Scandic Ariadne

Hotel by the sea

I've stayed at the Scandic Hotel Ariadne in Stockholm many times over the years for several reasons. I always arrive at Stockholm by a Silja Line cruise ship, so this hotel is very convenient for that, since it's right next to the terminal. Silja Line also offers very good deals for combination of a cruise and a stay at the Ariadne. All I can say is that this hotel has its pros and cons. This hotel certainly has something to it because I keep coming back, but it has its obvious shortcomings too.
During summer the hotel is very busy and most guests seem to be families with kids, so there are lots of screming kids around. On the other hand during the winter the hotel is almost deserted, so it's certainly peaceful. You can sit at the lobby at 2 PM during the "rush hour" and maybe see two people in 30 minutes.
I stayed at the Ariadne last November on a Sunday. The hotel has some 290 rooms but it was almost empty then, maybe 10 rooms were occupied. I arrived at 10 AM on the Silja Symphony and walked to reception, but they wouldn't budge from their regular 2 PM check-in time. I payed 150 euros for the room and the hotel is virtually empty, talk about good service. They also gave me a room where there was a huge cupboard for a spare bed I didn't need and no sofa and no extra chairs. The white wall also had big dirty black marks on it. I'm glad the best rooms are kept empty and the worst rooms are handed out. The hotel gift shop and restaurant also closed at 2 PM and opened the next morning, so no services were available.
Now let's talk about the pros. The hotel has magnificent lobby. Lots of open air, white marble and nice atmosphere. It's almost like a Roman palace. The lobby has a gift shop, a caffe, a bar, a free internet terminal for guests, storage room for luggage and tourist information. During the summer everything is open longer too. The hotel also has a sky bar at the top and they rent bikes for guests. The lobby has nice soft sofas too, to wait for your room.
During the summer you absolutely have the walk out the front door to the yard. There is a small park with benches, nice view of the cruise ships and a summer cafe right at the water front. During the hot summer it's nice and cool there. Next to the front door is also a great pizzeria open year around and they are open late everyday too. They serve big and delicious pizzas and they are cheap, 59 SEK. It's far better food then the hotel restaurant and a lot cheaper.
So if you are arriving by Silja Line and don't mind the subway trip to the city center, Ariadne is the hotel for you.