankt Eriksgatan 20 · Hotels.comad

Scandic’s economy brand, with a free laundry room with a washer, a dryer and ironing gear for guests.

Hammarby Sjöstad

A district built from the early 1990s on a former industrial and harbour area on both sides of Hammarby Sjö, officially part of Södermalm. The Tvärbanan light rail runs through it. It is not an old-town base: an evening out means a trip in.

Hammarby Sjöstad waterfront. Photo: ArildV, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Motel L Hammarby Sjöstad

Hammarby allé 41 · Hotels.comad

Walls designed by the illustrator Lisa Bengtsson, and family rooms for four with a fold-down bunk. The hotel puts Stockholm Central 3 km away.

Near Arlanda

The airport is about 40 km north of the city, and the Arlanda Express reaches the Central Station in 18 minutes. It is a place for a night before an early flight, not for seeing Stockholm. Hotels near Arlanda Airport has the five below in more detail.

Radisson Blu Airport Terminal Hotel Arlanda

SkyCity · Hotels.comad

Inside SkyCity, so guests reach all the terminals without leaving the building, according to Swedavia, the airport operator.

Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport Terminal

Tornvägen 2 · 430 rooms · Hotels.comad

In SkyCity, with direct access to the terminals and an outdoor pool on the roof terrace.

Comfort Hotel Arlanda Airport Terminal

Tornvägen 19A · 503 rooms · Hotels.comad

Across the street from the SkyCity entrance, with rooms for up to eight and a gym open round the clock.

Radisson Blu Arlandia Hotel

About 2 km from the airport · Hotels.comad

A free Swedavia transfer bus runs to the airport. The hotel has a play area for children and a wellness centre with a sauna and an indoor pool.

Best Western Plus Park Airport Hotel

Bristagatan 16, Arlandastad · 4-star · Hotels.comad

Standard single and twin rooms, family rooms and business doubles.

Plan the rest

Once you have your dates, 3 days in Stockholm fits the sights round the closed days. The best time to visit Stockholm has the weather by month, and where to eat in Stockholm covers the meals. For the way in, see Arlanda to the city, and what to book before you go to Stockholm has the hours for every sight.

Common questions

Where should I stay in Stockholm for a first visit?

In Norrmalm, round T-Centralen and Stockholm Central Station, or in Gamla Stan. The Arlanda Express ends at the Central Station, all three metro colour groups meet at T-Centralen, and Gamla Stan has the Royal Palace and the Nobel Prize Museum on its streets.

Does Stockholm charge a tourist tax?

No. Sweden charges no city or tourist tax on hotel stays, so the room price is the price you pay.

Which Stockholm area is best for food and bars?

Södermalm, and within it SoFo. Pelikan, Kvarnen and Meatballs for the People are on Södermalm. Östermalm suits smart dinners and has the Östermalms Saluhall food hall, and Vasastan has local restaurants away from the crowds.

Which Stockholm hotels hold Michelin Keys?

Michelin gives two Keys to the Grand Hôtel. One Key goes to Bank Hotel, Ett Hem, Hotel Frantz, Lydmar Hotel, Nobis Hotel, Hotel Ruth, Stockholm Stadshotell, Hotel Villa Dagmar and Villa Dahlia.

Where should I stay before an early flight from Arlanda?

At the airport, in SkyCity, or in the city beside the Central Station, where the Arlanda Express takes 18 minutes. Two hotels are in SkyCity and one is across the street: see hotels near Arlanda Airport.

Are the star grades on this page the hotels' own?

No. They come from the Hotelstars Union register for Sweden, which is voluntary. A hotel with no grade on this page is not in the register, which is true of the chains and most of the design hotels.

Which dates make a Stockholm hotel stay busier?

Skansen's Christmas market weekends from 27 November to 20 December 2026, Nobel Week Lights from 5 to 13 December, New Year's Eve, the Stockholm Marathon on 29 May 2027 and Midsummer on 25 and 26 June 2027.