Scandic Göteborg Central in Gothenburg: a fantastic breakfast, cocktails with harbour views at Above, and a Master Suite with the curtains drawn

Med på turen

The places we stopped at along the way — each with its own review.

Dinner · dag 1 Tavolo Gøteborg 3.9 Restaurant · Göteborg Tavolo made an impression from the moment we saw the gigantic door, the old hall and the enormous horse's head, and the food was really, really good. Sadly, the service at our table didn't keep up, so it became an evening of stark contrast between kitchen and front of house. Read the review → Dinner · dag 2 Wagners Bistro – Gøteborg 5.0 Restaurant · Göteborg We had lunch with the girls at Wagners Bistro, and from the moment we stepped inside we wanted to settle in and order a lovely bottle of wine. Classic French bistro food in beautiful surroundings, with service that made the day feel special – read why it was such a good choice during the autumn half-term. Read the review → Dinner · dag 2 Evolushi Plus – Gøteborg 4.4 Restaurant · Göteborg Several followers had recommended Evolushi Plus to us, and it turned into a truly lovely evening with fantastic sushi, creative flavour combinations and a delicious cocktail in a charming little restaurant. There was even a touch of showmanship along the way, which the girls loved. Read the review → Dinner · dag 3 Epoque Gøteborg 5.0 Restaurant · Göteborg We walked through the door at Epoque a little unsure, on the recommendation of our Instagram followers, and were met by a warm bistro, absolutely wonderful service and some of the most honest, well-made and delicious food we've had in a long time. It became one of the best restaurant experiences of our autumn half-term. Read the review → Dinner · dag 4 Restaurant 1923 Gøteborg 3.6 Restaurant · Göteborg After a few hours at Liseberg for Halloween, we were pleasantly surprised by Restaurant 1923, which was both smarter and cosier than we had expected. The service was absolutely wonderful, and the food was perfectly good without being a great culinary adventure – exactly what we needed in the middle of a day of rides and attractions. Read the review →

Arrival and parking

We drove to Gothenburg and used the hotel's underground car park. Be aware that your car's registration number needs to be registered in advance, so you should contact the hotel before you arrive.

That is worth knowing if you expect to simply drive straight down into the basement. Once the practicalities are sorted, the parking works fine, and there is also electric car charging available.

The hotel and its surroundings

Scandic Göteborg Central is at Vikingsgatan 7, close to the harbour area, and opened in 2022 as part of the Platinan office and hotel building. With 451 rooms it is one of Gothenburg's largest hotels, and the interior is, by the hotel's own account, inspired by the world's busiest container ports.

It is a large, modern hotel with a smart, contemporary interior and generous communal areas. It is clear that thought has gone into the design. At first glance it certainly makes a good impression.

The Master Suite on the 14th floor

We stayed in room 1406 on the 14th floor, the hotel's Master Suite. On the face of it, the room was perfectly fine. There was plenty of space for the four of us, and the interior was neat and modern with a separate sitting room and a bathroom with a freestanding bath.

But we had expected something more. The suite felt a little anonymous and lacked the extra sense of comfort we had hoped for. There was a kettle and ordinary coffee in the room, but no Nespresso machine or equivalent. It is a small detail, but at this price point it is precisely the sum of the small details that makes the difference.

There was also a small fridge, which is practical when travelling with children. Overall, though, it felt more like a large, fairly ordinary hotel room than a suite that made something special of the experience.

The view into the office building

By far the biggest problem with our suite was the view, or rather the lack of one. Even though we were right up on the 14th floor, the windows faced directly onto an office building so close that people could look straight in at us.

In practice, we had to keep the curtains drawn if we wanted any kind of privacy. The result was a dark, stuffy room, and we could not really enjoy the daylight or the feeling of staying high above the city.

We had not expected a spectacular panoramic view, but we certainly had not imagined sitting behind closed curtains on the 14th floor either. For us, the view and the daylight are an important part of the experience when we pay extra for a good room, and here the hotel was a real disappointment.

Above, the rooftop bar at the top

One of the hotel's absolute highlights is Above at the top of the building. Here the hotel has created a really beautiful rooftop bar with a stylish interior and a fantastic view over the harbour and Gothenburg. We particularly enjoyed sitting with the view across the city and the harbour area, and the atmosphere was lovely.

Among other things, we had a Spicy Clarified Paloma (175 SEK) with tequila, grape, physalis, piri piri and lime, and it was really good. It is always a pleasure to visit a bar where the bartenders clearly know what they are doing. The service was both friendly and professional, and the bartenders came across as skilled and engaged.

Above was actually one of the things we liked best about the whole hotel. The only caveat is that on the Thursday the bar was closed to ordinary hotel guests because of a private event. We understand that hotels host that sort of thing, but it is a little disappointing when such a central part of the hotel experience is unavailable.

The lobby bar doesn't open until 3 pm

The hotel also has a bar in the lobby area, but it did not open until 3 pm. We think that is a little late. When you come back after a morning in town, it is nice to be able to sit down in the lobby with a glass of wine or a drink.

It is no catastrophe, but it is another of the small things that let the place down slightly, especially at a hotel of this size.

Nor is it possible to have lunch at the hotel - that, too, only opens at 3 pm.

There is a small café where you can buy a slice of pizza, a muffin and the like.

Breakfast

If there is one area where Scandic Göteborg Central really delivers, it is breakfast. It was really good and included in the price. The restaurant is large and spacious, and although there are naturally a lot of guests at a hotel of this size, it worked well.

The selection was extensive. We thought the bread and the range of cold cuts and spreads were particularly good, and there were the classic hot dishes such as scrambled eggs and bacon. It is lovely when breakfast is not just something to get through, but genuinely a pleasant part of the stay.

One slightly unusual detail is that you have to book your breakfast time digitally the day before. We did not find it was enforced particularly strictly, though, so it served more as a way of spreading guests out. You just need to remember to book.

Service and communication

On the whole we found the staff really kind and helpful, and we were met with friendliness and a positive attitude every time we dealt with them.

There were, however, fairly long queues at reception on several occasions. That can happen at a large hotel, but it is still a little irritating when you just have a quick question.

You should also be aware that room cleaning does not happen automatically. It has to be requested through the hotel's digital system. That worked fine, but we think it is a little odd in a Master Suite at this price, where we would really expect daily housekeeping to be a natural part of the service.

Location and getting around

The hotel sits by the harbour area north of the central shopping streets, reasonably close to Nordstan and the central station. On a map it looks quite central, but in practice it is on the edge of the areas where we most like to spend our time in Gothenburg.

We love being able to step straight out of the hotel and find ourselves among cosy restaurants, cafés and shops. Allow around 15 minutes' walk to Kungsgatan and a little longer to the streets around Magasinsgatan. We ended up using Uber quite a bit, because the places we wanted to visit were often some distance away, and with two children that quickly becomes a bit of a hassle.

We have previously stayed in the area around Liseberg and were actually happier with the location there. Parking in the hotel's basement cost around 400 SEK a day, so roughly 1,600 SEK for the stay.

Price and standard

We paid around 18,000 Danish kroner for four nights in the Master Suite with breakfast, which works out at roughly 4,500 kroner per night. Parking came on top of that. It is a considerable price for a family hotel stay.

We are happy to pay extra for a good room, but the price has to reflect what you get. The suite was neat and spacious but not especially luxurious, the view was straight into an office building, and the location was not ideal for us. On the other hand, the breakfast was really good, the staff friendly and Above a fantastic experience. It is a hotel with both clear strengths and some fairly significant weaknesses. (Not sponsored)