What to expect: Guests enter the First Hotel Reisen from the waterfront road, ascending a small flight of stairs into a traditional lobby lounge with a maritime theme. The decor scheme is defined by polished stone floors, dark-wood panelling and Oriental lamps, and features nautical clocks, model ships and artwork with a travel theme.

Amenity highlights: Built in 1690, the vaulted cellar predates the main building by 100 years, and now functions as a relaxation suite, housing men’s and women’s saunas and a plunge pool. Guests can relax upon Chesterfield leather sofas in the informal, travel-themed bar, which also features antique furnishings from India and China. The bright, modern restaurant overlooks the waterfront and offers traditional Swedish fare, an in-house sommelier, and a humidor.

Insider tip: The hotel is sited in Gamla Stan, the historic old town, which offers winding cobbled streets, antique shops and lively nightlife ranging from gay bars and rock clubs to fine-dining restaurants. Ferry services run from the waterfront by the hotel to the Vasa Ship Museum, the museum island of Skeppsholmen and the archipelago, and ferries to Helsinki depart from a terminal 400 metres from the hotel.

What to expect: Built in 1874 the Grand Hotel is a Stockholm landmark and lies at the edge of the harbor directly opposite the Royal Palace. It was the original home of the Nobel Prize dinner and to this day Nobel laureates stay at the hotel during the annual ceremony. The gold-crested green columns in the lobby and the original oil paintings decorating the walls give an immediate sense of grandeur.

Amenity highlights: Guests can enjoy traditional Swedish fare and fantastic views in the Grand Veranda. The Grand Fitness health club offers a range of treatments, including massages, facials and wraps. The 19 meeting rooms cater for a range of functions holding up to 700 people and include the vast Venetian-style Winter Garden and the Louis XIV-inspired Hall of Mirrors.

Insider tip: Visitors should take a look in the Grandezza newsletter that is left in every room. Here can be found a copy of some of the guest book signatures of famous people to have stayed at the hotel over the years. The sample displayed changes every quarter but over the years has included Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Clint Eastwood, Margaret Thatcher, and of course, a host of Nobel laureates.