6 Best Hotels in Side Trips from Stockholm, Sweden

A hotel since 1855, parts of the tall, thin building that's now the Clarion Hotel Wisby date from the 1200s, and the hotel sits at the junction of two narrow medieval streets. Its light floral-patterned fabrics, dark wood, and vaulted ceilings give it an old European grandeur. There is an excellent bar in the hotel, housed in a glassed-in courtyard, while there are two restaurants, one where breakfast and brunch are served and the other, Kitchen & Table, which combines American and Swedish influences.

What was once the old Visby brewery is now a hotel with lap pool, sauna, steam room, and bright, comfortable rooms. In addition to a restaurant with a bar, there’s also a rooftop bar that’s open in summer and has great views of Visby’s medieval center.

Just steps from Trosa’s lively harbor, this family-run hotel with individually decorated bedrooms (each with a different theme) dates from the early 20th century. It's worth splashing out extra on a large room or suite here. Their quirky names (Happy Accident, Princess and the Pea, La Dolce Vita, Madame Boman's Boudoir) are as charming as their sumptuous interiors. Downstairs, there is a small bar. Contemporary art and photos and chandeliers help create a warm mood in the very good restaurant (you can also dine outside in summer).

Housed in one of the archipelago’s largest stone buildings, built in 1906, Grinda Wärdshus has homey rooms and bright, comfortable public areas. The inn also has a number of cabins located along the forested southern ridge of the island; these are available for rent by the night or by the week. Since the hotel is right on the water, you may wish to take a refreshing dip in the sea before tackling the sumptuous breakfast buffet of Scandinavian classics.

Head to Hotel Helgeand if you want a room that evokes the Middle Ages, when Visby’s importance was at its height. Every room is different, fitting around the exposed limestone or plaster walls of the historic buildings, with a mix of dark-wood furniture, wrought-iron details, wooden floors, and deeply set windows. The building itself retains its original medieval character, some parts dating back to the 13th century and "newest" from the 1850s.

The rooms are large and well laid-out here, with traditional furniture resembling that found in a Swedish farmhouse—lots of old pine and comfy, plump cushioning. Choose between a room in one of the main hotel buildings or an apartment in one of the 30 cabins on the grounds. The restaurant has a grand wooden ceiling lighted with chandeliers. The food is eclectic, ranging from creamy fish soup infused with saffron to moose meatballs.