Haymarket by Scandic is set in the former PUB department store on Hötorget, the market square in the heart of Norrmalm, in a building from the early twentieth century with a good deal of period character. It is famous in Swedish memory as the place where the young Greta Garbo once worked, and the hotel plays on that history with a retro-glamour style that mixes the original architecture with bold, theatrical interiors and a lot of warm colour. The ground floor is a lively social space with a restaurant and a well-known bar, which draw locals as well as guests and give the hotel a buzz that many business-oriented chains lack. Rooms are modern and well-designed, in a range of sizes, with comfortable beds and good soundproofing for a busy central location. Hötorget itself has an open-air market during the day, the Concert Hall, with its Carl Milles fountain, faces the square, and Drottninggatan, the long pedestrian shopping street, begins just beside it. The metro station beneath the square connects to the rest of the city in minutes, and Central Station is a ten-minute walk.
Location
Hötorget is one of the best-connected squares in the city. The metro station at the square gives direct access to the Royal Palace area and Gamla Stan in a few stops, Central Station and the Arlanda Express are within an easy walk, and the shops of Drottninggatan and the department stores of Hamngatan are all close by. The Hallwyl Museum and Kungsträdgården are a short stroll away, which makes this a convenient base for people who want to walk and use the metro rather than rely on taxis.
Living in it
Choose a higher floor for views and quiet, and consider the breakfast, which is generous and a good start to a day of sightseeing. The bar is popular on weekend evenings, so if you value silence ask for a room away from the lower floors. Rates are generally more moderate than at the waterfront luxury hotels, and drop in late winter, rising in summer and during the Nobel festivities in early December.
Who it suits
First-time visitors on a mid-range budget, short city breaks, and travellers who like a hotel with personality. For something more discreet, Hotel Skeppsholmen is calmer, and for the lowest price in the same area, Generator Stockholm is a short walk toward Central Station. Combined with a metro or travel pass, Haymarket is an easy, comfortable base from which to cover the whole city. The staff are used to helping visitors plan their days, so ask at the desk about metro tickets, museum hours and the best nearby places for fika.
Why stay here
- ✓Former PUB department store building
- ✓Restaurant and bar on site
- ✓Directly on Hötorget market square
- ✓Metro station at the door
- ✓Walk to Drottninggatan shopping street
- ✓Walk to Central Station
- ✓Near the Stockholm Concert Hall
- ✓Retro-glamour design interiors
Good questions
Where is Haymarket by Scandic?+
On Hötorget in central Norrmalm, in the former PUB department store, with a metro station right at the square.
How far is it from Central Station?+
About ten minutes on foot, which makes it practical for arrivals by train or the Arlanda Express.
Is it noisy?+
The bar and the central location make the lower floors livelier, so ask for a higher floor or a room away from the square if you want quiet.
