Once in a while you walk into a Hotel and you immediately feel at home. It just feels right. The Lydmar just worked for us on every level. The welcome and the margaritas were to die for . This rates on my scale as a 9.
This is simply a divine boutique hotel located right on the water front , next to the Grand Hotel. Its so instinctively cool. A mixture of eclectic lights and furniture that work so well though they shouldn’t strictly speaking. Everything flows smoothly from the lobby where there are bowls of apples , heart shaped wafer thin biscuits, slouch sofas and a few tables. Everything is created to make you feel welcome and chilled. Coffee table books dotted about and on the shelves that you can just take out read browse. Its all about you feeling comfortable and relaxed.
The whole atmosphere is friendly. But make no mistake the service is professional. There is nothing casual or sloppy. Candles are lit in the evening and littered everywhere giving the place a sense of intimacy. Everything is created to make you feel welcome. Within a short time of our arrival they recognised I like single espresso but Richard likes doubles. Its small touches like this that endears you to a place and makes you want to come again.
Its hotel that has loads of personality. You can just wander around flop down read , eat, drink or do nothing. Everything works. Its the kind of place where you can carry your drink from one room to another sit stand chat with friend. It has that laid back vibe that instantly makes you feel at home .
What appealed to me was the individuality of the place and top notch service. It was great going up the lift, arriving at your floor and being welcomed by a living room with sofas. It gave me such a kick I don’t really know why as its not as if we plonked down there but I liked that we could go out of our rooms and plonk ourselves. If you wanted you could just sit and pass the time away there like being in your own living room.
We had a corner room on the third floor with a simply stunning view of the sea, Palace and Gamla Stan which is the old part of the city. High ceiling gave the small room a deceptive sense of space. It was fine for our brief stay but if we were staying longer I would take a bigger room, more for the bathroom rather than the room as such as the bathroom was miniscule . Beautifully done but very very small for my liking. I like space in my bathroom and this was awkward. Nevertheless the huge windows around the room gave really stunning views . It was pure magic.
Aside from the sensational margaritas and I make a point of testing then everywhere I go , the food here was seriously good. A mix of comfort and sophistication. We loved the restaurant so much that we ended up eating there all the time which is so not us but frankly when something works on every level why not? I had great oysters fabulous fish divine rib eye and a delicious de constructed apple crumble. Big comfy arm chairs great service blend in to make you feel chilled. The one thing I would have liked to see is freshly squeezed juices at breakfast but I expect that had I asked for one they would have obligingly made me one. Its that kind of place.
I loved this hotel and am looking forward to going again.
Mona Moments 