If you ever think about planning a trip to Stockholm there will be main things that you need to plan. You need to know your flights, what activities to do and most of all will need a place to stay. I would recommend the Downtown Camper by Scandic because it gives you elements of camping but you are indoors, and then some.
The hotel is in a very desirable area of Stockholm as within a five to ten-minute walking radius you can find food, shopping, and transportation. If you walk straight out the door, mind the road, and enter the courtyard, there are four restaurants to choose from and the side entrance to the mall. If you take the route to the immediate left and head down the incline, you will busy sidewalks of more people shopping, the public tram, the entrance the metro, more eateries, and even a McDonalds if you are homesick. Then again if you choose to grab a cab there seems to be at least one parked outside the hotel any time of the day.
With a motto of “Explore the great indoors”, you know the hotel will not look like your typical Hilton or Hyatt. The color palette of the hotel is a variation of grays, greens, and browns with some pops of orange and tan. As you enter the hotel you can see wooden skateboard decks attached to the wall, three kayaks hanging from the ceiling and bikes lined up ready to be borrowed and you have barely stepped into the hotel. The reception desk is made of concrete, that I later realized (with some help), is fashioned like part of a skateboard ramp. There is also little splashes of vegetation, natural and plastic, in that lobby. The most notable plant display in the lobby would be the Downtown Camper sign created with letters framing moss inside the lobby.
After taking in part of the lobby you head to your room and the first thing that greets you when the elevator opens is a large wooden ping pong table. The hallway to the room carries on the color palette with flashlight wall sconces illuminated the room numbers. The rooms vary in size and floor plans, but they all have a nice bathroom, desk, and chair for work, comfy bed, wooden floor, iron with board, hairdryer and kettle to make coffee or tea. If you do get a room with a window, some come with a window nook but they all come with the very important blackout curtains.
The hotel has a lot of amenities to utilize while staying. Some of the very self-explanatory items that you can find at many hotels are free Wi-Fi, a gym, and wellness center called The Nest* (sauna, infinity pool, and shower experience and masseuse). There also some things that I believe need a little more explaining. Many hotels offer a free breakfast, and sometimes in Europe, this can range from a small continental to something more. The Downtown Camper has a breakfast that has a little something for everyone; scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hard boiled eggs, make your own waffle station, crepes, coffee machine, cereal, build your own yogurt parfait, and an abundance of bread, cheeses, and sliced meats. There is also a fruit station, juice section, a vegan/vegetarian spot, and gluten-free bread area. If there is not something that you cannot find to eat, I would be shocked.
Besides starting your day out right and working your body, there are activities various activities for guest to partake in. Nightly there is the Sound Experience in the Net, a large rope netting that hangs over part of the lobby hosts a mediation type event every day at 6:00pm ** for twenty-five minutes. There are guided walks, runs and bicycle rides on certain days outside of the hotel. There is a Yoga and Swim* class held in the Nest. A DJ is brought into the cocktail lounge on the weekend. There is a Friday Night Film screening in the hotel’s cinema room***. Also, some bicycles and kayaks can be taken out to see the city at your leisure*.
With all that Downtown camper embodies it is no wonder that there is a varying degree of traveler that picks this place. You will see people in their twenties, businessmen and women, people closer to retirement, and families. I believe that the hotel is an experience in itself and you need to pencil in some time to explore the hotel with your itinerary.
*= This is an additional charge
**= This event is free and has additional timing on the weekend.
***= Limited space event
