These are the Scandinavian hotels our editors recommend checking into this summer

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Scandinavia is captivating. Perhaps it’s the light — the long, honeyed days of summer or the soft, blue hush of winter — or the landscapes that shift from modern urban centres to rolling forests, glassy fjords and endless coastlines. But just as compelling as the scenery are the options of places to stay.

Across Denmark, Sweden and Norway, a new wave of hotels is redefining a Scandinavian getaway. Whether it’s a converted factory on a remote peninsula, a design-led city bolthole, or a luxury retreat amongst the fjords, these are places that invite you to slow down and tune in. With good design, great food and unforgettable settings, we’ve gathered the best Scandinavian hotels for every kind of escape.

For more travel inspiration, check out our best hotels in London and the best European hidden gem hotels.

Best Scandinavian hotels

Nimb, Copenhagen, Denmark

Doubles from £396, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Nimb is a five-star luxury hotel nestled on the edge of the iconic Tivoli Gardens theme park, right next to the central train station. Reservations come with free access to Tivoli Gardens and all its rides. Prefer to stay indoors? The wellness area includes state of the art gym, sauna and hammam, and relaxation room for post-treatment treats of green tea, ginger shots and dates.

Original Moorish-inspired palatial features intertwine with contemporary Scandinavian design to create a uniquely serene space adorned with chandeliers, trickling fountains and antique furniture. All but one of the 38 rooms face onto Tivoli Gardens, and most have balconies and sweeping terraces to soak up the fairground vibes. Each is unique while consistently catering to every luxury, including four-poster beds, two-person Agape bathtubs and complimentary danish treats in the mini bar. The Corner Suite has the best views of the stage for private concert viewings, while Terrace No 1 offers both open fireplace and terrace.

A large brasserie-style space serves Scandi-French fusion dishes, with prime positioning to watch Tivoli’s Friday night concerts, while old-school frills and seasonal smørrebrøds are served park-side at Fru Nimb. Set on its own boating lake in the gardens, The Japanese Pagoda curates a rotation of residencies from Michelin-starred restaurants across the world. Amble back beneath twinkling lights to Nimb’s ballroom turned bar for fairytale-themed cocktails, such as forest margaritas laced with pine tree liqueur, sipped by the striking fireplace.

At breakfast, a generous continental selection offers freshly baked pastries, rye breads, Danish sausages, cheeses and a rainbow of pick-me-up juices to shot, Scandi-style. Intricate made-to-order dishes include a delicate spinach waffle adorned with avocado, smoked salmon and pistachios.

Doubles from £396, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Torekov Hotell, Sweden

Doubles from £144, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

A short distance from the sea in the picturesque fishing village of Torekov, on southern Sweden’s Bjare Peninsul, Torekov Hotell is as easy on the eye as it is the skyline. The overall feeling here is one of great spaciousness: though it’s seldom visible, the ineffable sense that the ocean resides not far beyond the perimeter is pervasive. The epicentre of the complex is a quadrangle formed around a large outdoor pool and several smaller spa pools, bordered on one side by a traditional Swedish-style sauna house and by the glass walls of the restaurant on the others.

The interiors are cosy and comfortable rather than opulent, leaning into a palette of calming neutrals and soft naturalistic tones. To maximise the sense of space and seclusion, opt for a superior room. Essentially a self-contained suite with private entrance and terrace, each of these is situated in a detached villa and affords ample space, both indoors and out, in which to unwind.

The restaurant places local produce firmly at the front and centre of its offering. A tartare of golden beetroot with a wild garlic emulsion, fried potato and Havgus – a Danish cheese somewhat reminiscent of pecorino – is a great way to start and serves as something of a who’s who of the region’s natural larder. The main courses bring an international inflection to carefully sourced meat and fish: pan-fried halibut with a smoky mussel and makrut lime leaf sauce is as gutsy as it sounds. Also noteworthy is an extensive list of non-alcoholic drinks, majoring on local fruit juices (äppelmust is indeed a must in these parts), ferments and fresh and zingy alcohol-free cocktails.

There is a range of packages on offer here – from spa packages with unadulterated relaxation in mind, to those built around activities such as golf, hiking and boat trips to nearby islands, many of which include a generous packed lunch.

Doubles from £144, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Britannia, Trondheim, Norway

Doubles from £200, check rates and availability at booking.com or britannia.no.

Heritage hotel Britannia is set in the centre of Trondheim and its striking surrounding fjords. Every corner of this luxuriously renovated building is coated in opulence – chandeliers suspended from high ceilings, gold-adorned columns rising from polished floors and an iconic mirror-lined marble staircase.

