Le Mat B&B, Gothenburg – Routes North

Le Mat B&B is a no-frills city hotel that gets a lot of things right. If we have friends visiting Gothenburg and they ask us to recommend somewhere cheap and reliable, this is usually where we send them.

First up, the location: Le Mat B&B’s 28 rooms are in the very middle of Gothenburg, just one street back from Kungsportsavenyen, which cuts a diagonal line through the city centre.

From here you could easily spend a couple of days taking in the main sights without ever needing to jump aboard a bus or tram. You’ll find dozens of places to eat within a few minutes’ walk of the front door.

The building itself is nothing to write home about; rooms are up on the fifth floor of a big concrete block and accessed via a cheerfully painted stairwell (there’s a lift too, should you need it).

Once inside, there are single, twin and double rooms to choose from. All of them are simple, functional and clean, with hard floors and proper duvets. Bathrooms are down the corridor. The larger, more expensive rooms have enough space for an extra single bed, which might suit young families or groups of three.

The in-room wifi is fast, plus there’s cable TV in case you fancy watching a film. Unusually, breakfast is included with the room rate – it’s served buffet-style in a sunny room at the end of the corridor and includes some organic and locally produced ingredients. The only thing this joint is really missing is a nice chill-out area to use in the evenings. Don’t worry if you want to socialise, though; there are plenty of bars nearby.