Please, don’t get misled by the proportions. The room is waaay bigger than it looks in the photo above. Look again – that’s a very queen-sized bed in the middle!

Plus: Large bathroom. Minus: Warm? Cold? Something in between? It took quite some experimenting, a few trials plus a few errors. The mixer is too complicated, if you ask me.

Every UK hotel should have this: A way for Scandinavians and everyone else isolated in continental Europe to avoid silly adapters – an easy-to-find socket with Euro-plugs.

Nice area. Nice lobby area where you’ll work, have yourself a cup of coffee or a light lunch. The Caesar salad may not be too memorable but the staff is attentive and nice.

A tiny bit of Kensington Hotel exterior for your viewing pleasure. Meticulously renovated. So is it Gregorian or Victorian style? Ho-hum, I will have to get back to you on that one…

This hotel may be the answer…
People ask me about hotels. That is all cool. That was actually the reason why Guidebook.se was started in the first place. But one question is being asked more often than others: ”Can you recommend a good hotel in London?” Though one, yes. Often with the follow-up: ”…a hotel that isn’t dirt expensive?” Honestly, I’ve not always been able to come up with a proper answer. That, however, may be about to change. Please, do read on.

Quite the combination:
I immediately liked the place. For doing so I had plenty of reasons: The doormen were of the chattier kind. Front desk was nothing but smiles. Check-in was swift and hassle free. I got myself an upgrade. The lobby was a pleasant place for hanging out. The entire place felt vibrant, although it wasn’t crowded. There are 149 rooms of which 22 are suites. Speaking of rooms; mine was nice. Not overly glitzy or modern. Just nice. It was also clean as a whistle although it came with a few visible dents. Look at the photo above! When you get to grips with the image’s proportions, you will realize why I gladly call it spacious.

Is there a catch?
Yes, there is one. This corner of Kensington is not Piccadilly Circus. In other words; if ‘central’ is a must, stay elsewhere. But keep in mind that good/clean in combination with low price and central location is not a combo that you will find just like that. If I had to give one of those up, I’d ditch the ‘central location’ criteria any day. Plus; what’s central London anyway? By now, I’ve been in the city many times (well over 30) and I may have passed the place with the many illuminated signs maybe three times. Mind you, that the Kensington Hotel is located some 321.87 meters from the South Kensington tube station,

Did you hear that? You’re not exactly in the burbs. In fact, you’re only 4 tube stops away from the little statue of Anteros (I was about to joke about this little Greek god with ”long hair and plumed butterfly wings” but the stuff I read on Wikipedia was so twisted that I decided not to).

The Kensington Hotel
109-113 Queen’s Gate
London SW75LR
United Kingdom

+44-207-589-6300

Click here to book The Kensington Hotel through TabletHotels.com!

Closest tube station: South Kensington – walking distance 321 meters (0.2 miles).

Large room designed by Christian Liaigre. Large bed designed by Christian Liaigre. Yep. Living large at the Mercer in one of the hotel’s 75 roomy rooms.

My Mercer hotel room shot from another angle. Everything is easy to find. The door is in the corner. The door to the bathroom is in the middle.

Impressive! I’ve stayed in rooms smaller than this bathroom! And just look at them not-so-small bottles from Face Stockholm. So nice to notice for this Swedish reviewer!

Street view: Mercer and Prince. Across the window: A store featuring the world’s most expensive skateboard ramp, designed by Rem Koolhaas and coming with a 40 million USD-pricetag.

The exterior. Romanesque revival features like the semi-circular arches aren’t visible. Also not visible, but only feet away from where I’m standing: One of SoHo’s original joints. It’s been named Fanelli’s since 1922. Come here for the burgers and the grumpy staff.

Here we can all enjoy our 1.5 seconds of fame.
You enter the Mercer lobby and every single person on the premises will discreetly look your way. Quick scan while trying to determine whether this schmuck is someone or a nobody? You’ll soon see a pattern. Women in shades get the longest looks. Didn’t she look just like Scarlett? Wasn’t that the girl, you know… who played the schoolmistress in that movie made by the guy… or maybe the other guy… you know? Nondescript guys in their 40s (like myself) come in second, as we might very well be the aforementioned other guy or that European guy recently featured in Variety. A-listers won’t receive as much of the staring time as I do, as everybody will pretend to not look at a Clooney or a Crowe. So that’s that. With the Ulmer Scale out of the way, let’s now focus on the hotel.

