Hotel Diplomat

The magnificent Jugendstil building, christened the Boströmska Palace after its architect, was completed in 1907, as a residence. Strandvägen had been inaugurated as Stockholm’s new grand boulevard for the 1897 Stockholm exhibition. In 1966 the east wing, which had been used both as a boarding house and an embassy, became Hotel Diplomat, which is now run by the fourth generation of the Malmström family. The lift whispers of the diplomacy and discretion of days gone by, and our room is in the traditional style with light, subdued colours, laid out in a balanced and tasteful way. The fact that you step down into the room from the entrance and bathroom lends it an elegant spaciousness and a restful atmosphere. The hotel’s own-label bed linen is fantastic – and is also available to buy. On the other side of the reception there is now a well-stocked food shop. Breakfast is quite delightful, and the airy dining room harmonises well with carefully selected, organic and locally grown goodies; lactose and gluten-free options sit next to their traditional equivalents rather than being banished to some corner. The clientele is truly international: we overheard all sorts of known and unknown languages during breakfast.