Hotel Miss Clara | Stockholm

In my final post about our recent trip to Sweden, I want to share a few snaps of the stylish Hotel Miss Clara, which sits in the very centre of Stockholm on the buzzing thoroughfare of Sveavagen. It’s been on my radar ever since it opened a couple of years ago, so we decided to make the most of our last night in the city and treat ourselves to a stay.

Part of the Design Hotels group, it occupies an Art Nouveau mansion that was once a girls’ school, and its name is a tribute to former headmistress Clara Stromberg. The interiors have been reconfigured by architect Gert Wingardh, but many of the beautiful period features remain: arched windows, dark parquet floors, the original sweeping staircase from 1910. There’s also a hint of austerity in the décor, with muted colours, simple lines and functional lighting that reflect the building’s past life.

But that’s not to say the rooms aren’t super-comfortable: there are soft blankets, bathrobes, Orla Kierly lotions, plush dove-grey curtains and photobooks of Stockholm, plus mattresses which tread that magic line between squishy and firm (we slept like logs). Funky custom-made furniture includes bent-wood headboards from Swedish brand Gemala, padded lap trays, and sleek built-in cabinets topped by cushions so that they double as window seats. There’s also a chair back attached to the foot of each bed, although how you’re supposed to use it is a little unclear (clothes hanger? seat? drying rack?).

Our room occupied a corner spot on the fifth floor, so we had two banks of windows looking out over the street in one direction and the tree-flanked dome of the neighbouring church in the other. We could even gaze at the view from the shower, thanks to glass walls encasing the bathroom (with gauzy drapes for privacy).

The ground-floor restaurant is a low-key yet glamorous affair, with cut-glass pendant lights dangling low over leather banquettes. A meal here proved the perfect way to round off our time in Stockholm; the pan-European bistro-style food was delicious, the portions huge, and the wine list well-chosen. An early flight meant we didn’t get chance to sample breakfast the next morning, but we can certainly vouch for the quality of the cocktails in the bar! There’s also a seating area with clusters of armchairs and walls adorned with striking portraits of ballerinas by photographer Max Modén – a great spot for pre- or post-meal lounging.

All in all, we loved our stay at Hotel Miss Clara. It’s full of restrained luxury that’s perfectly in keeping with the building’s history and the city in which it sits, and we can’t wait to return.

Photography by Abi Dare; images of bathroom and light, and top restaurant image, by Hotel Miss Clara