The reason for staying here: Service!
Early check-in – no problem. Late check-out – no problem. No requests were handled as problems. They were handled with a smile. But on the other hand, I didn’t request them to send a pink grand piano to my room or that all the corridors would be repainted in pistage green. In all seriousness, the doormen and the staff at the front desk are better than great. And yes, you do pay a premium at the Mercer but not only will you get more and better service than elsewhere; you will also get more room. The hotel claims to be ”The first hotel to offer an authentic taste of loft living…” and I sort of agree. Take your regular-sized Manhattan hotel room and enlarge it 1.75 times and you’ll get the idea. Rooms are roomy.

”Open soonish” became an industry joke.
French designer Christian Liaigre made his reputation as an interiors minimalist with the wenge-wood-heavy decor for this hotel. Even though Liaigre has now updated some of the designs, pretty much of it remains unchanged. Hotelier André Balazs bought the property in 1989 and expected it to open in 1992, but due to engineering problems, the murder of a construction manager and some Japanese investors changing their minds, it took five extra years before the first guests were checking in.
But it’s the location and service that you will write home about. Not the design. Efforts have been made to create a subtle and functional design but it’s not glitzy, overly modern or funky. It just works. Also, the place is impeccably maintained. Dents and scratches are nowhere to be found, (Hey, 60 Thompson-management! Make a note of that!). If I can afford it, I’ll stay here often. That’s how good (and expensive) it is.

Bonus service: For a fee the hotel will take your dog for a walk.

The Mercer
147 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012
United States

+1-212-966-6060

Click here to book the Mercer Hotel through TabletHotels.com!

And while we’re at it: The restaurant in the basement, the Mercer Kitchen is still a busy place. I haven’t eaten there since 2000 but it remains under Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s wings. Even today, thirteen years later, I remember the crazy ravioli I had. If you’re lucky, it’s still on the menu.

Thomas O’Brien’s interior design of 60 Thompson. It will be interesting to see what the renovations will do to the rooms. In all fairness; they do need an overhaul.

Numerous celebrities have stayed at the 60 Thompson. One website lists Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera. Maybe they shat here. Or maybe they shat in the Thompson suite.

There’s a vintage phone from Sweden in the lobby: The Cobra, designed by Ralph Lysell and Gösta Thames. Launched in 1956. Over 2 millions of these reptiles were sold.

The exterior of the 60 Thompson Hotel. It should be noted that those graffiti letters weren’t part of the original design.

Can’t say I was excited…
The 60 Thompson was never a very spectacular hotel. It didn’t have the grand façade of the Soho Grand and it didn’t have the spectacular lobby of the Hudson. Still, after its opening on September 11 in 2001, it quickly established itself as a very busy after-work scene. I was highly surprised when I stayed here for the first time in a year after its opening and I’ve been just as surprised on later occasions. On check-in almost exactly eleven years later, I’m stepping out of a time machine… it really feels like the clocks stopped in the early 00s.

Because first impressions last.
Entering one of the 100 rooms does nothing to change that first impression. It’s certainly not unpleasant but it certainly feels like yesterday. OK, I’ll be fair; the TV is flat and there’s an iPod dock on the sideboard (haven’t touched my iPod after 2006). Taking a second look. There’s a shower curtain in the bathroom. How 96-ish! Also, some of the furniture looks like it has survived a few in-room parties. It’s clean but jaded. Thomas O’Brien did a decent job on the interior but this place needs a facelift. Renovations have just started (April 2013).

What draws people to this place?
I don’t have scientific proof to back this up, but what keeps the 60 Thompson running is its staff. Doormen are friendly. Front desk will deliver smiles even though they are busy. The bartenders at Thom know their stuff. That could be the reason why it maintains its position as a after-work spot and then gradually transforms into a party spot. Returning to the hotel after a dinner makes you wonder if you’re in the right place. It’s surprisingly lively. Therefore, avoid the lower floors but don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy a little bit of the The rooftop is occupied by A60, a members-only bar (hotel guests gain access to it by their key card).

