Sweden’s best destination hotels – 8 places worth the journey

In the heart of Halland’s Åkulla beech forests, just over 30 minutes from Varberg, you’ll find a unique oasis where vineyards, hotel rooms and restaurants frame the award-winning Sinnenas Spa. At Ästad Vingård, one of Sweden’s most exclusive hotel stays by far, the boundary between hotel and nature begins to blur. Every experience is designed to stimulate sight, smell and hearing alike. Put everyday life on hold for forest walks, long meals and more swims than you had planned.

The forest is never far away at Sinnenas Spa either. Move between warm outdoor pools, colder plunges, saunas and relaxation rooms overlooking the beech trees. It’s at its best first thing in the morning, before the rest of the hotel has properly woken up.

The hotel offers several different accommodation options, from rooms with their own sauna to suites in Sjöparken, where you’ll also have a private bathing jetty leading into the natural pool.

And the food? It absolutely matches the standard of the spa. Michelin-starred ÄNG serves a lengthy tasting menu featuring local ingredients, while Logen is the more relaxed option. To take your stay up another notch, book the ÄNG package, which also includes a tasting breakfast in the restaurant’s glasshouse.

Between dinner and the spa, a good tip is to put on a comfortable pair of shoes and make time for a walk through the Åkulla beech forests, with their sparkling lakes, hiking trails and scenic landscapes.

Time Out tip: Set your alarm and head to Sinnenas Spa as soon as it opens. Early in the morning, you can have the warm pools, saunas and forest almost entirely to yourself.

Address: Ästad 10, Tvååker

Price: From SEK 4,960 per night for two

Outside Västerljung, Landet Stay’s architect-designed cabins are raised above forests and meadows, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water. Trosa is about 15 minutes away, but here you can drink your morning coffee on one terrace and eat dinner on the other without a neighbour in sight. Each cabin is around 40 square metres and has a king-size bed, kitchen, fireplace, underfloor heating in the bathroom and two private outdoor spaces.

Andreas Martin-Löf designed the buildings, while Tobias Vernon of 8 Holland Street created the interiors. Rugs, colourful art and contemporary furniture provide a contrast to the wood and tranquil views.

There’s no restaurant on site, so plan your meals before you arrive. The kitchens are fully equipped, but you can also pre-order prepared dishes or a three-course dinner from Fina Fisken in Trosa. We cooked dinner ourselves, put on some music and ate as darkness fell outside. No restaurant reservation to keep and no reason to leave the cabin.

There are hiking trails, kayaks, SUP boards, bikes and a private bathing bay on site. The wood-fired floating sauna was our favourite. First the heat of the sauna, then a dip in the bay, followed by a walk back through the forest as the evening light faded between the trees. If you’re travelling without a car, take the train to Vagnhärad and continue by taxi.

Time Out tip: For an excursion, Trosa is 15 minutes away, while Ytterjärna is home to James Turrell’s light installation ‘Skyspace’.

Address: Grönsö, 619 95 Västerljung

Price: From SEK 9,000 per night for two

Häckeberga Slott is for anyone who wants a castle weekend without faded wallpaper and stuffy formality. The castle sits on its own island in Lake Häckeberga outside Genarp, about half an hour from Malmö. Even the journey there sets the tone: forest, water and a narrow bridge before the towers appear between the trees.

Inside, you’ll find the opposite of restrained manor-house romance. Patterned wallpaper, heavy fabrics, antiques, art and unexpected details fill the lounges and guest rooms. It’s colourful, maximalist and a little like a modern-day Hogwarts, yet still cosy enough to make you want to settle in and stay awhile. Rooms are located both in the castle and in the pavilion by the lake. If you want to stay in the grandest part of the hotel, choose a castle room or why not a suite?

But it’s the communal rooms that perhaps make the strongest impression. Before dinner, order something from the bar and settle down among the velvet, subdued lighting and intriguing, unusual objects.

The restaurant serves modern Nordic cuisine built around local ingredients and seasonal flavours. You can book either a three-course dinner or a longer tasting menu, so plan your meal when you reserve your room. A walk through the nature reserve before dinner is highly recommended. On your way back across the bridge, you’ll see the castle reflected in the lake.

