Three hotels in Sweden that I am curious about in 2026 – Travel Friday

New year also means new hotel investments and therefore new hotel bookings. Let’s take a look at some of the hotels I’m keeping an eye on in 2026!

If I were to make a top list of favorite experiences in life, “staying in a hotel” would definitely qualify. I like staying in hotels! Some of course more than others. Spontaneously, I generally think that 2026 feels like a fairly lean year in terms of new hotel investments, but on the other hand, it is still “only” January. There are also plenty of hotels left on my old wish lists to enjoy. I have high hotel expectations for this year!

Read more: 5 Swedish hotels I’m curious about in 2025

Three hotels in Sweden that I am curious about in 2026

#1. Akademihotellet Uppsala – new hotel area in Clasonska gården

The Akademihotellet in Uppsala opened a new boutique hotel section at the end of 2025 The Clason Farmone of Uppsala’s oldest preserved buildings. After careful renovation, the new part is now called “an exclusive hotel with a golden edge”. The question is: can this hotel experience compete with my personal Uppsala favorite Villa Anna? I just have to go there and check it out. Read more on the website.

Read more: Villa Anna – unique boutique hotel in Uppsala

#2. Margretes Badhotell, Kulla peninsula

Last year I was told that some of our Swedish spa hotels will be repackaged as “bath hotels” on the Danish model. When Margreteberg opens a year-round hotel operation on the Kulla peninsula in the summer of 2026, it is precisely the concept of the “bath hotel” that will be put under pressure. That is what the chairman of the municipal council believes “One of Höganäs’ best locations wakes from its rosy sleep”. Of course I have to go there to see the end result! Read more about the new company here.

#3. Ruby Hotels Stockholm

In the spring of 2026, a new hotel will open its doors at Kungsholmen in Stockholm. This time it is a German hotel chain that is behind the investment:

We are very excited to enter the Scandinavian market with this unique project and bring our Lean Luxury philosophy to Stockholm” – Elena Guenther-Jakobs, Ruby Hotels.

If, like me, you’re wondering what the phrase “Lean Luxury” is, you get it Ruby’s explanation here:

For us, luxury means casual comfort in a characterful environment, right in the heart of the city. The lean part is about using space smartly, streamlining things behind the scenes and leaving out the things you don’t need. This innovative approach saves us and you money, without sacrificing comfort.

It certainly sounds like a hotel I would like to check into.

What will your hotel facade look like in 2026? Are there hotels that attract something extra? For me – in addition to the hotels above – I am as usual curious about Ästad Vingård (still a topic of conversation), Grand Hôtel in Stockholm (I was thinking of giving myself an overnight stay there as a birthday present) and Fjällnäs Est 1882 (need more representation from Northern Sweden, both in my normal life and on the blog).

Feel free to follow me further Instagram under “Resfredag” for real-time updates! Cover image: Hotel breakfast at PM & Vänner, Växjö. Author: Annika Myhre/Resfredag.se