“If you call us a boutique hotel chain, I’m going to scream…”
Those are the words of Michael Pomeranc, the eldest of the brothers who run the 60 Thompson hotel. But a boutique hotel is just what the 60 Thompson is. The brothers would prefer to label their company ”a small luxury hotel group”. But this place is not about luxury. It’s a slightly jaded but well-managed. Rates mean you need to flex that plastic (yes, a tad expensive for what you get) and I would certainly wait until renovations are finished in August 2013 before booking myself in for another stay. Perhaps it will shine once again, or maybe it will just remain that competent, understated place with two Swedish cobra telephones in the lobby…

Renovations? Yes, during 2013, the 60 Thompson hotel will be undergoing a facelift (ground floor, lobby, and rooms) from April 23rd-August 1st. The hotel is working to ”ensure minimal disturbances to guest’s stays during this time”. Or so they say.

60 Thompson
60 Thompson St.
New York, NY 10012
United States

+1-212-431-0400

Click here to book the 60 Thompson hotel through TabletHotels.com!

First walk through the temple, then look for the little green sign. OK? Then proceed into the alley, yes? See the other sign? Good. You’re there.

Dear guests, welcome to Loy La Long. Not your ordinary hotel and not your ordinary front desk/reception area.

The blue room, sometimes referred to as room #5. Comes with your own, private balcony. Recommended.

Wanna stay on the 1st floor in a corner room with a river view? Boy, have we got the room for you! This is the black room, also known as room # 2.

Fancy that! Shower gel and hot weather talc in the orange room’s bathroom. And honestly, how can you not be fascinated by the little tin jar with the Snake Brand-logo?

A rocking chair. A deck. A tiny table. A flower-pot. A river view of the Chao Phraya. Why complicate things? What more do you need? I mean, honestly?

See the two hammocks? That’s the most unique feature of Loy La Long.

Saravuth, the owner is on duty. And he’s one friendly dude who left the advertising industry to open Loy La Long. I’ve been in the advertising business for two decades now and, Saravuth, I’m jealous.

Look over there! An old teak house! Looks like it’s 100 years old! It’s only about 30, though!

Much better than advertising.
Honestly, no advertising will do it justice. Which in this case should not be taken as an insult. Saravuth, one of the owners of Loy La Long, used to be in advertising. He left the business to turn a concept into reality and a dream concept it is: A teak house, located in the Patumkongka Rachaworawiharn temple area, so close to the river that you may have to swim if you exit one of the hammocks on the wrong side. Staying here means that you will always note what’s happening on the Chao Phraya; long-tail boats, express commuter boats, barges being towed upstream and an occasional monitor lizard swimming by…

A hotel that almost floats on the river.
It’s not a huge place. Seven rooms on two floors. Both floors have their own deck. The upper comes with a rocking chair outside. The lower has two hammocks suspended where the wood meets the water. I’m not sure which department Saravuth worked in at Ogilvy & Mather in Bangkok, but everything looks like an Art Director’s dream; as there have been several stylists at work. Little funky interior twists are everywhere – like the jar of hot weather talc in the bathroom, bearing the Snake Brand logo.

Ask for green, black, orange or blue.
Those are the colors of the rooms that comes with a river view. Green is a suite. Blue comes with its own private balcony. I realize that I’ve already used the word river more than half a dozen times in this review, but Loy La Long and the river are like Amos and Andy, Chip and Dale, or Dupond and Dupont… It’s actually so affected by the river that you can’t put your shoes just anywhere. Parts of the building may be flooded at times. Only weeks before the hotel was about to open its doors, the Chao Phraya river decided to remind the owners just where they were at. The hotel appeared in news segments, reporters wading in water.

I’d call it a hotel.
I’m not sure it should be called a hotel. It has no business center, the front desk doubles as bar and kitchen and you can’t tell your limo driver to stop outside. Some say it’s a guesthouse. Others call it a B&B. I’d just say it’s a quite unique hotel experience. The staff and the location is why you should come here and, oh… while we’re at it: The place won’t break your bank. Any drawbacks? Not really. Bathrooms aren’t dreams of marble. The place gets fully booked rather quickly. And before having a few drinks, make sure to write down the name Patumkongka Rachaworawiharn. The name of that gosh darn temple is hard enough to pronounce, even when you’re 100 percent sober…

Loy La Long Hotel
1620/2 Song Wat Road
(inside Patumkongka Rachaworawiharn Temple)
Sampanthawong, Bangkok, 10100
Thailand

+662-639-1390
+6689-133-1131 (Mobile)
+6689-454-1414 (Mobile)

The Fangstmannshotellet is located in the very heart of the not so densely planned Longyearbyen – or The Basecamp Explorer Trapper Hotel if you click on the English flag.