The rooms ooze character, with original cornicing, high ceilings and large windows modernised with chic grey upholstered furniture and Carrara marble bathrooms. The Hästens beds even have special mattresses made for enhancing sleep. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, the lavish penthouse Tower Suite built into the dome of the building includes a private wine cellar, grand piano and gold bathtub. Pad down to the luxurious spa to rotate between gentle laps in the heated pool, dips in the mineral waters and sessions in the three Nordic saunas, steam room and infrared cabin.

Michelin-starred Speilsalen curates a tasting menu that showcases Norwegian produce in dishes such as grouse with forest mushrooms and lingonberries or mountain char with white asparagus, enhanced with wine or juice pairings. Stylish Vinbaren specialises in small plates, including monkfish with cloudberries, and local cheeses with rye bread and apple purée, while Jonathan Grill offers an interactive, Japanese-style grill-at-the-table experience.

Taken in historic 1918 dining hall Palmehaven, the breakfast buffet groans with delicacies, all homemade or curated from Trøndersk producers. Think warm cinnamon buns, local cured meats and cheeses, honey from hives on the hotel’s roof, house-cured salmon and cold-pressed apple juice from Braattan Gaard farm. Cooked-to-order dishes include seasonal chia pudding, house-cured ham and Norvegia cheese on frisée salad, and fluffy Norwegian pancakes topped with brown cheese, cream and caramelised hazelnuts.

Doubles from £200, check rates and availability at booking.com or britannia.no.

Lådfabriken B&B, Orust, Sweden

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

An hour north from Gothenburg lies West Sweden’s Bohuslän coast, a series of islands and peninsulas home to fishing villages strung between rugged rocks. On the very western peninsula of Orust island sunshine bounces around quirky, colourful fish crate factory turned B&B, Lådfabriken.

There are four unique rooms, plus the EKO Tiny House nestled in the cherry, almond and walnut trees of the waterside garden. Split over two levels, it’s a serene, secluded spot to gaze across the Skagerrak Sea at sunset. Owners Johan and Marcel serve family-style dinners such as cod fillets in buttery leek sauce and ‘East meets West’ coconut and lemongrass fish soup using catch of the day via Larsson’s fish shop in nearby Mollösund. When in season, there is lobster soup on the menu and evenings dedicated to oyster shucking. Breakfast is a similarly homely affair, seeing the table laden with priest cheese, Swedish emmental, Leksands crackers and an array of homemade preserves – rosehip marmalade, cowberry, lingonberry, and more.

During the day, take a kayak out on the crystal clear water, go wild swimming in the archipelago, kick back with a book on a deck chair in the rocky garden, or clamber over rocks following blue dots to the picture postcard Swedish hamlet of Edshultshall. Here, among red and white clapboard houses, families gather around barbecues on little jetties outside their boathouses. Guests all receive a pick-up stick on check in and are encouraged to join the owners in their #5minutesbeachcleanup initiative to sustain local ecosystems.

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Hotel Brosundet, Ålesund, Norway

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The motto for this waterside boutique hotel is “curated luxury, the Norwegian way”. Set amid Norway’s striking fjords, Brosundet is housed in converted warehouses perched on a cobblestone walkway beside Ålesund’s main waterway. Design geeks will love the unique features and original round windows of the loft suites as well as the one-room suite in the working lighthouse and the dramatic lobby fireplace that spans four floors.

Each of the 131 rooms is unique but all are simply styled in soft, muted tones with contemporary bathrooms kitted out with Norwegian argan oil skincare brand Sprekenhus. Ground-floor brasserie Apotekergata No 5 focusses on flavours from the Sunnmøre region and spills out onto a renovated barge outside for alfresco dining on the water as sailboats slide past. Arkivet Bar gets its name from a local fish oil business and these days serves old-school classic cocktails with contemporary Nordic twists.

Start the day with a curated breakfast buffet of Norwegian cheese, smoked fish, homemade pastries and Jacu coffee roasted in the same town. Pick up fresh sandwiches and cardamom knots from the on-site corner shop and head out on an adventure into the fjords for kayaking, fishing and sea wildlife safaris. Reward your activities with a reservation at the hotel’s sophisticated bistro Sjøbua round the corner. Try local delicacies such as lobster bisque, grilled Sterling halibut with Norwegian cabbage and Røros sirloin aged at the bottom of the sea for 21 days. On Saturdays, there are Norwegian tea dances accompanied by live piano.

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Hotel Alexandra, Copenhagen, Denmark

Doubles from £125, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

For a primer on mid-century Danish design that’s almost as good as a trip to Copenhagen’s Design Museum, book a room at stylish Hotel Alexandra. The hotel owner has curated pieces built in Denmark in the 1950s and ‘60s, so the bedrooms’ wooden floorboards and large windows form the perfect backdrop to a collection of rattan headboards, graphic turquoise armchairs and wooden writing desks.

