Clarion Collection Hotel Wellington

From bakery and delicatessen to Östermalm hotel – a genuine name change

The hotel, previously known as Clarion Collection Hotel Wellington, now operates under the name Home Hotel Wellington, a distinct brand within the Strawberry hotel group. The name change is more than just a rebrand: Home Hotel is a distinctive chain with a clearer focus on included meals and a homely atmosphere, which sets it apart from the other brands within Strawberry.

According to Strawberry's official hotel website, the building has an unusual history – it originally housed a bakery and delicatessen before being converted into a hotel and named after the Duke of Wellington. The hotel is located at Storgatan 6 on Östermalm and belongs to one of Stockholm's more affluent residential districts. The location is central: Östermalmstorg with its underground station is just a stone's throw away, and Stockholm Central Station is reachable in approximately 25 minutes' walk according to the hotel's own information. The hotel has a total of 60 rooms spread across two buildings. The price includes breakfast, afternoon fika and dinner in accordance with the Home Hotel concept. Conference facilities are not available, but guests are offered access to an external gym at a discounted rate.

The hotel is spread across two separate buildings. If guests stay in the guest wing, check-in and dinner take place in the main building, whilst breakfast and check-out occur in the guest wing. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day. The building is entirely non-smoking, and pets are welcome for an additional fee. Parking is available on site for a charge. Free WiFi covers the entire hotel including the rooms.

Breakfast, fika and dinner – three meals always included in the price

The most distinctive feature of the Home Hotel concept is that breakfast, fika and dinner are always included in the room rate, with no additional charge. This is clearly stated in Strawberry's official communications and applies to all guests regardless of room category. It is a concrete difference from hotels where meals are charged separately, and means guests do not need to plan restaurant visits for the three included meals.

Breakfast is served as a buffet and is described on the hotel's official website with freshly baked bread, cold cuts, eggs, bacon, yoghurt, fruit and coffee. Dinner is seasonal and includes fresh salad, hot soup, homemade bread and a dish of the day – always with a vegetarian alternative. Fika is served every afternoon and is part of the Swedish fika tradition that the chain highlights as a core element of the concept. Strawberry describes on its blog how the Home Hotel concept is built on these three meals as a unified whole, where fika plays a clear role as a welcoming element in the middle of the day.

In addition to the included meals, there is a lobby bar on site. The hotel also has a restaurant and offers room service. Tea and coffee are available in the hotel's communal areas. For guests staying on Östermalm – an area whose restaurants generally belong to Stockholm's more expensive segment – the three included meals can represent a significant cost difference compared to eating out every day. Strawberry itself highlights this as an argument for the concept in its official communications about the Home Hotel brand.

Room categories: Compact, Standard, Superior, Deluxe and Suite

The hotel offers several room categories with clear differences in size and facilities. The smallest option is a compact double room in the annex at 13 square metres, equipped with a desk, seating area and flat-screen TV. Single rooms in the Compact category are also available. Standard rooms are somewhat more spacious and offer more space than the Compact category, whilst superior rooms are 22 square metres according to available information. All categories are furnished to suit both shorter and longer stays.

Deluxe rooms and the suite are the most spacious categories. According to Strawberry's official room description, an espresso machine is included in the Deluxe category, whilst the suite also has a minibar in addition to the espresso machine. All rooms are equipped with TV, safe, coffee and tea maker, radio and iron with ironing board. Bathrooms have a separate toilet and shower as well as a hairdryer. Air conditioning is not listed in the facilities on Strawberry's official website, which may be worth considering when staying during warmer seasons.

A distinctive feature of the hotel is that many rooms have a balcony, terrace or patio, which is unusual for a city hotel in this size class and contributes to a more homely feel. The hotel has a total of 60 rooms spread across the two buildings, the main building and the annex. The hotel lacks conference facilities and is therefore better suited for individual travellers and couples than for group arrangements. The divided building structure means that the location and character of rooms can vary depending on which of the two buildings you stay in.

Sauna, garden and Östermalm as a neighbourhood

The hotel's own recreational facilities consist of a sauna as well as a garden with terrace area and outdoor furniture, which gives guests the opportunity to relax within the property's own grounds. There is no gym in the building, but Strawberry's official website states that guests who wish to exercise can use an external gym at a discounted rate – this is therefore an addition and not part of the hotel's own facilities. It is important to distinguish between what the hotel itself offers and what may possibly be used outside the property.

Östermalm as a district provides a specific and attractive location in Stockholm. Hedvig Eleonora Church and Östermalmstorg are in direct proximity to the hotel. Djurgården with attractions such as the Vasa Museum and Skansen can be reached on foot, and Stureplan with bars and restaurants is within walking distance. Public transport connections are good thanks to the proximity to Östermalmstorg underground station, which facilitates travel to other parts of Stockholm and makes the hotel's location practical for both tourists and business travellers.

For business travellers, there is a business centre on site. Laundry and dry cleaning can be ordered for an additional charge, and the hotel also offers ticket assistance and a gift shop for guests' convenience. Strawberry's official lists confirm that meeting rooms are completely absent, which makes the hotel unsuitable for conferences but well adapted for individual stays. Pets are welcome for an additional fee, and the hotel is entirely non-smoking, which applies to all areas within the property.