A regular room at the Basecamp Explorer, I suppose. Cozy, but not exactly a huge space. In fact, there’s room for three, if you are brave enough to use ladder to the loft.

Dear valued guests, please sleep over there… Yes, in that crammed little corner space. Absolutely, those are your beds, that’s correct.

Behind the door in the previous picture: The bathroom of room #10. With photo wallpapers and all. And when you got the hang of it: Hot water.

The Fangstmannshotellet is playing on their trapper image. Here’s the breakfast room (sometimes doubling as dining room). The white thing on the wall is not a velvet poster.

These tiny pieces of meat once belonged to a swimming mammal. It’s whale. Smoked mink whale. And I hate myself for writing this, but… it WAS delicious.

I arrived with an opinion. Shame on me.
Perhaps I should clarify, I didn’t arrive with an opinion about the hotel, but about Norwegian hospitality. Our friends and neighbors have had at least 25 years to impress me, but failed miserably. But on arrival to this hotel I instantly felt genuinely welcome! Yes… in Norway! If the Basecamp Explorer is a sign of the days to come – it’s a good sign. However, you won’t find the Basecamp Trapper’s Hotel on the Norwegian mainland. It’s situated right at the heart of Longyearbyen, north of the 78th parallel but it’s still managed and manned by Norwegians.

Sleeping like a log surrounded by… logs.
”…decorated in traditional trapper’s style” they say on their website. Very true, it’s more rustic than most. One guide also told me that the founder of this hotel ”borrowed” a lot of wood from the former mining settlement in Coles Bay. It might just be true. Much of the lodge seems to be constructed by real driftwood. It could look Disney-ish, but it doesn’t.
Rooms are nice (and of course rustic) not very spacious. The relative lack of space is OK. Worse is that they don’t offer you a lot of opportunities to store your stuff. Clothes will be piling up if you don’t maintain an almost military discipline. Room for improvement, dear Basecamp!

Saves the morning: Waffles!
Breakfast is what separates a good hotel from a great hotel and at the Basecamp Explorer they know how to pull it off. The expected selection of bread, cereal and juice is there along with various kinds of ham, cheese and even herring. Omelette or scrambled eggs? Fo’sho. And… Tadaa! Waffles! You will have to work the waffle iron yourself, but I don’t see it as a disadvantage. The breakfast may get a little crowded despite the relatively small size of the hotel, so sound the reveille early.
The restaurant Kroa shares the building with the hotel. You’ll get there through a convenient connecting door. The staff is very friendly and you’ll be able to feast on smoked mink whale (see above) and shellfish soup before attacking the catch of the day.

No television in the rooms?
This is not the place for those of you who’d like to follow Snooki’s adventures on the Jersey Shore but WiFi is free (waaay better than television, if you ask me). Also, there are no minibar in the room but free coffee and cookies in the lobby. As long as you adapt to the Longyearbyen tradition of taking of your shoes off, leaving them in the reception, you will feel very much at home at the Fangstmannshotellet. Most good vibes at this hotel can be traced back to its most valuable asset: The staff. A very special thanks goes to Marthe, who could definitely teach the folks at the nearby Radisson hotel a thing or two. She and her team showed that there’s hope for Norwegian hospitality. Yes, yes y’all and you don’t stop. Y’all definitely proved that.

For the record: Hunting whales is a highly primitive and irresponsible act and should be banned permanently.

Basecamp Spitsbergen
P.O.Box 316
9171 Longyearbyen
Norway

+47-7902-4600

The Peninsula at night. It measures 495 ft or 151 meters in height and has a nifty little heli-pad on the rooftop.

View from a room: The river. The State Tower with its golden dome. The Shangri-La Hotel. Could be much worse.

Spacious. Extremely well thought out. And a bed made to almost military perfection.

The sleeping area shot from a different angle. Prior to taking this pic, I picked up a dead cockroach from the floor. The insect proved me with some kind of relief: A sign of life!

It’s actually way, way larger than it looks in this picture: My bathroom. It had everything. Tub. Shower. WC behind frosted glass. Plus; every amenity you could ever think of.

It’s not that common for me to take pictures of closets in hotel rooms. The Peninsula Hotel was a notable exception. It was also a very large closet.

