Uppsala is a lovely city to visit in Sweden. Not too far away from Stockholm and full of old history and fascinating buildings – and should you need somewhere to stay then I would recommend Grand Hotell Hörnan!
It sits in a lovely location right by the river Fyrisån in an impressive building which originates from 1907. The hotel is also family owned and has such a unique charm from the moment you open the decorated heavy wooden entrance door.
The Room
We were staying on the upper floor in a cosy little room with a double bed which had a view out over Uppsala and the cathedral. I’m so happy it was possible to open the window and it gave a similar feeling as if we have had a balcony with the fresh air and city sounds. The bed was super comfortable and there were both teas & coffees as well as sparkling water in the room. Another thing that I usually dislike about certain hotels is the artwork that decorates the various spaces, but Grand Hotell Hörnan had kept it simple with vintage prints of birds which for me just suited the design perfectly. There’s nothing that annoys me more in hotels in historic buildings than beautiful rooms and loud modern art on the walls – it just doesn’t feel right to me. The bathrooms were also beautiful with body care products from Damana (shampoo, conditioners, body lotion and cleansing gel). This was definitely a room where we got both a good nights sleep and also didn’t mind spending some down time in the room resting in between activities. I would definitely book Grand Hotell Hörnan again.
The Breakfast
The Breakfast was served in an open dining room with high ceilings and a buffet style serving. Music from the 1900’s was softly playing in the speakers and when we were there it was only us and two other guests there. There was a nice selection of cereal, toast, juice, tea & coffee as well as vegetables, fruit and eggs. I always look for fresh bread and the bread that was offered was a little bit lacking in flavour and freshness but there was toasters and toast so was quite happy with crunchy toast with ham as well.
The Bar
Before heading out for dinner we sat down in the hotel bar for a cocktail. You could tell the staff behind the bar knew what they were doing and the bar had such a lovely atmosphere for pre-dinner drinks. I had a whisky sour which was expertly blended and my boyfriend ordered a Gin & Tonic and got to try the Swedish Härno Gin along with a premium tonic from Le Tribute. Offering local brands always gets a thumbs up from me. Would definitely recommend stopping by for drinks if you’re in Uppsala, even though you might not be staying at the hotel.
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