Spread across 14 islands the city of Stockholm has arisen from the sea, so it seems rather fitting to stay on the water rather than next to it when you visit the stunning Swedish capital. This was my reasoning for choosing Loginn Hotel – a hotel set up in a magnificent cruise ship built in 1928 – as my accommodation for the TBEX conference. Commanding a magnificent view of Riddarholmen, the Loginn Hotel boasts one of the best locations in the whole city. I was excited to be staying there.
Arrival at Loginn Hotel
Upon arrival, the staff warmly welcomed me and showed me my cabin: a small but homely private room with an en-suite bathroom and a perfect view through two portholes. The receptionist happily said, ‘the room is small, so you should spend your spare time in the common areas of the ship’.
She was absolutely right.
The room was exceptionally comfortable, but there are plenty of great places to hang out on the boat, all of which have an outstanding view of the water. Not exclusive to the hotel’s guests, non-hotel guests, tourists and residents of the city are also welcomed to the bar – it is a popular choice for many. And with such wonderful views, who can blame them? It must be one of the nicest open-air bars in the city.
Enjoying the long White Nights of the Stockholm summer on a boat that gently rocks in the breeze is something that really should be experienced. And believe me, a refreshing Swedish pear cider has never tasted better!
The History of Loginn Hotel
Far from being ordinary, the ship has an exceptionally fascinating history. Whilst the hotel goes by the name of Loginn, the ship is actually named MS Kronprinsesse Märtha after the former Crown Princess of Norway – a woman who, incidentally, had my favourite Swedish cake named after her as well as a boat. Before the Märtha’s current status as a hotel she has shipped both passengers and cargo around Norway in the 1930s, been renamed by the Nazis and used as a ‘blockade ship’ in the 1940s, converted from steam power to motor engine in the 1940s, transported divers and thrill-seekers around the West Indies in the 1970s, and hosted a floating casino in the Netherlands in the 1980s.
The ship has certainly seen a variety of life!
Over the years, the Märtha has had a fair few knocks, and has also been a saviour to other distressed ships on more that one occasion. There is even a great story about how a man’s life was saved from the Nazis because a few years earlier his father – then the captain of the Märtha – valiantly rescued survivors of a stricken German luxury liner, a feat that gained him an award from Adolf Hitler. It is really fascinating to stay in a place that has so much history.
Why you should stay at Loginn Hotel
I really can’t praise the Loginn Hotel highly enough. The boat is spectacular and in a great location, close to Gamla Stan (the Old Town) and Slussen metro stations, so it is the perfect base for sightseeing. It is based on Södermalm, Stockholm’s hipster island. You can start the day with the included breakfast, which is exceptional, and you can end the day drinking a beer as the boat rocks gently. The staff are so nice that they accommodated me even though I had made an error with my booking and didn’t check out the day that I was supposed to. The hotel was fully booked (as they often are in the summer, so book early if you want to get a room), but managed to shuffle things around so I could keep my room when potentially this could have caused huge problems with other bookings.
If you are travelling to Stockholm and want to stay somewhere a little bit different, then you should check out the website. You can also read the history of the boat in full here.
Have you ever stayed at a boat hotel – or a ‘boatel’ as I like to call it? I’d love to hear your thoughts below. If you know anybody travelling to Stockholm then please share my post!
What an awesome experience!
It really was. It’s such a great hotel!