By now the big hotels have learned the lesson about design — the minimalist look that was once the exclusive province of the independent boutiques has now been fully assimilated. And they’ve got a point — if more of the big hotels had looked as good as the Clarion does, the design hotel revolution might have been over before it started.
And while the Clarion, Stockholm’s biggest, is undeniably visually striking, there’s more to this place than just good looks. It’s located in the Södermalm, one of the city’s most fashionable neighborhoods, and the extensive collection of contemporary Scandinavian artists is a tip-off that the high-design décor is more than just cynical marketing.
With over five hundred rooms it’s certainly no mom-and-pop operation. But they’re all clean-lined and thoughtfully equipped, head and shoulders above the beige L-shaped competition. Half the standard rooms (and all rooms in the higher classes) come with bathtubs, and at the higher end you’ll find 32-inch plasma televisions and, in the Södersviten suite, a bar, fireplace and private terrace.
A swimming pool and a roof deck are quite unexpected in Stockholm. Like everything that’s great about Sweden, the Clarion is made from equal measures of tradition and utopia — here of course you can dine on reindeer while contemplating the hotel of the future.
author watson@mouselink.net, source www.tablethotels.com
