Hotel Riverton

Though it’s named, in a roundabout way, for Gothenburg itself — the city’s Swedish, Göteborg, simply means “the city by the Göta river” — the Hotel Riverton knows better than to try to represent the whole of the city all at once. Instead, like all the best boutique hotels, this family-owned gem presents a singular point of view, and offers an angle on the city that other hotels can’t match — both figuratively and quite literally, thanks to its waterfront setting.

The building is an unmistakably modern one, though certainly not without warmth, thanks to its red-brick industrial style. And the rooms and suites are even warmer, dressed in the rich textures of figured wood, faux fur, and velour. The tactile comforts are equally enticing, from the Dux beds to the Rituals bath products. And as you work your way up, your view gets bigger and bigger, culminating in the harbor panorama visible from the top-floor penthouse.

Of course it’s the open-air Skybar, on the 12th floor, that offers the finest view; despite it’s name it’s not just a bar but a restaurant as well. It’s joined by a ground-floor restaurant called One, as well as the lobby-adjacent Livingroom bar, and a spa and fitness center that wouldn’t look out of place in a much larger luxury hotel.