All rooms have been recently refurbished and are now state of the art and comparable with a Le Meridien. Air condition is currently not available at the hotel but should be fitted shortly. The hallways are also undergoing renovations but this did not bother us. Rooms are clean, modern and spacious ( we had a Deluxe room). The English Pub is a nice touch and has loads of different beers and spirits. Breakfast was also very good and of hight standard, nothing to be missed. Reception was friendly and helpful. Only downside is the hotel car park which is very small so parking may be a problem and you may have to look for parking at residential areas where the park is or in front of the hotel which is a payable parking for the public. Enjoyed our stay thoroughly.

Have stayed at this hotel on a couple of occasions, while golfing in the Karlstad area. The hotel is in an old builing next to river, and close to the town square - really nice location. A bummer though is the lack of parking spots available to hotel guests. Rooms are in an old style, and mybe not recently refurbished - but there have been nothing to complain about for us. Breakfast is very good.

I just recently became a trip advisor member so I am trying to catch up on some of my reviews (just from the past 8-10 months of travel since hotels can change so much over time). I must say that I was quite surprised to see all of the negative reviews of this hotel. Check in was smooth and friendly; far from what was described by some of the other reviewers. Our room was very clean and tidy and the bed was VERY comfortable (mattresses, linens, etc..). Knowing that it was an older hotel, I did not expect to see it decorated with modern art, furniture, etc… and instead liked to old look of the elevator, hallways, décor, etc… Although, if you are traveling with a lot of luggage you may find the elevator a little too quaint. Also, they could do a little updating to the furniture in the lobby. Instead of looking antique it just looked worn-out. Other than that; I thought it was well kept and comfortable throughout the rest of the hotel. The hotel is positioned in a very convenient and scenic location and everything in the town of Karlstad was within very close proximity and walking distance. The housekeeping service was very good and I did not notice that it was really late; but then again I did not hang out at the hotel all day. The only complaint that I read in the prior reviews that I can confirm is the problem with the shower. Any time that we showered it did make a mess of the entire bathroom by getting water everywhere. I ended up getting ready at the desk, so I didn’t really think that it was a big deal. Just be careful not to place in “dry clean only” items anywhere near the shower. My favorite part of the Stadshotellet was the small pub located in the hotel. I believe that it is called the Coat of Arms. The food was wonderful and the beer refreshing! We had fish and chips and a traditional Swedish delicacy called Gravad (I am not sure about the spelling). It was a salmon dish served with a side of creamy dill potatoes. I kinda freaked when they first brought it out to me (because the salmon looks like raw sliced filets) but I found out that it is cured in citrus juices and spices for several hours. Beats any sushi that I have had in the states by far!! Breakfast at the hotel was very good as well. They had several choices for all appetites and I especially liked the fresh yogurt with all of the fruit and granola toppings. All in all I really enjoyed my trip to the Stadshotellet and would definitely return. People who want a relaxing stay in a cozy, unique, and quiet hotel will like this place. Those of you looking for a more modern, chic, and artsy hotel with a lot of people and amenities and a butt kissing staff should stay in Stockholm where there are plenty of hotels that cater to that. We statyed and Stockholm too at the Nordic Sea Hotel and enjoyed our stay there as well. Both were nice and fun, just in completely different ways.

Stayed in this hotel on a business trip for four nights. I think the hotel is just fine for what it costs (I am paying a discounted rate though). I was staying in a very comfortable room, which was certainly not shabby, cold or otherwise insufficient. It is quiet, warm and offers enough space. Perhaps not complete luxury, but certainly good enough for mosts business travellers. I have to agree that cleaning occurs a little late, but very good. I can't say anything about the sauna and pool but the Hotel pub is certainly a great asset for relaxing after work. The breakfast is very good as well. The wireless internet should have been complementary, but works otherwise fine, and the 24h 120SEK access offers also access at Arlanda and other locations.

We stayed over a weekend at Elite Stadshotellet in Karlstad and weren't particularly impressed by the standards of the hotel. Having stayed at a number of hotels in the Swedish Elite-chain, this was certainly the less appealing one so far. Despite the central location right by the river, and the building making a grand impression from the outside, there is still much to be desired from the interiors and general service. We were at first given a room split into two sections (which meant that one couldn't watch TV in bed), but soon swapped it for a smaller one offering more comfort (in our eyes). Surprisingly enough the room was very cold (which is very rare in Swedish buildings, normally offering triple-glazing and powerful central heating), with draughty windows and one out of two radiators not working. The beds were comfortable enough, the bathroom very small offering only a shower-hose in the bath-tub and the room was clean when we arrived. However, we were quite annoyed returning back on day two at 4pm, still not having had our room made up. In all fairness house-keeping turned up 5 minutes after we complained to reception, and we headed for the sauna and pool. As the rest of the hotel, this section also needed a "make-over" and even for a Swede a "mixed" sauna ia a bit too much in a hotel setting. The "cool-off" pool was indeed ice-cold and looked pretty filthy. Breakfast was however one of the highlights of our stay in Karlstad. This was plentyful offering both a warm and cold section and was served in one of the old-fashioned (but restored and appealing) dining-rooms. The staff was friendly, but not particulary forthcoming or interested in making our stay something special to remember. Our general impression was hence that this was probably quite an appealing hotel when it was tyaken over by Elite in 1983, but they do not seem to have bothered updating or maintaining it since then.