Ssssh, don’t tell anyone, but I think I’ve found one of the best Category 1 Hyatt hotels in the entire system. I had such a pleasant stay at the Story Hotel Studio in Malmö, Sweden. Story Hotel Studio Malmö...
Ssssh, don’t tell anyone, but I think I’ve found one of the best Category 1 Hyatt hotels in the entire system. I had such a pleasant stay at the Story Hotel Studio in Malmö, Sweden.
Story Hotel Studio Malmö Review – A Hyatt JdV Property
Hyatt has many brands within its portfolio of hotels. Its JdV (joie de vivre) brand is described as:
The JdV by Hyatt brand is a collection of original hotels with a deep respect for the neighborhoods that make up each destination. Each hotel is uniquely inspired by its surroundings and is a story about the communities we call home.
Story Hotel Studio Malmö is part of that portfolio and a great value as a Category 1 hotel in the World of Hyatt program. The room was 125USD per night or 3,500 points (off-peak). Since I value Hyatt points at two cents each, I used points.
This is not a luxury hotel by any means. Quite the contrary, it is very much an “efficiency” property with small rooms and limited amenities, but the room was comfortable and the breakfast quite satisfactory.
Location
The hotel is located along the water near the Malmö Old Lighthouse, an ideal location for exploring the city by foot. If coming by train, you can get off at Malmö Centralstation, which is located about 650 meters from the hotel.
Check-In
I arrived in Copenhagen before sunrise, took the train to Malmö, and arrived at the hotel at 7:00 am. Graciously, my room was ready, which was so appreciated and allowed me to shower before going out for coffee.
The building is multi-purpose with the hotel occupying only a subset of floors and the others used as office space. The lobby was filled with greenery and the hotel check-in desk was located in the middle.
Guest Room
My room, 1214, was small, with a bed taking up most of it, but it was perfectly suitable for me and had a great view of the harbor, an area that was once bustling with industry. I appreciated the bench along the window the chair with roundtable that served as my desk. The closet was open rather than enclosed and a refrigerator had two bottles of water in it (free for all guests).
View of the city from the elevator banks
Powered Nestle coffee in the room. No thank you.
Food could be ordered to the room:
The bathroom was quite typical, my friend told, me for Swedish bathrooms and really felt like a cruise ship. The shower was not a separate area, but shared the floor with the rest of the bathroom and partitioned only by a small glass panel. Shower amenities were from Grown Alchemist.
Gym
The hotel has no pool, gym, or wellness area, but partners with Nordic Wellness, a gym operator in Sweden, to offer guests access. I find this is an ideal arrangement because I can often get a much better workout in a large gym than a small hotel one.
Each time I wanted to workout, I requested a key at the front desk which gave me access to the gym. I then ran to the gym, about 600 meters away, and enjoyed a pair of superb trainings followed by the sauna after.
Once cultural thing I noticed: street shoes were not allowed in the gym. Everyone had to take off their shoes when entering the gym and change to gym shoes. This policy was present even though there was no rain or snow during our visit. I ended up wearing disposable shoe covers over my running shoes. I noticed this when walking by other gyms too.
Dining
Hotel guests are invited to a complimentary breakfast at Kasai in the Sky, the hotel’s main restaurant that features Japanese food. Breakfast is not Japanese, though, but includes a high-quality assortment of hot and cold breakfast items. I enjoyed a fresh green salad with Rugbrød, green juice, fresh-squeezed orange juice, strong coffee, scrambled eggs, watermelon, and yogurt
Breakfast is served from 6:30 am to 10:00 am Monday – Friday and from 8:00 am to 11:00 am on weekends. The restaurant is open for dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm Monday – Saturday.
The restaurant has a nice outdoor terrace that I am sure is quite pleasant during the warmer months.
In the lobby, Salads and Smoothies offers hotel guests and office workers (as the name implies…) salads and smoothies (and sandwiches and coffee too) from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday – Friday.
CONCLUSION
This is a simple hotel, but clean, comfortable, and reasonable. Breakfast is a plus, as is the location. This was my first time in Malmö and I would not hesitate to return here again.