Time Out tip: Have a pre-dinner drink in one of the lounges and bring out a board game before dinner. It’s the best way to actually enjoy the communal spaces instead of simply photographing them as you pass through.

Address: Häckeberga Slott, 247 98 Genarp

Price: From SEK 1,700 per night for two

Villa Fridhem is for anyone looking for a manor-house weekend with royal history but none of the museum feel. The house was built in 1909 as a summer residence for Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg and sits high among the Kolmården forests, overlooking Bråviken outside Norrköping. The road winds through the forest before the yellow villa suddenly appears between the trees.

Inside, floral wallpaper, heavy curtains and classic details meet bold colours and contemporary furniture. The beds are by DUX, and some of the larger rooms have private terraces with outdoor hot tubs. This isn’t the right hotel for fans of pared-back minimalism. Here, patterns, fabrics and well-preserved history set the mood.

Dinner is served in Prince Carl’s dining rooms, where the kitchen works with seasonal Swedish ingredients. The standard is high, but it’s still the breakfast that stays with you.

On the buffet, miniature princess cakes sit alongside freshly baked bread and sparkling wine, a detail with a direct connection to the house’s former residents. Jenny Åkerström was a home economics teacher to Princesses Margaretha, Märtha and Astrid and published the recipe for what was then known as the Green Cake in her cookbook. Today, princess cake is baked daily at Villa Fridhem and served from breakfast onwards.

Afterwards, you can walk through the forest to Lake Skiren, hire a bike or stay in the garden overlooking the bay. If you’re travelling without a car, the hotel offers a complimentary transfer from Norrköping, subject to availability.

Time Out tip: Don’t miss the small cocktail bar upstairs in the main building. It’s easy to walk straight past if you only move between the dining room and your room, but it’s perfect for a pre-dinner drink or one last cocktail before bed.

Address: Getå Villa Fridhem 1, 616 90 Åby

Price: From SEK 1,195 per night

Vadstena Klosterhotel is for anyone who wants to stay right in the middle of history, rather than simply read about it on a sign. The hotel is located in the old quarters beside Lake Vättern, with the Abbey Church around the corner and cobbled lanes just outside the door. An entire day can pass here between church bells, warm pools and walks along the lake.

The rooms are spread across several buildings, so read the description carefully before booking. Choose a room in the former convent if you want to be closest to the medieval surroundings, preferably with views of Lake Vättern. Uneven floors, thick walls and deep window recesses give the rooms character, but also mean that no two are entirely standardised.

The spa is one of the hotel’s main reasons to make the trip. In the warm outdoor pool, surrounded by old stone walls and gentle music, a sense of calm takes hold that feels completely rooted in the site’s monastic history. The experience continues in the so-called dry spa, with meditation rooms, relaxation areas and a wood-burning stove to sit in front of. I moved between the pool, sauna and cold water in the courtyard, but it was the stillness that stayed with me longest.

Dinner is served at Restaurant Munkklostret, where the menus follow the seasons. Beneath the hotel is the old wine cellar, where tastings are held among stone vaults and long rows of bottles. The Abbey Church and monastery museum are just a few steps away, while a walk along Lake Vättern leads onwards through the old quarters.

Time Out tip: Book a wine tasting in the old wine cellar in advance. It’s one of the best ways to experience a part of the hotel that would otherwise be easy to miss.

Address: Lasarettsgatan 3, Vadstena

Price: From SEK 1,796 per night for two

At Högbo Brukshotell, there’s an unusually pleasing rhythm to the day: forest beneath your feet, a long afternoon in warm outdoor pools, some time in front of the fire and four courses for dinner. The hotel is located in the heart of Högbo Bruk outside Sandviken, surrounded by lakes, forest and hiking trails.

Beautiful surroundings aside, it’s the food that really makes Högbo stand out among Swedish spa hotels. Vegetables are grown, bread is baked and cheese, charcuterie and chocolate are all made on site. These products appear in the restaurant’s four-course menu and return at the breakfast buffet the next morning. Book a package that includes dinner and consider adding the generous, expertly matched wine pairing.