Outdoor dining? Fo’sho! The Thiptara restaurant. Its greatest advantage: It doesn’t at all feel like you’re dining in a huge metropolis. The food is much better than OK as well.

Let’s start with some fair and balanced reporting here…
Several times while writing this, I’ve asked myself: How grumpy should I get? How can I not just appreciate perfection? If this was an objective review, the Peninsula should get a higher rating. It really should. I’ve rarely stayed at a place where everything has been so incredibly well thought-out. Every little detail in every room is designed, fitted and positioned for your convenience. That’s good. All rooms come with a river view. That’s good. A little connector for a pair of headphones is placed just behind the couch, should you feel like watching TV while your roommate wants to sleep. That’s good. And so the list goes on…

Even the location is close to perfect.
The view from my room on the 18th floor is a killer. I also have a small balcony. The pool area is incredibly wet and offers several options for you to plunge into. The bar near the water is exactly where I should put a bar, had I been the architect. The Thiptara restaurant is way better than most (TripAdvisor-ranking: # 88 out of 5,350 restaurants in Bangkok). The hotel is racking up good things and still I am only giving it three lousy stars!?
I’m trying to find imperfection. I don’t find it until I’m searching for an outlet to charge my laptop. By accident I open a panel marked ‘fax’ by the writing desk in my room. There’s the fax. There are a number of outlets and there’s also… a tiny cockroach. Dead. But it’s most definitely there. Instead of disgust, I feel somewhat relieved. Almost a sign of life. A pity it had to end through the effects of a strong insecticide.

It’s problem: Being too well thought-out and aiming to be too… perfect.
I’m trying to put my finger on it, but… this hotel is like a German manufacturer of house appliances. It opened its doors in 1998 but it still looks shiny brand new. Don’t get me wrong, I choose a squeaky-clean over a dirty one every day, but I tend to avoid perfection that is approaching the antiseptic. The Peninsula works so hard on achieving perfection, that members of the staff lose their warmth. They’re on duty. Perfectly drilled but… no, I am not buying into the concept completely.
On arrival a jazz band were playing in the lobby. They weren’t that good but they, along with the cockroach, proved to be some necessary dents in the Peninsula perfect paintwork. It’s still a very good hotel, rated # 4 out of 718 Bangkok hotels. It’s just happens to be not entirely my kind of Bangkok hotel.

The Peninsula Bangkok
‪333 Charoennakorn Road
Klongsan, Bangkok 10600
Thailand‬

+662-861-2888

– – – – – 

Not collecting any awards for exterior design. Behind the trees to the right, there’s the tiny original building from 1876 combined with what looks like a hospital from circa 1974.

In this photo it resembles a pimped up airport terminal but you will feel nothing but welcome when entering the spacious lobby at the Mandarin Oriental. No stuffiness here!

Here we are in room #912, a west-facing corner suite, meaning that it’s slightly larger, slightly more fancy with a very, ahem… multi-colored carpet, like someone tore up a bag of Bassett’s Liquorice Allsorts.

Feel the flow! Just let the words come to ya! An inspiration for any writer; brownish water, commuter boats and an occasional piece of junk floating by every now and then.

Big is sometimes beautiful and the folks at the Mandarin Oriental knows: Big bathroom is beautiful bathroom where the shower shares the same compartment as the WC, (no worries, they are divided by a glass wall).

Are you too suffering from CESB, compulsive excessive sandwich behaviour? When the going gets tough, you will still have eight different types of marmalade to choose from…

All hail the chefs! There are at least half a dozen of them delivering anything from omelette at 7 AM to teppanyaki at 11 PM on the Riverside Terrace at the Mandarin Oriental.

The Authors’ Lounge, named after all the authors who have stayed here since 1876. So, anyone fancy a nice cup of tea?

This hotel was my first glimpse of Thailand.
A gentle driver in a long white coat, sporting a matching uniform cap the size of a family pizza, sliding the door open to his Toyota Ventury Majesty, offering bottles of chilled hotel branded mineral water to tired travelers. Twenty-five minutes later, I’m in the lobby of one of the most friendly places on earth. An hour later I’ve crossed the river. I’m in the Mandarin Oriental spa, getting an outstanding massage. Life could definitely be worse.

