Don’t wait to book your hotel if you’re staying the night before a major event. Or, if you’re like me, you can dilly-daddle until the very last-minute to hurl expletives at your phone while frantically searching through $80 shared hostel rooms on some forgotten corner in the outskirts of the city.
Why do I always ignore sound advice?
With the Stockholm marathon only days away, I’d yet to book my accommodations for the night before. Hostels were a no-go since most were all sold out. And with run-of-the-mill hotels breaking into the upper 3-digits, I quickly decided to expand my search to avoid camping out next to the start gate.
Luckily, the Quality Hotel Globe, located just a few Metro stop south of Stockholm’s old city, still had a few rooms available at a very reasonable ~$100 per night. I booked it without a second thought, and went about making the rest of my reservations to avoid similarly nasty surprises for the duration of my stay.
Quality Hotel Globe Stockholm – At a Glance
Star rating: ★★★
Rate Paid: $108 all-in for the lowest standard room
Loyalty Status: Didn’t bother to sign up for a Choice Privileges account
Location: Arenaslingan 7, 121 26 Johanneshov, Sweden – a 10-15 minute walk away from the Globen T-bana or Gullmarsplan Metro stops
The Good: Below-average rates when there isn’t an event at the Globe Center, comfortable and modern furnishings, nearby grocery store, extensive breakfast buffet included in most rates, fun little water taps with soda options scattered throughout the ground floors.
The Bad: A bit of a walk from the nearest Metro stops (especially if you have lots of luggage), surrounding area is a bit of a ghost-town with terrible convention-center/mall-esque restaurant options, sad fitness center, more of a bare-bones hotel that doesn’t offer in-room coffee/tea or toiletries besides body wash (though you can request more toiletries at the front desk).
Quality Hotel Globe Stockholm – Full Review
I arrived at the hotel at around 3 in the afternoon, still groggy from jetlag. It didn’t help that I wandered around for half an hour after hopping off Stockholm underground Metro, trying to figure out where this hotel was without cellular data. I’m the modern Marco Polo, I know.
In case you don’t particularly enjoy schlepping your luggage around on a hot summer day, know that you need to stay on the elevated bridge after getting of the Globen T-bana station. You’ll know you’re on the right track if you pass an outdoor shopping plaza, complete with a trendy Scandinavian McDonald’s.
This hotel seems to be a popular pit-stop for large organized tours, so there was a bit of a wait to check-in. I was eventually assigned a standard room on the fifth (read: bottom) floor, but I guess that’s to be expected when you book the lowest standard rate at a hotel with no status. 😉
The lobby was spacious, with the modern architecture of the building affording high ceilings. It didn’t even occur to me during the booking process that this property was a part of Choice Hotels, the same motel-conglomerate that runs Comfort Inns and Econo Lodges in the US.
Chain-link netting and massive screens illuminated by green LEDs give off a weird sports-stadium vibe, though I guess this makes sense since the hotel’s right next to the Ericsson Globe arena.
I needed to use my key to access my floor in the elevator, which seemed to surprise the gentlemen who was already inside when I got on. “No wonder it wasn’t moving,” he exclaimed, “no one told me!” I just smiled back. I didn’t have the heart to point out the posted sign inside the elevator explaining how the elevators worked.
The hallways were economically designed with dim spotlights set against a black stucco ceiling. I did find it unusual that the lights dimmed even more (to near pitch darkness) after hours, so you might want to keep your phone’s flashlight handy to get around. Think of it as doing your part to save the planet from rampant hallway electricity consumption. 🙂
The room itself was small, but perfectly adequate for what I was expecting. In typical international fashion, two twin beds rolled together made up a larger double bed arrangement.
A sturdy marble desk occupied the corner of the room, which I found a bit high-end considering the budget-ethos of this hotel. But I also noticed authentic $3,000 FLOS arc lamps in the lobby, so I guess fancy furniture is the norm in Sweden.
The other interesting thing about the room is that beds appear to be nothing more than a thick comforter set over a futon-like stand. It’s not a real mattress, and I couldn’t figure out how to lock the wheels to prevent the two beds from sliding apart.
I opened the curtains to enjoy the view, only to promptly close them again since none was available. I actually left the black-out curtains up for the rest of my stay, since the sun apparently never goes down during the summer here.
The bathroom was also a bit tight, though unmistakably clean. The harsh (though admittedly spotless) white tiles, lack of furnishings, and scratchy towels in the bathroom really embody what this hotel is all about. Just the basics, and nothing more.
Don’t be fooled by the double shower-heads. You can only activate one at a time. After all, using both simultaneously would be an unnecessarily wasteful luxury.
Speaking of unnecessary sundries, I think the Quality Hotel Globe expects you to use this all-purpose liquid soap to take care of all your hygiene needs. Shampoo and conditioner (as well as any other toiletries) were no where to be found.
The hotel does seem to stock other toiletries downstairs, since I was able to pick up a shaving kit from the front desk. The receptionist did make sure to emphasize that the disposable razor was “free, of course.” … Thanks, I guess? I think she was just trying to be nice since they were all out of international charging adapters for the duration of my stay.
The surrounding area is a bit of a dud. The hotel’s a bit far-aways from the center of town (4-5 Metro stops), and it seems like nobody really comes down here except when there’s an event at the Globe. So it wasn’t too surprising to discover that there aren’t a lot of restaurant options except for what might find near a convention center or inside a shopping mall food court.
There is, however, a grocery store just down the block – and a CrossFit gym too if you’re in the mood to throw some weights around.
With its modest accommodations and uninspiring location, I think the highlight of my stay at the Hotel Quality Globe was the complimentary breakfast with terrace views of the inside of the Ericsson Globe arena.
The hotel was booked full during my stay, and the breakfast crowd the next morning showed it. Thankfully, the hotel had multiple lines of European/American hot food options, a great selection of breads and cold-cuts, as well as a special table for health-conscious vegans for all you granola munchers out there.
And what’s breakfast without a view?
Interestingly, no one bothered to check that I was actually staying at the hotel before I walked in and helped myself to the buffet. I assume this means that breakfast is included with all rates at this hotel, though you may want to double-check that before dining and dashing. 😉
So after my fill of pickled fish, salami, and toast (it’s better than it sounds), it was time to pack-up and move on. It was getting late, and I had to move quickly to drop off my luggage at the Hilton Stockholm Slussen before heading to the Olympic Stadium for a noon start-time.
Hotel Quality Globe Stockholm – Verdict
If you don’t mind staying a bit outside Stockholm’s old city center to save a few bucks, this hotel is a great budget-friendly option in an otherwise expensive city. Don’t forget to enjoy breakfast with a view, though you should plan ahead for the rest of your meals since nearby food options are lost in a sad black hole. In all, as long as you’re prepared for eco-conscious accommodations without extravagant frivolities, you should have an enjoyable, if uneventful stay at the Hotel Quality Globe.
More posts from this trip report series:
Introduction: Race to finish in Stockholm
Review: Wingtips Lounge New York JFK
Review: Hilton London Paddington
10 things to know before flying RyanAir
Review: Escape Lounge London Stansted
Review: Malmö Aviation + Menzies Business Lounges Gothenburg
Review: Hotel Quality Globe Stockholm
Review: Hilton Stockholm Slussen
Review: Menzies Business Lounge Stockholm, Terminal 5