NOFO Hotel Stockholm Review

NOFO Hotel Stockholm Review

After three nights in Oslo at the Thon Hotel Cecil, I flew to Stockholm for two nights to explore the city.  Chase was running a promotion where I could earn 5x Ultimate Rewards on hotel bookings and decided to try out the NOFO Hotel, a Best Western (yes… Best Western of all chains) Premier Collection property.  It is an independently run and operated hotel.  Still I had the image of the Best Western properties in the US and was skeptical.  But it turned out to be a great property.

Location

The NOFO Hotel is located in Södermalm, Stockholm’s version of hipster Brooklyn to the south of Gamla Stan (the old city).  It is definitely removed from the tourist areas of the city yet easily accessible.  Walking from Gamla Stan only took about 15 minutes along mostly pedestrian only streets.

The closest subway stop is Medborgarplatsen — two blocks to the west of the hotel.

Check In

Having booked through Chase (which is through Expedia), I wasn’t expecting any of my Best Western Rewards Diamond Select elite benefits.  I showed my card and the agent went to the back to, I am guessing, check with the manager.  He came back with a voucher for 150 SEK (about $15) towards the restaurant and let me know they had upgraded me to a Superior Room.

The hotel is an old brewery from the 1700’s.  I heard it has also been a jail and hospital before becoming a hotel in the 1970s.  In the 2010s it underwent a complete update and was branded as the NOFO.

The hotel is built around an interior courtyard where the wine bar is located.

Room

I was assigned room 303 on the top floor, right off the elevator.

Being an older building, each room is unique (and relatively small).  As you enter the room, the bathroom is on the left.

The room has a sloped ceiling due to the roof.  The third floor has only small windows and skylights, again, due to the slope of the roof.

My room, as well as other parts of the hotel, is decorated with hints of JFK.

Opposite the bed is a TV and small desk.

In the entry is a wardrobe with the mini bar and safe.

My biggest complaint is that during my stay in June, the room was hot.  There is no air conditioning and with only a small window and skylight, there isn’t much of a cross breeze.  Also keeping the skylight open meant that the room was light while trying to sleep.

Bathroom

The bathroom is also very modern.  A single large vanity with a shelf behind it is in front of the mirror with built in lighting.

A small night light automatically turns on when you step into the bathroom.

The shower is built for two; my guess is that because of the shape of the building, they had some extra space and decided to make an extra large shower.  There is a night rain shower as well as a hand held wand.

The bath products are NOFO branded and come in large dispensers.

Breakfast

Breakfast is included.  My first morning I went down at 9am and the restaurant was a zoo.  My second morning I went earlier and it was very quiet.  Lesson learned.

The food is standard hotel breakfast fare — eggs, sausage, pancakes as your hot items plus fruit, meats, veggies, yogurt and breads.

Wine Bar & Restaurant

In the evening, the restaurant is open to the public.  There is outdoor seating in the courtyard in addition to the inside seating.  I used my credit for a drink and dessert the first evening.  The service was very slow — they only had one server on duty.  But the cobbler was tasty.

Overall

The NOFO Hotel is trying to match the neighborhood by offering a hip property.  It is not a standard tourist hotel as it is both off the beaten path and is quite modern in the interior design.  I only paid $112 US per night; a steal in my opinion during the busy summer time.  If you know what you are getting, it is a great option.  My one wish is that they would figure out a way to cool the rooms in the summer.

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