Stayed in the hotel for a wedding. The hotel is hip and cool but in a typical Swedish, laid back and relaxed way.

Rooms are comfortable and spacious, bathrooms excellent and unlike many hotels, the charge for the room service breakfast was very modest. And a fine breakfast it is too.

But what really stands out about the Rival was the attitude of the staff, definitely amongst the most helpful I have experienced.

Definitely worth a visit.

I'm just back from Stockholm and I must say the Rival hotel made my holiday. As almost everyone else has said, the staff go out of their way to help you however you never get the feeling that they are just fishing for tips like they would in many other more commercial hotels.

The location is a bit off the beaten track however it's on a lovely quiet square and will appeal to those looking for a more artistic experience of the city as it is near many galleries, design shops and furniture stores. Actually it only take about 10 or 15 minutes to walk to Gamla Stan and less if you want to take the regular boats to Djurgarden or the Vasamuseet which I'd also highly recommend.

The breakfast is very generous, the cocktails inventive and delicious, the beds most comfortable with a choice of pillows, the bedroom bears a very cute personal touch and the bedrooms themselves are generously proportionned which is welcome when many hotels hardly give you room to swing a cat let alone give space to walk around the bed!

I would highly recommend this hotel - you would probably get a more atmospheric hotel in the wintertime as the old cinema now acts as a venue centre and attracts creative types, but events are mostly in the wintertime. The cafe bistro and cocktail bar I can image acts as a vibrant hub in this part of the city. Unfortunately last weekend most Stockholmers were out of town due to the midsummer's celebrations however I loved my stay at the Rival none the less. Enjoy!

We stayed at the Hotel Rival for 3 nights in January. We booked a larger room foillowing advice on Trip Advisor. We were not disappointed. The Hotel has a load of CDs and DVDs to borrow (free of charge) and a good sized screen to watch them on in your room.

The Hotel is located in a quiet square not far from the centre. We walked everywhere and only used taxis to and from the airport.

I have recently had a hip replacement and the walking was in no way onerous, I guess if you are lazy, it is a bit of a walk!

We ate at the restaurant of the Hotel and it was excellent. The breakfasts were outstanding (my wife had "made to order" pancakes each day).

Be prepared for drinks etc to be expensive, that is the norm for Stockholm.

I would strongly recommend the Viking ship museum and natural history museum. A guided bus tour is also quite helpful to get your bearings. Skansen was a disaster, most places were still shut after the xmas holiday!

You will not regret staying at this Hotel.

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!!