Hotel Skeppsholmen, Stockholm

Bright, modern and stylish, the design-focused rooms at Hotel Skeppsholmen occupy a long yellow building from the early 1700s. Originally built for the military, it’s now a base for businesspeople and art-and-design fans visiting Moderna Museet, just a short walk away.

The hotel is on the pretty island of Skeppsholmen, one of the most peaceful parts of central Stockholm, and is handy if you’re planning to visit other museums in Djurgården (the ferry dock is right nearby). Gamla Stan is a very pleasant 20-minute walk away.

At around 15 sq m, the standard rooms at Hotel Skeppsholmen aren’t huge, but they’re quiet and very comfortable. If you go for a room in this category, you can pay 200 SEK or so extra for a partial view of the water. Otherwise, the views of the grounds are nice anyway. Larger rooms and suites are also available – rates for all of these options can be surprisingly good.

In the morning head to the hotel’s restaurant, where an impressive breakfast is set out, including more types of Swedish knäckebröd (hard bread) than we knew even existed. Rumours of the good food have spread, and apparently lots of locals now make the trip out here for brunch on Sundays.

During the summertime you can chill out on the hotel’s terrace, which has views through the trees and down towards the water. If you want to be near Stockholm’s best museums and don’t mind spending a bit of cash to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep, we think Hotel Skeppsholmen is an excellent pick.