Elite Hotel Esplanade

Elite Hotels’ new Malmö baby is called Esplanade and became the chain’s fourth establishment in the city when it opened earlier this year. The hotel takes up an entire city block, most of which was previously one of Malmö’s more contemporary market halls, but is only a few stories high. Rooms are comfortable and pleasantly styled in mauve and green tones. They come equipped with most things you could wish for, including a well-filled fridge (and ice bucket), ironing kit, safe, and a good corner work space which, unusually, has a proper office chair. If you’re travelling in work you can also use the warmly velvet-clad lounge for smaller work dos or meetings – for larger groups there are of course conference rooms. Breakfast is great and includes serious stuff such as roasted root vegetables and pancakes, besides all the things you might expect. The hotel restaurant was renovated in connection with the ownership change, and the result, Quan, is a destination in its own right, with a pan-Asian menu and an ambitious cocktail bar. Should you want to widen your view and your palate you won’t need to go far – the hotel is two doors away from the busy Bastard restaurant, and some of Malmö’s other top eateries are within easy walking range. The hotel is ideally located in the centre, very close to the railway station and airport buses.