Hotele z: bar w Vastra Gotaland, Sweden

Staying at Clarion Hotel The Pier in Sweden turned out to be one of those experiences where you feel at ease almost immediately. There’s a certain warmth to the place that makes it stand out from the moment you walk through the doors. Friendly Staff Who Truly Welcome You What I noticed right away was how genuinely friendly the staff were. Every time we entered or walked past the front desk, we were greeted with a smile or a kind word. It’s such a simple gesture, but it created this feeling of being looked after, as if we were more than just passing guests. A Location That Balances Quiet and Convenience The hotel’s setting struck the perfect balance—peaceful and quiet, yet still so easy to get into the city center. It felt like we had the best of both worlds: calm evenings by the water, and the city’s energy just a short ride away. Beautiful Skyline and Water Views From the hotel, the view stretched across the skyline and the water, and it was just lovely. Whether it was morning light reflecting off the buildings or the soft glow in the evenings, those views gave the place a special atmosphere that I won’t forget. A Studio Room That Feels Like Home Our studio room came with a small kitchenette, and I can’t stress enough how handy that was. For a longer stay, being able to cook a simple meal or make a late tea added such a homely touch. The room itself felt modern and cozy, just right for settling in without feeling cramped. A Breakfast with Heart Breakfast was always a cheerful way to start the day, not just because of the food but because of the people. The breakfast chef, a lovely lady with beautiful red hair, had the warmest presence. She greeted everyone with such kindness that it set the tone for the rest of the day. Looking back, what made Clarion Hotel The Pier memorable wasn’t just the location or the facilities—it was the sense of care woven through the stay. Between the quiet setting, the beautiful views, the comfort of the room, and those daily warm greetings (especially at breakfast), the hotel managed to feel both professional and genuinely personal.

The hotel itself is very modern and nice looking. The rooms are not anything special but they are clean and have everything you need. The restaurants in the hotel are a plus, and the roomservice is therefore also delicious.

The hotel's location is quite convenient, right above the train and bus stations, making travel easy. Across the street is a shopping mall, which is great for dining and shopping. The hotel breakfast offers a good variety and is decent. However, the room facilities are mediocre and a bit old; the bed is very soft and small. The soundproofing is very poor, as you can clearly hear doors closing next door. Also, the hotel does not provide drinking water or toiletries.

We arrived at 7:30 pm and were told we got a room “upgrade”. The room was small so we really wondered what the “original” room looked like. The bed had stains on the cover that was laid under the mattress which didn’t look good. We went down to the lobby and found nobody present. We moved on to the restaurant, it was 8 pm. Half full and we were met with the wonderful advise that they were closed for service. This was Friday May 16th and the menu board was still at the entrance door to the restaurant. We went back to the reception and queried why the restaurant was not serving dinner at 8 pm on a Friday. The receptionist looked dumbfounded and told us it usually serves dinner at least until 9 pm but she took no action to assist us except to say we could walk fir 15 minutes to the Aveny, a street with lots of restaurants but could not suggest any close by. We ended up going to, as it happened, a fantastic restaurant right around the corner called Le Pigalle on the top floor of, we guess, a competing hotel. Fabulous meal in a restaurant that knew how to treat their guests. In short we have regretfully no positive things to say about the ProfilHotels Opera in Gothenburg. Gothenburg was fantastic but when we return we will definitely not book at the Opera which is overpriced for the standard and service they offer. Total waste of money at this venue. Regretfully we did not bother to take any pictures of the place as it is nothing we wish to remember about it.

I stayed at Best Western Plus Åby Hotel for a week, and the experience was… mixed. There were a few things that worked, but also enough frustrations that I eventually decided to move on to the other hotel in the neighborhood. The breakfast was fair—not terrible, but not something I looked forward to either. To be honest, if there had been a “no breakfast” option, I would have chosen it. It felt more like something to get through than enjoy. The gym, on paper, looked impressive. It’s really big, which initially felt promising. Unfortunately, it was almost always packed in the evening from 6pm onwards. On top of that, there seemed to be a habit among local guests of standing around chatting and unintentionally blocking the equipment. As a hotel guest just wanting a proper workout, the whole gym experience ended up being quite frustrating and disappointing. The view from my room didn’t help much either—it looked straight onto the front of the race course, which was honestly quite boring and added nothing to the stay. After a week here, I decided to move to Scandic Mölndal, and the difference was noticeable right away. The fitness facilities there were much better suited for actual use, and the overall hotel environment felt calmer and more relaxing. Looking back, Best Western Plus Åby Hotel wasn’t a terrible stay, but it simply wasn’t the right fit for what I was looking for at the time.

Frankly, I'd seriously recommend anyone reading this review to steer clear of this hotel for the time being. The hotel's location is good, right across from the city center train station, with many attractions and commercial facilities within walking distance. However, there's a massive transportation hub construction site directly downstairs. The traffic routes and facilities haven't been updated in navigation apps, making the road conditions absolutely chaotic – seriously, don't even attempt to navigate it. Also, I have to complain about the room. I never expected it would be so small that it couldn't even fit a single table, which was extremely inconvenient. Other aspects were quite good, especially the breakfast and service, which were impressive.

The hotel’s location is excellent — just a short walk from the central station, which made getting around very convenient. However, I was disappointed by a few aspects of the stay. The hotel provides grey towels, which I found unappealing; white towels generally give a better sense of cleanliness. Breakfast was adequate, though some of the fruit offered was of poor quality. I also had concerns about the room’s cleanliness. After our first night, it didn’t seem like the room had been thoroughly cleaned — the drinking glasses we had used weren’t replaced, and some visible stains we had accidentally made were not wiped down. Additionally, the iron in the room tripped the power on both occasions we tried to use it, which was quite frustrating. The refrigerator in our room wasn’t working properly, so the drinks we stored inside remained warm. I also found the 11:00 a.m. checkout time to be inconvenient, as a later checkout would have allowed for a more relaxed departure.

No aircon, tv kept losing signal during the stay, have to check in via self service kiosk and cut your own key staff dont smile or interact with customers unless they get approached. Extractor fan in bathroom so noisy keep awake all night. No sound proofing in rooms hear every noise from rooms next door and below

Stayed for one night only but wouldn't have minded staying longer. Room is well-lit, small but comfy and definitely fine for one person. Breakfast was pretty good and had a good variety of options, just a bit crowded (understandably so because I think all bookings include breakfast by default). Luggage storage is free but not super secure; the front desk locks the storage room but then you place and take your own bags from inside, so there's nothing stopping someone else from taking your bag. Location - need to take a bus to the train station; also not much in the immediate vicinity.

The environment is really good. It is very European and has a sense of historical sedimentation. It is in the city, and there are many shopping malls and restaurants nearby. The scenery is very good. I think it is a worthwhile experience.