The Nordic Appeal: Summer’s Must-Visit Hotels and Resorts, According to Global Media

With fall around the corner, Nordic Hotels & Resorts looks back on a summer of considerable media coverage from some of the world’s foremost publications. This summer, our hotels have been featured in articles, travel guides, and reviews highlighting everything from our newest and most exciting hotels, to the innovative spa concepts at some of our resorts. Here’s a sample of our favorites.

Slowly but surely, summer is coming to an end in the Nordics. With it comes what usually turns out to be the season’s last, hot August days before the temperature drops—almost as a sunny and celebratory “until next time”.

For Nordic Hotels & Resorts, the summer of 2024 has been a record-breaking one in many aspects. We have been further strengthening our position in the Nordics with no less than six new hotels and resorts opening or joining us during the spring/summer season. Furthermore, many of our city hotels in the buzzing capitals have seen a steep increase from last year in international traffic, welcoming guests from near and afar at levels close to pre-pandemic all-time highs.

And, like a cherry on top of it all, we are happy to look back on a couple of months of a great deal of features in some of the world’s most respected publications, both industry press and news outlets. Here are some of the summer’s most lauded press highlights. 

New Openings Making a Big Splash

Several of our new properties have been showcased in magazines like The New York Times and Roadbook. When spending 36 hours in Helsinki, The New York Times recommends staying at newcomer Hobo Helsinki, enjoying its “183 cozy, colorful rooms and a daily breakfast buffet, fitness center and a popular terrace bar”.

 When charting Europe’s top new hotel openings this summer, Roadbook also paid Hobo Helsinki a visit, exploring the hotel’s “community-first events” and its ambition of being “a community pillar with an ever-changing roster of events including collaborations with local running clubs, comedy nights, DJ takeovers, and open mic sessions”.

With an official nickname as “the Sun City” of Sweden, the small city of Karlstad is the perfect home for our radiant new Hotel Fratelli, says Scan Magazine. They call our Mediterranean-inspired boutique hotel “an engulfing experience with cosy furnishings, a variety of restaurants and an interesting story” that “will have you returning for more”. When here, a visit to the hotel’s Allegria Spa and Retreat is a must, offering “an array of soothing experiences with bathtubs, saunas and tropical showers”, where “turquoise pools, exotic plants, and rustic brick walls provide a true sense of well-being”.

More in the mood for the outdoors? Do like Roadbook and head to northern Norway, high above the Arctic circle, to our newly-opened outdoor resort Wood Hotel Bodø. The hotel’s “nature-rich surrounds and pared-back Scandi interiors” are one of the key highlights. Besides “breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, fjords and lakes”, Roadbook recommends not missing out on award-winning chef Christian André Petterson’s culinary explorations in the restaurant, cafe and cocktail bar, “plating up dishes inspired by traditional Norwegian culinary techniques”.

Awe-Inspiring Spas on a Global Stage

More than ever, travelers are seeking new and inventive ways to unwind. Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to reimagining the wellbeing industry, with concepts that are as much an experience for the body as they are for the mind, has not gone unnoticed.

Earlier this summer, Vogue Magazine unveiled a major initiative when it announced its first-ever spa guide—a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide, pulling from the expertise of their global editors. Here, the Japanese baths that are Yasuragi found a natural place. Vogue says to pay this onsen-inspired resort in the Stockholm archipelago a visit for its commitment to “a steadfast Japanese experience with touches of Scandinavian serenity”, as well as its “excellent restaurants on-site” that offer “everything from zesty noodle dishes to a six-course feast that includes a Wagyu steak and lobster roll”. “This is the closest you’ll get to experiencing a traditional but luxurious Japanese onsen in Europe”, they conclude.

Yasuragi is no stranger to accolades, both domestic and international. When looking for the best affordable spa breaks in Europe, Condé Nast Traveller were charmed by many of Yasuragi’s offerings. One of these is its signature ablution ritual, enjoyed “by first sitting on a low stool, pouring water over yourself from a wooden bucket and washing in gentle circular movements from the feet up. [...] Then, there’s the self-guided bath circuit: soak in the outdoor hot springs before a foot bath and steam sauna”. Furthermore, ELLE Sweden notes that “it is not for nothing that Yasuragi is one of Stockholm's most iconic spa hotels”, while Residence claims that the popular resort is a way to “experience Japan at home”. 

Helsinki is fast becoming one of the coolest Nordic cities, both temperature-wise and thanks to its first-class wellness options. Vogue Scandinavia went looking for the 10 best spas in and near Helsinki, and found that the wellness facilities of Hotel Kämp provide “a tranquil gem in the hotel’s crown”, while Hotel St. George is the place to go for a “gentle swim in the pool or a treatment powered by indulgent brands”.

Six Sleek City Favorites

The Nordics are a prime example of summer not having to be synonymous with beaches and rural escapes. In the capitals of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, there’s an abundance of things to do, see, try, and taste, especially during the year’s warmest months.

Nowhere is summer in these parts of the world better experienced than on a rooftop. One of Sweden's biggest news outlets, Svenska Dagbladet, soaked up some rays at Stockholm Under Stjärnorna, the lively rooftop park of hotel At Six, “popular for its atmosphere and varied offers”.

For a rooftop more reminiscent of the beach, follow in Roadbook’s footsteps and check in at Villa Copenhagen, featured on the magazine's list of the 15 Best Hotels in Copenhagen. Here, “understated luxury and year-round swimming” in the rooftop pool “is one of many reasons to stay at Villa Copenhagen”. According to them, “this classy hotel is [...] housed inside a neo-baroque building that was once the headquarters of the Danish post office, with a boutique feel that’s rare for a hotel of this size”.

Roadbook goes on to praise Villa Copenhagen’s bakery RUG, encouraging guests to “sample some of Denmark’s famous pastries before even stepping outside”. And, while on the topic of bakeries: when in Helsinki, Finland, take the advice of Finland’s largest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and make a mandatory visit to St. George Bakery. The café and bakery of Hotel St. George “manages to be understatedly dignified and playful at the same time”.

Last, but certainly not least, Travel + Leisure made their way to Oslo, the Norwegian capital gaining more and more international traction. Much of this attention can be attributed to its eco-conscious appeal and famously light and hot summers, making it an “ideal playground for sunbathing, swimming, fishing, and hiking”. When in Oslo, recommendations from a local say to stay at Sommerro (“Mid-century interior design and moody lighting offer a polished feel”), it’s secluded little sister Villa Inkognito (an “11-room retreat”), or the bustling Amerikalinjen (a “revved-up former Norwegian America Line headquarters” that ”toots its own stylish horn”).

Still curious about our properties? Head on over to our Press Highlights to stay up to date with our latest mentions, reviews and write-ups.