Good things about a Deluxe room are:-
DVD and large flat screen TV which can be watched and listened to in the bathroom
Comfortable beds & nice bed linen, including duvet & throw.
Slightly larger than usual bath towels.
Good curtains shutting out the light.
Largish safe & good cupboard space.
Desk & two leather armchairs (would have been nicer if they had been larger with big feather cushions though)
Decor was warm with lots of maple coloured wood.
Free internet in hotel lobby.
Free coffee/hot chocolate/tea & biscuits on 4th floor
Nice views overlooking large garden square.
2 mins walk from Mariatorget tube station.
Good breakfast with pastries, cereals, fruit, cold meats, cheese and cooked to order eggs, pancakes and porridge. Also provided lates & cappuccinos which were nicer than the rather bitter self-service coffee.

Bad bits
Having to pay for a deluxe room in order to get a bathtub.
Found it just too far away from the main sight seeing, especially any ferry/boat trips (approx 1/2 hour walk and nearly as long tube ride).
Loo paper (toilet paper) was 1st cousin to sandpaper!
Supposed tissues were also loo paper - little squares which disintergrated on use. Not good enough for a £220 pn room.
Lighting in the bathroom wasn't bright enough.
Toiletries (aloe vera Crabtree and Evelyn).were replenished on a slightly haphazar fashion
Lacking a vanity unit although there was a desk one could use but it didnt have a mirror.

Enjoy your stay if you go there but be warned, Sweden is VERY expensive!!

We stayed at Hotel Rival for three nights in February 2008, having read the reviews on TripAdvisor and other websites and despite it being a little more costly than other hotels in Stockholm.
The Rival totally lived up to the reviews I'd read and I'd highly recommend it to anyone else wishing to stay in central Stockholm. It's a five mins walk from the trendy Gotgatan street in Sodermalm where all the cool bars, restaurants and shops are. It's only ten mins walk from Gamla Stan so makes an ideal tourist location.
We had only booked a 'standard' room, but it was probably the best hotel room I've stayed in. The window in the bathroom is a bit odd, as mentioned by other reviews but you can pull the blind! The bathroom's heated floors are a godsend when you come in from a freezing cold day on the tourist trail!
The bars were busy with young and trendy locals at the weekend, but this assures you that you're in the right place. They are a tad pricey though, but then this is Stockholm afterall.
Service was second to none. The safe in our room broke one morning and we had to call for maintenance to come and get into it for us. They arrived promptly and with a smile. The English of all staff, and all the locals was exceptional too.
Be warned: we had forgotten our room rate didn't include breakfast and the reception staff didn't remind us when we checked in. So when we came to checkout there was an extra £70 to pay for three days worth of breakfast for two people. I'd advise either ensuring that your rate includes breakfast as the breakfasts were good. Or if not, eating it at a local cafe instead of paying top whack for it at the hotel (we didn't try the adjacent Cafe Rival so I can't comment on their prices).
Enjoy!

I was visiting my boyfriend's family in the middle of December, the darkest and coldest period to visit that part of the world. I was afraid everything would be bleak and cold... and it was (sun sets at 3pm).

BUT Hotel Rival really cheered me up. The room we had was a large corner room that had plenty of space, light (yep, in december!), a super fluffy bed with a lounger at the end and topped with our own teddy bear.

The website photos really didn't do it justice. As I had reservations about the hotel looking dated. However this was NOT the case!

The room was very warm (maple floors, walls so it felt a bit like the inside of a boat). Really thoughtful closet designs, flat screen TV, writing desk in a cove facing the black roof tops of stockholm. Velvety drapes covered all the windows so the effect was cozy and warm.

The bathroom was super clean with one entire wall covered in glittery tiles that simmers. Even the trash can was raised off the ground so it doesn't get kicked around. The shower has no curtains much like rest of Europe. (it's so strange, isn't it?)

Downstairs is a bar area with separate entrance to the hotel. It's got a cinema theme. I had a few drinks there while meeting friends, it's a young, well dressed crowd. Very fashionable and very polite and quiet.

Anyway, long story short, I was thrilled to find such a gem. I have since then tried a few other stockholm hotels and none compared to the cleanliness, comfort as Rival.

The hotel is right on Maria Torget which is walking distance to Sodermalm (the soho of stockholm) so you won't find hordes of fat american tourist wondering around asking for the nearest Ikea like you would in Gamla Stan... ha.

Every now and again, you end up staying in a hotel that you feel comfortable in - like a glove. The Rival was like that - it looks like it makes a statement but in typically Swedish style, it makes you part of it. Architecture, design and minimalism throughout but not at the expense of practicality. Service was great, but understated (not in your face). Excellent rooms with DVDs, CD player, flat-screen TV - nothing like being in the shower dancing to Dancing Queen. Worth taking advantage of the on-site bakery which does that wonderful rye bread that is just so, so Scandinavian.