A modern hotel in Vasastan, with minimalist, comfortable rooms, an on-site Vana Spa, and two dining options in the building. It’s a calm, upscale base around Vanadisplan, with a neighborhood feel and easy access toward Hagaparken.
How was your first impression?
On paper, Elite Palace Hotel has most things covered: a calm location in Vasastan, a spa on-site, two dining options in the building, and a lobby that feels like an inviting place to linger. The reality is more nuanced. Some of it genuinely delivers. Some of it falls short in ways you wouldn’t expect from a four-star property. Here’s what you should know before you book.
Our first impression was that it’s clean and modern, with a calm, airy feel. It’s also close enough to the northern part of the city center that it still feels central, without being right in the middle of the busiest areas.
Tell us about the scene and the crowd. What’s the vibe like?
The lounge is spacious, with a bar and plenty of seating, so it feels more like a bar/restaurant/lounge mix than a typical hotel lobby. The atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed. The crowd felt mixed, but overall more adult and grown-up, not rowdy or party-focused.
Let’s cut to the chase: how’s the room? Cozy, chic, or just meh?
The room itself was fine, but we ran into a big issue with the heating. Strangely, the temperature felt normal during the day when we checked in (around 3–5 pm). But when we came back later that night (around 9–10 pm), the room was really cold.
There was a digital thermostat on the wall, but adjusting it didn’t seem to do anything. When we went down to reception, the response was a bit blasé – “Yeah, that happens sometimes” – and the solution was a portable heater for the room. Someone brought it up quickly, which we appreciated. But at a four-star hotel, guests shouldn’t have to ask. A simple heads-up at check-in and a proactive offer would go a long way.
The heater itself was a small, basic one; the kind you’d pick up at Clas Ohlson, the Swedish home and hardware store. It eventually did the job, but the hours before bed were pretty unpleasant.
Aside from that, the room was okay. It felt a bit tight, mainly because the bed took up most of the space, but it was still totally workable.
Be honest: is the bathroom more “spa goals” or “avoid eye contact with the mirror”?
It’s a good size, tiled floor to ceiling in warm travertine stone. That sandy, honey-beige finish that sits somewhere between marble and natural wood, but feels distinctly its own thing. It gives the room a calm, spa-adjacent quality that works well with the Vana Spa downstairs. The shower is a proper glass-enclosed corner unit with a backlit mirror, chrome fixtures throughout, and enough space to actually move around. One complaint: the water pressure in the shower was noticeably weak, which is a minor but real frustration when you’re paying four-star prices. Otherwise, no complaints. And a small detail we truly appreciated: the bathroom door was a normal door, not a glass door (if you’ve read some of our other reviews, you’ll know this is one of our hotel pet peeves).
Let’s talk perks: minibar treasures, toiletries you want to hoard – any keepers?
The minibar is tucked inside a slate-blue cabinet with white geometric trim. It had the same design language as the wardrobe across the room, which gives it a more considered feel than the usual fridge-under-the-desk setup. Open the doors and you get the full picture: the fridge on one side, and on the other a kettle, proper coffee cups, and wine glasses on a small shelf. It’s a nicer arrangement than most.
The fridge itself had a decent selection: water, a Carlsberg beer, a glass-bottle Coca-Cola, a small Cava, Red Bull, a bag of crisps, and a few mini spirits. Nothing surprising, but the glass-bottle Coke is a small touch that signals a bit more care than the usual plastic minibar lineup.
Beyond the basics, there weren’t really any standout toiletries.
Did breakfast hit the spot?
Breakfast was a strong point. There’s a big selection and plenty of space to sit. It does get noticeably busier and louder after around 8 am when more guests show up, but nothing out of the ordinary for a hotel breakfast.
This is honestly one of the bigger breakfast spreads we’ve seen at a Stockholm hotel, so if breakfast variety matters to you, this is a real plus. The only small downside: the staff didn’t really clear plates while people were still eating. They seemed to wait until you had completely finished and left the table. It’s a minor thing and didn’t ruin the experience. Overall, you probably won’t be disappointed with the breakfast.
What’s the bonus round here? Think gyms, pools, spa magic, or even parking perks – anything worth a shout-out?
Vana Spa is a big highlight. It’s a really nice small spa: calm, relaxing, and not crowded, which is exactly what you want. We’d happily go back, and it’s also a plus that hotel guests get a small discount.
The verdict: should we book it? And why – or why not?
The biggest letdown for us was the restaurant experience at Panza, which is connected to the hotel. Everything took a very long time, course by course. The staff also felt inexperienced, and a couple of interactions were just odd for a place that’s connected to a four-star hotel. One staff member felt stressed and rushed: they asked one of us what we wanted for dessert and then disappeared before both of us had even had the chance to answer. Another wasn’t rude exactly, but gave off a clear “I don’t want to be here today” vibe. Everyone can have a bad day, of course, but hospitality still needs a certain baseline.
To be fair, it’s possible the hotel is only affiliated with the restaurant and doesn’t fully control it. But if the hotel promotes it as part of the experience, it still reflects on the overall stay. We didn’t try The Bishops Arms (the other option in the building), but honestly, we wished afterward that we had.
Between the heating problem (and the unclear, slightly dismissive attitude around it) and the restaurant not being up to standard, it made us question the overall management. Because of that, this wouldn’t be our first choice.
That said, the hotel has a lot going for it: it’s in a convenient location, it feels modern and spacious, and the spa is genuinely great. And it’s also a nice bonus that the hotel is relatively close to Hagaparken. The heating issue might also be less of a problem in summer (as long as the ventilation and AC work well when it’s warm). And there are plenty of restaurants nearby, so you can easily eat elsewhere.
So, if you mainly want a comfortable base with a good breakfast and you plan to use Vana Spa, this hotel could still be a very solid option. For us, though, the issues were significant enough that we’d rather stay somewhere else, even if that means paying full price to visit the spa separately.