Anyone for breakfast?
Behind the counter of the Riverside Terrace the soccer team-strong band of chefs will cook you anything from pancakes to miso soup. The selection is rather impressive: Eight different types of marmalade. Fifteen or so different kinds of juices. A seemingly endless selection of cereal and then there’s the bread… They even offer you cold or iced chocolate (with ice cubes), iced tea and smoothies and frosties made to order. Make no mistake, among hotel breakfasts this hotel breakfast is in the elite hotel breakfast league.

There are numerous hotels in the neighborhood. Why is this different?
The original building, making it Thailand’s oldest hotel, is now called the Authors’ Wing. A few large suites are still there, but you are more likely to enter that part of the hotel for afternoon high tea, a private event or a very expensive handbag. Their more recent wings look a little bit like a Swedish hospital, circa 1974.
Their reason-to-be is their impressive 1,300 staff catering to 396 rooms. No, that’s not a typo. You’re loking at the highest staff to guest ratio in the industry. Most work there for 16 years on average and they do know service. The fact that out little group is arriving just minutes after sunrise isn’t turned into a problem. They don’t even mention their actual check-in time. They just make us all feel very, very welcome.

Who is it for?
I’d say the Mandarin Oriental is for everyone. Despite its high rankings and its touch of money, fame and royalty it doesn’t feel like a discriminating place. There’s room for disappointment if you enjoy very modernist spaces. You will not be taken away by the interior design (rooms are fine without being overly traditional, but you will remember the view from the balcony, rather than any special details).
Breakfast aside, what will make you fall in love with the Mandarin Oriental, is the charming staff. The lady, probably in her late 50s, who was our butler on the ninth floor, remembered names and never stopped smiling. I honestly, seriously believe those smiles came from the inner regions of her heart.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
48 Oriental Ave,
Bangkok 10500, Thailand ‬(Bang Rak)

+662-659-9000

Click here to book the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok through TabletHotels.com!

Shake no saikyouyaki – 鮭の西京焼 – my favorite at the Blue Light Yokohama – salmon marinated in sweet miso soup and sake, sweet and salty at the same time.

A restaurant’s relationship with their miso soup is a sign of their culinary ambitions… Often miso in Stockholm means dirty sea-water. At BLY, it means perfection.

A pre-tatsuta warm-up. Left: Shrimps on glass noodles. Right: A slice of mackerel + an abused piece of shrimp on vegetables.

Chicken tatsuta – チキン竜田揚げ – chicken, sprinkled with Japanese katakuro-ko (potato starch) before being deep-fried. This is the item on their menu that was most often getting ”I want more of that”-orders last year. And it’s certainly addictive.

The chef’s salmon variations. From left to right: Nigiri Svennebanan-style (don’t ask), sushi gunkan style with ikura (salmon roe that has been cured in soy sauce), a shake roll with (again) ikura, and a nigiri with grilled salmon. High quality but no surprises.

Fourteen little pieces. Selected by your chef. Fourteen quite little pieces that tasted fine, I should say. Just say 松 and enjoy!

Yakiniku in a small pan with some crispy salad, bulgogi-style. Simple! Super!

This sorbet is up there with the best of them, (and I consider myself an expert). Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit provides the taste. Correct, this is very, very, very fresh!

Don’t get fooled by the nondescript exterior of Blue Light Yokohama, located on Åsögatan 170 in the Södermalm area. I’m lucky enough to live a mere three blocks away.

Since the early 90s, we’ve been hugging our little styrofoam trays…
Sweden, a tiny country at the end of the road. We, the folks inhabiting this itsy-bitsy nation always wanted to belong to the global village. In the early 90s, these ambitions was marked by raw pieces of fish on little chunks of rice.
Twenty years later, sushi has the status of pizza; a food commodity. Should you have it in Stockholm, brace yourself for mediocre food at a high price-tag. There has been very few serious attempts to claim the title ‘the best Japanese food in Stockholm’. But since mid-2011, we might have a contender.

Now, the Izakaya has arrived.
Sushi has been bad, but those of us who wanted a warm Japanese dish, haven’t been lucky either. We’ve been forced to order low quality meat, soaked in soy. For us, the arrival of Blue Light Yokohama to the Södermalm borough was a sign that The Dark Era of the Yakiniku was finally over.
After miso, I start every meal here with the Shake no saikyouyaki. This dish sends you and your palate on a mildly sweet and salty journey, enjoying a piece of salmon that ended its days being marinated in sweet miso soup and sake. I have had about a dozen of these (I live only a few blocks away from this restaurant) and so far, the texture has been perfect each time. A sensation. Trust me on that one.

