Travel Agent - March 31, 2008 - (Page 36) DESTINATIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 (www.abbamuseum.com) slated to open in Stockholm in summer 2009, the Hotel Rival is bound to grow even more popular. Since its opening in 1874, the Grand Hotel (www.grandhotel.se) has been the place to stay in Stockholm. The hotel of choice for Nobel Prize laureates, royalty and heads of state when visiting the capital, this imperial landmark joined InterContinental Hotels in January 2008. The Grand commands a prime position at the water’s edge, next to the National Museum and opposite the Royal Palace (www.royalcourt.se). You can’t beat this location. After a renovation in 2007, the hotel spiced up the design (and added some guest rooms) while retaining its historical grandeur. It goes without saying that you should book your VIPs at the leading luxury hotel in Scandinavia. (The star-studded guest list includes the likes of Madonna, Elton John, the Dalai Lama and Greta Garbo—who considered the Grand her home away from home after leaving Sweden for America.) The Flag Suite and Nobel Suite both offer heartstopping views from the seventh-floor, but the suite to book is the Princess Lilian. Measuring 3,552 square feet, the suite boasts a private cinema for 12 people, library with office facilities, two bedrooms and a lounge with a grand piano and bar. The spa bathroom has a sauna, which has five different scenarios, three variations of showers and a handmade mosaic bath for two. (Although most rooms feature toiletries by Molton Brown, all suites are currently testing L’Occitane amenities for a threemonth period.) The water views from the two terraces are stunning. Note that you cannot book the Princess Lilian Suite over the GDS. Contact Guest Services (46 8 679 3575) or the general manager, Nils Axing (nils.axing@ grandhotel.se; 46 8 679 3701), for assistance with VIP requests. The head concierge, Kerstin Pauls (kerstin.pauls@grandhotel.se; 46 8 679 3571), is also helpful in fielding requests for your clients. The Grand Hotel will open a spa and new fitness facility in Spring 2009. There also has been quite a bit of buzz about the hotel’s new restaurant, which opened in May 2007, by Mathias Dahlgren, arguably Sweden’s finest chef. At the Restaurant Mathias Dahlgren, the chef has combined two complementary eateries in one establishment: Matbaren (The Food Bar) and Matsalen (The Dining Room). Also, the lunchtime smörgåsbord at the Veranda Restaurant is not to be missed. It is the best in Stockholm and the only one served year-round. I Excursions Getting Around: The city’s dramatic setting can be experienced on foot, bike (Stockholm provides bikes at stations throughout the city; visit www. stockholmcitybikes.se/sv) or by boat. A cruise through the archipelago’s waters is an absolute must. Strömma Kanalbolag (www.stromma.se) offers a variety of guided boat tours to some of the 24,000 outlying islets. There are a number of impressive museums, including the Vasa Museum (www.vasamuseet.se), housing the incredible salvaged warship dating from 1628; the Skansen open-air museum (www.skansen.se), where hosts in historic costumes show off 150 traditional houses and farmsteads and a zoological park; the National Museum (www.nationalmuseum. se), Sweden’s largest art museum; and the Moderna Museet (www. modernamuseet.se), which is on the pretty island of Skeppsholmen. Catch a ferry to Drottningholm (www.royalcourt.se), home to the monumental Royal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eat/Drink: A junior suite at the Stockholm Grand Hotel Café Opera (www. cafeopera.se), situated in the Royal Opera House, is the place to see and be seen. A meal at F12 (www.f12.se), which is in the Royal Academy of Art, is a must. A perfect option during the summer is a boat excursion to Fjäderholms Island for a crayfish party at the waterfront restaurant Fjäderholmarnas Krog (www. fjaderholmarnaskrog.se). For breathtaking views, suggest cocktails at Sky Bar, on the top floor of the Radisson SAS Royal Viking Hotel (www.radissonsas. com). The Ice Bar at the trendy Nordic Sea Hotel (www. nordicseahotel.se) is a hipster’s delight and the world’s first permanent ice bar. 36 | TravelAgent March 31, 2008 http://www.abbamuseum.com http://www.grandhotel.se http://www.stockholmcitybikes.se/sv http://www.stockholmcitybikes.se/sv http://www.stromma.se http://www.royalcourt.se http://www.vasamuseet.se http://www.skansen.se http://www.nationalmuseum.se http://www.nationalmuseum.se http://www.modernamuseet.se http://www.modernamuseet.se http://www.royalcourt.se http://www.cafeopera.se http://www.cafeopera.se http://www.f12.se http://www.fjaderholmarnaskrog.se http://www.fjaderholmarnaskrog.se http://www.radissonsas.com http://www.radissonsas.com http://www.nordicseahotel.se http://www.nordicseahotel.se
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