Bentleys

The charming, three-star Bentleys occupies a prime location on happening Drottninggatan. Housed in a 1905 building, the hotel is modern and friendly. Did we say friendly? Yes, we did. The woman at the swank, split-level reception happened to be digging into a bag of carrot sticks and offered us a few. We were hungry (we'd been inspecting up a storm, after all) and appreciatively wolfed 'em down.

A pension since the 1960s, Bentleys became a hotel in 1980. The building itself is studded with art deco influences, including stained-glass entryway windows among other ornamental flourishes.

Bentley's 60 rooms are truly varied, with a range of types of furniture and interior designs. All rooms are charmingly quirky, with little figurines, ultramodern lounge furniture, and porcelain fireplaces scattered throughout.

Hotel Bentleys' guests tend to be business travelers and families, with a younger crowd joining the fold in the summer. The promise of free wireless Internet access in rooms sweetens the Bentleys' deal.