Where to Stay in Sweden

Where to Stay in Sweden

Sweden offers accommodation to suit every budget and travel style, from world-class design hotels and historic manor houses to mountain hostels and truly unique stays you won't find anywhere else. Here's your complete guide to sleeping well in Sweden.

Hotels

Swedish hotels generally offer a high standard of cleanliness, design, and service. The Scandinavian design aesthetic means even mid-range hotels tend to be stylish and functional.

Hotel Chains

• Scandic Hotels — Scandinavia's largest chain, reliable mid-range to upmarket, excellent breakfast buffets, found in virtually every Swedish city
• Best Western — widespread, good value, particularly in smaller towns
• Elite Hotels — upmarket Swedish chain, often in characterful historic buildings
• Clarion Collection — mid-range with complimentary evening meals on weekdays
• Downtown Camper by Scandic — Stockholm's urban hostel-hotel hybrid

Typical Costs (2025–2026)

Budget tip: Swedish hotel prices include a generous breakfast buffet — typically featuring bread, cheese, cold meats, eggs, yoghurt, muesli, juice, and strong coffee. This alone is worth 100–150 SEK and can fuel your morning and part of your afternoon.

STF Hostels (Vandrarhem (hostels))

The Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen (Swedish Tourist Association, STF)) operates a network of over 300 hostels across Sweden — from city centres to remote mountain stations along the Kungsleden (King's Trail).

Swedish hostels are a world apart from the party-hostel stereotype. They're typically immaculate, family-friendly, and often set in characterful buildings: converted manor houses, lighthouses, old schools, and farmsteads.

Hiking the Kungsleden — Plan your trek along Sweden's most famous hiking trail — 440 km through Arctic mountain wilderness — on The Land.

Unique & Unforgettable Stays

Sweden offers some of the world's most extraordinary accommodation experiences:

ICEHOTEL (Jukkasjärvi)

The original ice hotel, rebuilt every winter from ice harvested from the Torne River. Sleep in a room sculpted from ice and snow at -5°C, wrapped in reindeer skins and a thermal sleeping bag. The permanent ICEHOTEL 365 section (ice rooms preserved year-round in a solar-powered cold room) means you can experience it even in summer.

Cost: From approximately 3,000 SEK per person, including ice room, warm room, breakfast, and sauna.

Treehotel (Harads)

Seven architect-designed treehouses suspended in a pine forest near Luleå. Each room is a unique design statement: the Mirrorcube (reflective glass exterior), the Bird's Nest, the UFO. Bookable year-round.

Cost: From approximately 5,000 SEK per night for two.

Kolarbyn Eco-Lodge

"Sweden's most primitive hotel" — 12 forest huts near Skinnskatteberg with no electricity, no running water, turf roofs, and wood-fired heating. Sleep on sheepskins, cook over open fires, and disconnect completely.

Cost: From approximately 800 SEK per person per night.

Arctic Bath (Harads)

A floating hotel and spa in the Lule River, designed as a birds-nest of logs floating on water (or ice). Six suites hover above the river. Open year-round — Northern Lights in winter, midnight sun in summer.

Lighthouse Stays

Several decommissioned lighthouses have been converted to guest accommodation along Sweden's coastline, particularly in the archipelagos.

Self-Catering & Holiday Homes

Renting a stuga (cottage or cabin) is quintessentially Swedish. Thousands of holiday cottages are available across the country, from lakeside red-painted cabins in Dalarna to archipelago cottages on the Stockholm or Gothenburg islands.

Booking platforms:

• Novasol — large catalogue of Swedish cottages
• Stugknuten — Swedish-focused rental platform
• Airbnb — extensive listings including city flats and rural cabins

Budget tip: A stuga with self-catering facilities is the most cost-effective option for families and groups, especially outside peak summer season (late June – mid August).

Cooking Swedish at Home — Stock your stuga kitchen with Swedish ingredients and try traditional recipes on The Table.

Camping & Glamping

Sweden's allemansrätten (right of public access) allows wild camping almost anywhere in nature — pitch a tent for a night or two on uncultivated land, away from private homes. This is a cherished Swedish tradition and completely free.

For equipped campsites with facilities:

• SCR (Sveriges Camping) — network of 450+ campsites nationwide
• First Camp — major chain with family-friendly sites, pools, activities
• Camping Key Europe — discount card accepted at most Swedish campsites (75 SEK/year)

Glamping

Glamping options have expanded rapidly across Sweden:

• Safari tents and bell tents at established campsites
• Glass igloos for Northern Lights viewing in Lapland
• Floating cabins on Swedish lakes
• Shepherds' huts in Dalarna

Hostel & Camping Essentials

If you're planning hostel stays or camping under allemansrätten (the right of public access), these items are worth packing:

• Sea to Summit Silk Sleeping Bag Liner — lightweight and compact; adds warmth and hygiene to any hostel bed (affiliate link)
• Microfibre Travel Towel — quick-drying and compact for hostels, camping, and wild swimming (affiliate link)
• Travel Combination Padlock — secure hostel lockers without carrying keys (affiliate link)

Booking Tips

1. Book early for summer — accommodation fills quickly June–August, especially along coasts, in Gotland, and in popular Dalarna villages
2. Winter Lapland sells out months ahead — Icehotel, Treehotel, and Northern Lights lodges are in extremely high demand December–March
3. Check for free cancellation — many Swedish hotels offer flexible booking through their own websites
4. Breakfast is almost always included at hotels — factor this into your cost comparison
5. City apartments via Airbnb can be excellent value for stays of 3+ nights in Stockholm, Gothenburg, or Malmö

For help budgeting your trip, see our Budget Planning Guide.