Stockholm business hotels without reservation

It is true that many business hotels in Stockholm have vacancies in July and early August. Most Swedes get 5 weeks of vacation per year and many take 4 consecutive weeks off during the summer. Stockholmers will often leave the city.

Some of the chain hotels in Stockholm include Sheraton, Radisson SAS, and Scandic Crown. You might check their websites to see if they are offering any specials.

I would definitely book in advance on the Norway in a Nutshell leg. There are tons of tourists on this route and accommodations are limited.

Iceland is definitely part of Europe...

I know other sources to get info, but mainly I am looking to see if anyone here has opinions. I've been to tripadvisor and have a couple books already, but people here often have a different angle that I can appreciate.

Sorry I just realized I posted my reply to the wrong thread somehow.

I beg to differ...our last trip to Copenhagen was in July of 2006...it was sold out! We had reservations so we weren't affected, but while waiting for the "Copenhagen walking tour" to begin (at the
TI office) we met a number of people who were desperately trying to get lodging in town. Most ended up going across the bridge to Sweden and day triping back to Copenhagen via the train. Stockholm was full and so was Helsinki...in fact I think Aero Skobing was sold out as well (we spent 2 nights there).

I am in total sympathy with your queasiness about landing in a foreign city with no reservation. The hotel situation in Scandinavia is mind-boggling for us Americans . If you go to any of the travel reservation sites, you'll see prices around $600-800/night. However, in the summer, when business travelers are on vacation, the hotels offer such discounts, that "deep" doesn't begin to convey the extent. For example, in 2005, we paid around $150/night at an SAS hotel in Oslo. It was quite posh and included the most sumptuous buffet breakfast I've ever seen. We found it on a web-site- - can't remember which one, maybe the hotel's. I'd look around at a lot of them. As I recall, the other SAS hotel in town was at least $20 more. Maybe we'd have gotten an even cheaper rate by turning up at the TI office, but I prefer not to waste my time and peace of mind. I agree with the poster who advised reservations for Norway in a Nutshell at the time you are going. BTW, our hotel offered to allow us to pack a lunch from their buffet for $14. We should have done it the morning we set off for NIN. One bag would have been enough for the 2 of us, and the food available along the way was dismal. Also, we did the whole thing in a single day; and, in retrospect, I'd say take it in two. It's makes for a VERY long day (but wonderful).

You don't sound like the brave soul ready to step out and take a chance (me neither) I have traveled with no reservations and had to back track so changed to the "safe way" but I would recommend making a reservation for your first night through www.visit-stockholm.com. Make sure you get the Stockholm a la carte card with that. Then go to the TI and ask about discount hotels available. You have to prepay on the visit stockholm sight, but the hotel we stayed in had internet available and we were able to extend out stay while there. The last time I was in Europe I was traveling with 6 people . . . to hard to just drop in on any TI, but when it was 2 of us, we did have luck most of the time. Just an FYI, because all Europeans tend to travel in July-August, don't forget to make reservations for the trains and boats because they will be on them!