Hotel Diplomat Stockholm

Are we at a point yet where we’re comfortable with the idea that Swedish style is no more predisposed to modernism than that of any other country? Go looking for mid-century style and you’ll miss out Stockholm’s deeper historical roots. Something like the gloriously restored Diplomat Hotel, an Art Nouveau classic that’s been painstakingly brought up to date, is the sort of thing this city does best.

The style, for all its frills and flourishes, still shows off the essential Scandinavian talent for simplicity. The color palette is tightly focused, and the sheer consistency of the visual style is nothing if not soothing. Which is a good thing, because the Diplomat is meant to be a profoundly relaxing place — from the solid construction to the plush Dux beds, this place is built to last.

The Diplomat is not about to rock your understanding of what a hotel can be, but it isn’t trying to. Nor is it going to start some kind of design revolution. But if it’s professional, high-end hospitality you’re after — to say nothing of local, seasonal and largely organic produce, with a slight Mediterranean inflection — then you’re in the right place indeed.