Renaissance Malmö, Malmö

Part of the Marriott chain, Renaissance Malmö is one of the city’s most comfortable (and expensive) places to stay. Unlike most of the hotels near Lilla Torg, it shuns classic interiors in favour of flashier, more modern design.

The vibrant interiors are pretty daring – the lobby area is a riot of blues, pinks, purples and greens. And when you enter, the first thing you’re greeted by is a big elephant-shaped sculpture in black plastic. All of the rooms we looked at were pretty large, especially the ‘prestige’ ones, which come with iPod docks and Nespresso coffee machines.

But the best rooms are those on the corners of the building, available on request (though unfortunately, these are usually reserved for Marriott Rewards members with high status).

The actual building is a lot older than the modern decoration would have you believe, and a few of its original features have been left intact. So you may find you’re sharing your room with quirky original features like bare brick walls or thick black structural columns. It’s all neatly done, and very comfortable.

Renaissance Malmö’s bar-restaurant, linked to the lobby and every bit as vibrant, is a popular hangout for locals when they knock off work.

Note that although prices are pretty reasonable at weekends (these are the prices we’ve quoted here) they rise dramatically from Sunday to Thursday.