The stylish lobby area doubles up as an all-day hangout, with an honesty bar, complimentary wine hour and a record player ready to play the hotel’s selection of vinyl. In the morning, head down to connected bistro Godtfolk and create your own breakfast wheels from the continental buffet laid out in the conservatory – dill gravalax, Danish sausages, holey cheeses and slices of seeded, malty rye.

The hotel is perfectly situated for exploring all of Copenhagen’s foodie neighbourhoods in one weekend, with Vesterbro’s Meatpacking District 15 minutes’ walk West, Torvehallerne food market a brisk 10-minute walk through Ørsteds Park, and Tivoli and the train station less than 500m away.

Doubles from £125, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Breakfast plate at Cafe Granola Copenhagen

Fjaerland Fjordstove, Norway

Doubles from £245, check availability at booking.com

Bedrooms are slightly on the spartan (and, in some cases, small) side at this friendly, family-run hotel in Norway but staying here is all about the fjord and the food.

Owner Bård fishes for trout and mackerel straight from the balcony overlooking the spectacular Sognefjord and locally-caught halibut and monkfish (fished at depths of up to 500m) are regularly on the menu (and sometimes cooked over the large outdoor fire pit). Hardcore fish fans can enjoy mackerel in tomato sauce and sour herring for breakfast, as well as waffles and brunost “brown cheese”, a sort of caramelised cheese that’s beloved of Norwegians but an acquired taste for most of the rest of us. Deer, honey, vegetables and dairy are sourced locally and herbs come from the hotel’s own garden.

Doubles from £245, check availability at booking.com

Living room with a view of a lake, Fjaerland Fjordstove, Norway

Lysebu, Oslo, Norway

Doubles from £202, check availability at booking.com

Save this one for a winter getaway. At this city hotel in the Norwegian capital, you can ski by day and dip into Oslo’s burgeoning foodie scene by night, including the likes of three Michelin-starred Maaemo. Lysebu Hotel is in Oslo’s Holmenkollen neighbourhood and is one of Norway’s most historic hotels – it was created from a clutch of traditional buildings designed by Norwegian architect, Magnus Poulsson, in 1916. Now owned by The Fund for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation, Lysebu and its restaurant garner plenty of praise among regulars.

The restaurant’s seasonal, Scandi-inspired menus are one reason for a night in. Try cured Arctic char, or veal and porcini mushrooms in a roasted garlic sauce.

The city’s most accessible ski resort, Vinterpark, is just 30 minutes outside the city centre and is accessible by metro – you can even see Oslo and its fjords from the ski lifts. There are 10km of downhill pistes and even more cross-country skiing trails (the latter is big in Norway). If you fancy an afternoon away from the slopes, you can head to the hotel’s cookery school to polish your Scandi-cooking skills.

Doubles from £202, check availability at booking.com

A Snow Covered Ski Resort. Credit: Tommy Andresen

Plus two Finland stays...

Whilst not technically part of Scandinavia, Finland offers Nordic charm that is still well worth a visit, so we couldn't resist sharing.

Hotel Lilla Roberts, Helsinki

Doubles from £145, check rates and availability at booking.com or lillaroberts.com

Located majestically amid the design district, this elegant hotel embraces a cosy feel. A wooden fireplace crackles beside a wall of birch logs, and leather chairs are perfectly placed to watch hip passers-by. Bedrooms come with cosy fur blankets, plush rugs on parquet flooring and velvet armchairs in deep plums, mustard yellows and teals. Funky touches such as elephant lamps, zebra print throws and monochrome vases tie in with the glamorous feel, and bathrooms are stocked with Neal’s Yard toiletries.

The hotel bar, Bar Lilla E, is a destination in itself for those in the know on Helsinki’s hip cocktail route. The dramatically spot-lit wooden bar (it just happens to sit next to a crackling fire) makes a stylish backdrop to a menu of Nordic-inspired cocktails.

Doubles from £145, check rates and availability at booking.com or lillaroberts.com

Billnäs Gård, Billnäs

Check rates and availability at billnasgard.fi

Take some time out at this wellbeing-focussed rural retreat just an hour’s drive or train ride from Helsinki. There’s a commitment to slow living and sustainable Finnish design principles throughout, from using natural materials that ensure low impact on the surrounding forest to the healthy Finnish-French cuisine embracing local ingredients, such as foraged mushroom soup, pickled herring with dill-flecked malt crumble and vegetarian foie gras with marinated apples.

The six rooms in the restored 1912 manor are uniquely designed – Natura’s bathroom has been built around an existing fireplace while The Nest boasts a bath looking over the garden. Start the morning with a pine tree extract shot, berry clafoutis and homemade levain bread with local pumpkin hummus. In winter, soak up the magical snowy surrounds with a day’s sledging, ice skating or cross-country skiing. Wild herb tea awaits on your return to sip under a handwoven blanket in front of the crackling fire before a session in the meditation spa and sauna.

Check rates and availability at billnasgard.fi