That chicken didn’t die in vain.
The most ordered (and back-ordered) item on the menu is the Chicken tatsuta. These little birds were sprinkled with Japanese katakuro-ko (potato starch) before being deep-fried. Watch it! The meat is always hotter beneath the delicious little crust. It is also irresistible.
And then, there’s the abused dish that we mentioned earlier: The Yakiniku. The BLY-version is remarkably simple. Sliced entrecôte served in a small pan with some crispy salad, bulgogi-style. The secret is, of course, in the sauce, where the sweetness is carefully balanced by sake, mirin, sugar and garlic (I’m determined to get their recipe, or purchase buckets of the stuff). The meat is being gently hugged and caressed by this sauce and you will be too.

And now, back to raw fish:
Type ‘sushi’ in the Stockholm yellow pages and you’ll get 238 hits. Very few of these places have any culinary ambitions (if any at all). It should be noted that at Blue Light Yokohama you’ll find very good sushi. Not excellent sushi. Not anywhere near the dazzling performance art of Råkultur. But expect very good sushi served with respect for both ingredients and traditions. Refreshing in this city.
Speaking about serving… if there is any area where Blue Light Yokohama leaves room for improvement, it’s service. It’s often friendly but never flawless. Items continue to be forgotten, presentations are rudimental or even poor, which is a huge disadvantage as the restaurant prides itself of serving food that is ”Healthy, weird and tasty!”
And those who know me, will now be able to read between lines. Blue Light Yokohama gets four stars, despite these flaws. That, if anything, says something about how good their kitchen is.

Bonus: It should be noted that a meal here will not force you to sell your children or even your puppy dog. The value for money is nothing but excellent.

Weekdays lunch: 11.30 – 14.00
Weekdays dinner: 17.00 – 22.00
Saturdays and Sundays 12.00 – 22.00
Closed on Mondays.

Blue Light Yokohama
Åsögatan 170
116 32 Stockholm
Sweden

+46-8-644 68 00 (currently the only way to book a table)

Hotel Neiburgs from the outside. The Art Nouveau building was constructed in 1903 from the designs of the well-known Baltic German architect Wilhelm Bockslaff.

Lower floor: The surprisingly dull living room. Someone was hired to furnish a lot of space and didn’t really know what to do it. Kitchenette at one end. TV in the other.

A little WC next near the entrance of the rather spacious 2-Storey Suite. There’s also one on the top floor so that you won’t have to stumble down the stairs if nature calls…

Upper floor: Not too airy but it comes with its own air conditioning. From the foot-end of the very comfy bed, the room extends to the reading corner pictured below.

Upper floor: Instead of sealing off this part of the room, someone installed a roof window. Now it’s a reading space that on a hot day doubles as sauna.

Report from the upper floor: The ‘real’ bathroom of the 2-Storey Suite. Comes with a tub.

A little library. Complete with an Archimoon Soft floor lamp (designed by Philippe Starck in 1998) and, what is that? Are those two Ingo Maurer half-domes?

Hotel management must have done their internet homework.
When this is written, this hotel is listed on TripAdvisor as #2 in the Latvian capital. The hotel prides itself to be a ”Brand new 55-suite luxury hotel in the heart of Old Riga” as well as boasting ”friendly and hospitable service”. Behold, hotel management! It may have been one of the least enthusiastic greetings from front desk I’ve experienced in a decade. Wooosh! Star gone. I’m sent to my room with a key. ”Thanks”. Nobody cared to explain how the climate control worked. ”Thanks”. No attempts to assist with the luggage. ”Thanks”. Not even a ”Have a nice stay with us!” To be greeted is not a luxury. It’s common sense for anybody who rent out rooms per night.

The room is not a room but a suite and it’s quite ginormous.
First of all; this stunt had been impossible to pull off in, say New York or Amsterdam. This is a 90 square meter, two-storey suite at the price of a tiny bunk room in London. But it’s safe to say that they let quantity rule over quality. No exposed wooden beams can compensate for the dull-Scandinavian-business-to-business-advertising-agency-circa-2003-feel. The upper floor is cozier with a super-comfy bed and wall-to-wall carpets. However, I’m still puzzled by the reading corner at the end of the attic, (see picture above). In the summer it’s a solar-heated area where pineapple and mango would grow nicely. All in all, design is not what will attract the masses to this hotel.