The rooms are spread across several buildings around the estate. Choose the main building if you want the shortest possible walk to the spa, restaurant and breakfast. Or check into one of the suites about 200 metres away, ideal if you’d rather have more space than the quickest route to the spa.

Speaking of the spa, expect it to take up most of the afternoon. Large windows look out onto the greenery, and between the indoor pool, warm outdoor pools, saunas, foot baths and relaxation areas, you can find a corner of your own even when plenty of guests are around. Order a drink from the spa bar and take it out to the pools as the afternoon sun falls across the water.

Time Out tip: Stop by the Björk & Berries shop on site and stock your wash bag with fragrances, skincare and bodycare products. They’re made in Högbo, making this a far more interesting souvenir than anything from the usual hotel shop.

Address: Hans Hiertas väg 5, 811 92 Sandviken

Price: From SEK 3,636 for two

Varbergs Kusthotell is for anyone who prefers to arrive at breakfast with wet hair. The hotel is in Lilla Apelviken, where a bathrobe works perfectly well as outerwear between your room, the cold bathhouse and the jetty leading into the bay. Sand dunes begin just outside the entrance, while the seafront promenade runs all the way towards Varberg Fortress.

The rooms are more classic than cutting-edge, with whitewashed wood, shades of blue and maritime fabrics. Here, a sea view is worth more than extra floor space. Pulling back the curtains and seeing the Kattegat straight from bed adds more to your stay than a larger seating area ever could.

In 2026, the hotel opened two newly renovated spa floors with three warm outdoor pools and four different sauna environments. In the Sten sauna, your body slowly warms against rock-like slabs, a fitting continuation of what remains the hotel’s best bathing experience: the sea outside.

Head here early in the morning and start the day from the jetty. First comes the smell of seaweed and wet wood, then the cold water, followed immediately by the warmth of the sauna. It’s simple, perhaps a little brutal for a few seconds, and exactly what you want from a classic coastal hotel.

Dinner is served at Severins, where the grills are fired up every day and fish, seafood and seasonal ingredients take centre stage. End the evening with a growing pile of crayfish shells, dry riesling in your glass and the sun setting over the Kattegat. The next day, follow the seafront promenade towards the fortress and the town’s cold bathhouse, with the water beside you all the way.

Time Out tip: Lay out your bathrobe and slippers the night before and take your first dip before breakfast. The sauna is waiting just a few steps from the jetty.

Address: Nils Kreugers väg 5, 432 53 Varberg

Price: From SEK 2,580 per night for two

Slottsgården is so close to Vadstena Castle that the moat almost feels like the hotel garden. Despite the name, you won’t actually sleep in the castle itself, but in a boutique hotel by the harbour, with Lake Vättern, the castle walls and Vadstena’s cobbled streets right on the doorstep.

The rooms draw on the history of the setting without feeling old-fashioned. Floral wallpaper, crystal chandeliers, brass beds and patterned fabrics meet more modern furniture and bold colours. Room categories range from Petit rooms to suites, and no two rooms look quite alike. Take a close look at the photos before booking and choose the interior you’d most like to wake up in.

It’s the kitchen, rather than the castle, that provides the biggest surprise of the stay. The restaurant isn’t merely a convenient option after a day in Vadstena, but a reason to stay put all evening. The menu ranges from ambitious à la carte dishes to Neapolitan pizzas made with dough from the hotel’s own bakery. The same bakery provides the bread for the signature breakfast the next morning.

Here, you get Vadstena’s history around the corner, but colour, personality and seriously good food at the hotel. Take a walk around the moat before dinner and return once the restaurant lights have come on. You’re not sleeping in the castle, but you’ll wake up with it right outside.

Time Out tip: Don’t settle for simply walking around the moat. Book a guided tour of Vadstena Castle, preferably before dinner. Walking through the grand rooms and hearing stories about the fortress, royalty and life behind the walls was one of the absolute highlights of the stay.

Address: Hamngatan 3, 592 30 Vadstena

Price: From SEK 1,495 per night for two