These pictures were taken in the Summer over the course of two days in Stockholm. Stockholm is just an amazingly beautiful, walkable city. The color of the sky, the buildings, the streets all provided for so much visual interest and richness. You can read more about doing Stockholm by day and night in our blog posts on this topic.
By Lakshmi:
Our travels to date have never taken us to Radisson Blus. In fact, it was just recently that I became aware of this brand as we were considering it for a business trip to Chicago.
Fast forward to our recent trip to Sweden and news of a Club Carlson promotion, and all of a sudden trying out a Radisson Blu escalated to the top of our priorities.
First, Siddhi and I registered for the 50,000 bonus point giveaway promotion at Club Carlson, which after just one night at a Radission property would give you enough points to stay a night at some of their priciest properties for free!
Next, since I was headed to Stockholm, I made a reservation at the Radisson Blue Royal Viking Hotel at the train station. And since our last night was to be in Gothenburg, Siddhi made a reservation to stay at the Radisson Blu property across the train station in Gothenburg.
From the beginning, our experience was lovely. I asked if I could leave my luggage in Gothenburg before heading to Stockholm, and that went seamlessly. In Stockholm, the hotel’s location was so convenient that right after arriving by train from Gothenburg, I checked in, left my backpack, and within ten minutes was strolling the streets of Gamla Stan. The front desk receptionist cum conceierge handed me a map to aid my travels, asking me to be a little cautious since it was a holiday and the streets were quiet.
The next morning after breakfast, the nice guy at the front desk gave me an orientation to the city, granted my 2:00 pm late check out with a smile, and asked me to make the most of my stay (which I did).
When I returned to Gothenburg, Siddhi had already checked into the property, aided by the fact that all she had to do was walk across from the station. I retrieved my luggage and off we went exploring Gothenburg for the last time prior to our departure.
With an early morning flight, and little local cash in hand, we asked if they would charge the taxi to the room…a request again handled efficiently with a smile.
I really loved the fact that the staff at both locations were so “no nonsense”. They listed to my requests, handled them promptly, did not fawn over with fake enthusiasm, but enabled us in our pursuits.
We are eagerly looking forward to staying at more Radisson Blus, especially now that we have points to fund our stay.
To learn more about the properties we stayed at, click below:
By Lakshmi:
Who? Are you into the clean look of Scandinavian design? Do you want to get gifts that are unique? Do you admire design with a superb marriage of form and function?
What? One of DesignTorget’s 17 stores across Sweden and Oslo including ones at the train station in Gothenburg and Stockholm.
How? Just go to the url at the end of this post and find a store in Scandinavia convenient to you.
Why? I discovered this shop by accident when I had time to mull around the train station in Gothenburg. Created in 1993 as a platform for unemployed designers and inventors, the store has an amazing range of products that span interiors, toys, books, kitchen utensils, jewelry and beyond. A selection committee meets regularly to decide what products will make it to the store. Among the more interesting finds during my excursions across their Valgatan and train station locations in Gothenburg and the train station location in Stockholm were:
– A comic cover book which was essentially embedded with herb seeds or flower seeds – a perfect ready to plant gift for a child
– A spaghetti server whose handle has a built in cheese grater
– Portable plastic flower vases that lay flat and yet stand up when filled with water
– An expensive bike helmet which looks like very fashionable head gear rather than a bulky traditional one
To learn more about DesignTorget and look at their products, please visit their website at
a global affair 