By Yvonne Yorke
As a seasoned travel writer and royal journalist, I'm often staying at hotels as I travel the world covering royal weddings, royal tours, film festivals and other assignments. However, not all hotels are equal — there are definitely some more noteworthy than others. Sometimes what makes a place memorable is its illustrious history or exceptional service, occasionally it is an unforgettable experience I had while staying there.
While covering Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden's wedding last June (the royal wedding of the decade until William and Kate's), I was at the Grand Hotel Stockholm. Long one of Sweden's leading luxury hotels, with its interiors designated as a "Swedish National Treasure", everyone who's anyone has stayed here including Nobel Prize laureates, heads of state, and royalty. Not surprisingly, all the royal guests attending Princess Victoria's wedding who were not staying at the Royal Palace directly opposite the harbor, or on their own yachts, stayed at the Grand. There were so many royals mingling at the lobby the night before the wedding it looked like the scene in "Dynasty" when Amanda Carrington married Prince Michael of Moldavia (but thankfully without the cliffhanger finale).
Other than the individually-designed rooms (each like a contemporary jewel box), what I love about the Grand is their Nordic Life Spa which features a slate swimming pool with waterfalls, saunas, and cold water plunge pools. During the royal wedding, many of the royal ladies indulged in the Nordic-inspired spa treatments, and my favorite was a reflexology session with specialist Claudio de Menezes. Instantly de-stressing.
You can't leave Sweden without trying the traditional Swedish smorgasbord – the national gastronomic pride, and I consider the one at the Grand's Verandah restaurant to be the best in town. This four to six-course meal starts with pickled herring dishes and Swedish cheeses followed by a variety of smoked and marinated salmon, cold cuts and salads before hot dishes such as meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries – the ultimate Swedish comfort food. Finish up the meal with scrumptious desserts and a shot of the hotel's homemade Grand Aquavit. So good I would eat here every week if I could.
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