This is part of the Trip Report Welcome to the Cold where I went from NYC to:
If you’re just tuning in now be sure to read how I ended up with this unique itinerary by checking out The Original Plan: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World, the subsequent Change Up: Riga, Latvia? and the Mongolia angle: IGLOO-GER: The Helsinki-Ulaanbaatar Trip Report.
Getting There: From the port, take the bus to the central station then a taxi to the Strand Hotel. From the airport take the 20-minute Arlanda Express Train to Stockholm Central Station. Hail a taxi or ride the metro to Kungsträdgården Station, a short walk from the hotel.
My delayed review of this hotel comes in wake of the Club Carlon devaluation so I’ll try to focus on the hotel itself not the shredded remnants of what was once a great program. On that positive note, I will say that the Radisson Blu Strand Stockholm is in a great location right on the water, walking distance to the old town, and only a couple of blocks from the nightlife.
If you can find them in the country you intend to visit, Radissons tend to be conveniently situated. As a US Bank card holder I receive ‘Gold Elite Status’ but have rarely received an upgrade as a result. I am more willing to accept that I won’t receive an upgrade on U.S. soil because I live relatively close by and the chances of me returning to that city are a lot higher than returning to one abroad. At the Radisson Stockholm initially tried to put me in a dark room facing the courtyard with no view. The room was cozy if I’m being optimistic which is also known as cramped if I’m being realistic.
Since I only had two nights in Stockholm I told the front desk manager that I would appreciate a room with a view not because I had useless ‘gold’ but because I only had two nights in Stockholm! After some stern negotiating, they finally yielded to my request. When you see the view from my new room, perhaps you won’t fault me for complaining. Indeed, looking at my pictures it seems that I have completely neglected my blogging duty by not taking photos of the room itself.
<==Back to the Viking River Cruise – Onto Guns & Butter: Stockholm Travel Guide==>