At breakfast, this hotel rises from the ashes:
A nice and generous buffet! Attentive and friendly staff! A pleasantly designed space! Hadn’t it been for the loud-mouthed Russians across the restaurant, I might even have enjoyed eating there. Those folks made the phone an unnecessary invention, shouting at each other (and in their phones), just like teenage boys do. Cute. In all fairness, no hotel could insure themselves against loud guests, but every hotel manager could ask them to kindly shut their gobs. I would have intervened immediately as tattoos and ugly Dolce Gabbana jeans don’t scare me.
Some say that ”with a few more hotels of this caliber, Riga could be next in line for ‘next Prague’ status”. I don’t think so. Not yet. And if front desk at Hotel Neiburgs is a sign of the times, there may be another decade until smiles come automatically.

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And while we’re at it: Dolce Gabbana jeans. Russians seem to have a choice between a) stone-washed/almost-torn-to-pieces or b) ‘funky’ with four zippers on each leg. How could the denim market be so different? Could somebody please explain?

Hotel Neiburgs
Jauniela 25/27
LV 1050 Riga
Latvia

+371-6-7115522

Click here to book the Hotel Neiburgs through TabletHotels.com!

This historical building, built some 400 years ago, located on a small cobblestone street is home to an even smaller hotel. Renovated in 2009 by some Latvian designers who are still nameless.

View of the room. Not too big, just a bed, a writer’s desk and a bathroom. Not fancy but pretty warm and homey. Quite the novelty these days. I’m still trying to find the name of those prize-winning designers, though.

Let’s reverse the view, shall we? This living quarter, designed by price winning architects, works pretty fine for a space in the attic. If you crave more square meters, there are more spacious rooms available.

Where stars are earned and lost quickly in the hotel world. The Dome Hotel & Spa defended theirs by offering this no-nonsense bathroom, designed by you-know-who. Functional.

The kitchen chef, Alexander Ziluk, an alumnus of Vincents, the most renowned restaurant in the Baltics, apparently took a long summer vacation this year, as the restaurant failed to impress.

The 2014 European Capital of Culture had some bad luck in the past.
From 1940 to the 21st of August 1991 Latvia was under Soviet and then Nazi and then again Soviet rule. Apart from affecting itsy-bitsy things like freedom of speech, dictatorships always put and end to the hospitality industry. Unhappy citizens in a suppressed country will simply not go the extra mile for a guest or a customer, or even deliver a smile. But since the peaceful ”Singing Revolution”, Latvia has risen from the ashes in a most impressive way, and The Dome Hotel & Spa seems determined to prove just that.

Arriving here is like…
…entering somebody’s private home, although the home has a spa, a restaurant and a front desk. The Dome Hotel & Spa is delivering proof that Latvians can also smile like they mean it. If the future of Riga looks like this, it’s a bright and Colgate-shiny one.
The small size of the hotel adds to the homey atmosphere as does the interior design. You won’t find it grand, nor is it very spectacular. On their website, some ”award-winning Latvian designers” are mentioned, but they still remain nameless. In my opinion, pulling the design-card for this hotel is the wrong way to go. Our nameless friends did an OK job, but after staying here, the design is not the first thing you will tell your friends about.

But dinner wasn’t a big hit…
Expectations for the hotel restaurant were high. Kitchen chef, Alexander Ziluk, is an alumnus of Vincents, the most renowned restaurant in the Baltics. This reviewer finds it obvious that good ole Alex rewarded himself with a long summer vacation this year, as the restaurant completely failed to impress. Chef Salvis Putans seemed to have left early this evening as well. Severely overcooked and lacking the any stimulus for my sensory system. Add to that two waitresses who were successful in showing zero interest in their guests. Room for improvement, Dome!

Still recommended.
It should be said that the total experience was pleasant. In fact it was pleasant enough to let Dome Hotel & Spa keep their fourth star, despite the flaws in the restaurant. It is a small, intimate place where you be very well taken care of. It isn’t exactly cheap by Latvian standards but it will not vaporize your piggy bank either. ”Recommended” is a good word. Yes, I think I’ll use that particular word for this hotel.

Dome Hotel & Spa
4 Miesnieku Street
LV 1050 Riga
Latvia

T: +371-67-509010

Click here to book the Dome Hotel & Spa through TabletHotels.com!