First Hotel Reisen, Stockholm

It’s been said that, in the mid-1700s, there were only around 11 places in Stockholm with permission to sell coffee – and a Dutchman named Fredrik Reiss owned three of them.

His coffee house facing the water on Gamla Stan’s eastern shore began renting out rooms to travellers in the 1800s. Today, having expanded to fill several adjoining buildings, it’s run by a big Scandinavian hotel chain.

First Hotel Reisen has a few different room types to choose between, from plain doubles to private suites with their own hot tub and sauna.

Timber plays a big part in the interior design; all of the rooms have wooden floorboards and furnishings, which gives the place a comfortable, classic feel. Parts of the original brick walls can be seen in some of the rooms and in parts of the corridors.

Rooms at the front of the building look out over the water with views across to Skeppsholmen. Unfortunately, regardless of which room type you choose, the bathrooms are a bit dated.

If you don’t fancy shelling out for a room with its own sauna, you can use the hotel’s communal one, which is found below ground level in the vaulted cellar. From there you can hop directly into the plunge pool, kept at a teeth-chattering 16 degrees centigrade.

Overall First Hotel Reisen is a comfortable choice in a handy location but, as with so many places in this part of town, the rates are a little on the high side.