Behind the historically listed façade of a 1970s brutalist high-rise, sits At Six — the Swedish capital’s uber-cool design hotel.

Housed in the former headquarters of Swedbank on Brunkebergstorg Square, the 343-room luxury establishment bills itself as a lifestyle hotel at the intersection of art and design. At Six firmly asserts its credentials with stylish social spaces, carefully edited designer furniture and an in-house art curator, Sune Nordgren, who selects and commissions artwork from leading and up-and-coming artists.

Among the hotel’s vast art collection is the signature piece, Mar Whispering, a 2.5 metre high Almeria marble head by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa that greets guests as they stride up the lobby’s white granite staircase.

Before opening in 2017, the hotel tasked acclaimed London-based interior architects, Universal Design Studios, to humanise the brutalist architectural aesthetics with desirability and comfort, while remaining sympathetic to the building’s heritage. The redesign plays out in a palette of sawn stone, blackened steel, and polished granite juxtaposed with warm greys and highly-textured natural materials, presenting a theme of contrasts throughout the hotel’s public spaces and guest rooms.

Location

At Six is located in downtown Stockholm’s Norrmalm area on Brunkebergstorg Square. The hotel’s immediate surroundings are part of Urban Escape Stockholm — a regeneration programme emerging between Hamngatan, Regeringsgatan and Brunkebergstorg to return the area to its former 19th-century glory as a vibrant social hub.

On the hotel’s doorstep is a raft of restaurants, bars and shopping — including the Gallerian mall next door. A short hop away are tourist attractions such as the Opera House, a multitude of museums, the Royal Palace, the Riksdagshuset, and Gamla Stan — Stockholm’s old town that is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval city centres.

Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport is 43 kilometres from the hotel — a 45-minute drive away.

The Room

It’s a safe bet to attribute the long, harsh Nordic winters as the driving force behind the Swede’s attentiveness to their interior living spaces, as inclement weather means greater time spent indoors.

Every single one of At Six’s spacious 343 rooms — including its 40 suites — were designed with comfort and a sense of timeless repose in mind. The room reviewed was a standard room residing on one of the newly built top floors of the hotel, featuring a comfy king-sized bed with a bespoke leather-stitched bedhead by Swedish manufacturer Hilding Anders.

Other well thought out design details include a long green marble writing desk that doubles as a minibar, and tactile finishes such as the large fabric-wrapped wardrobe and a custom-made velvet sofa in the seating area. In keeping with the art-hotel concept, the room reviewed featured two unique wall mirrors, by Malmö-based artist Kristina Matousch, which hang alongside the sizeable panoramic bay window extending the outside view of the city. The compact, sleekly designed bathroom offers a combined bath and shower, with organic toiletries supplied by Swedish Lapland brand c/o GERD.

Drinking & Dining

Stockholm is a foodie destination, with an incredible nightlife that every night owl can count on. Fittingly, hotel At Six has several buzzing social spaces of different moods that include its restaurant the Dining Room, the At Six Cocktail Bar, the Blanche & Hierta wine bar, and the slow-listening bar Hosoi.

The hotel’s restaurant, Dining Room At Six, serves contemporary international cuisine from seasonal local produce under the direction of executive chef Andreas Askling. Guests can also start their day in the Dining Room, with a predominately continental buffet breakfast lining up Swedish staples like house-baked cinnamon buns and an endless supply of smoked salmon.

For guest on a liquid diet, the At Six Cocktail Bar shakes up timeless classics, and gin-infused tea drinks from behind a 14-metre marble topped, polished plaster bar that forms the heart of the space. Another drinking option is the hotel’s wine bar, Blanche & Hierta, a relaxed and intimate spot where guests can enjoy wine from a carefully curated 28-page long wine list, as well as casual all-day dining. Perhaps the hotel’s most unique bar is Hosoi.

Tucked away in the far back of At Six, Hosoi is a slow-listening bar with a focus on sound and music quality, and its walls are clad in deep blue Danish wool felt to take the acoustics to the next level. Here in Hosoi’s hidden social living room, guests can enjoy their drinks while local and international DJs helm the Technics turntables and Australian hand-built Condesa mixers.

Hotel Features

The cross-fit inspired At Six gym features high-end equipment from TechnoGym, punching bags, up-hill running and water rowing with 24-hour access. During the summer months, the gym offers classes on the outdoor rooftop next door, including early morning yoga sessions while the sun rises over Stockholm’s inlet.

The wellness area of the gym includes a sauna and offers fitness-focused treatments such as deep tissue and Swedish massages.

Verdict

Cloaked in coolness, and framed by hotelier Petter Stordalen’s singular vision to a design concept that perfectly defines the Swedish capital’s inimitable style, At Six is the hippest hotel in town. Successfully sticking to the script of what it conceptually set out to achieve, Australian travellers will appreciate At Six’s sleek style, curated art collection, comfortable rooms, efficient yet discreet staff, and the hotel’s many dynamic social spaces that are popular with both locals and guests.

The hotel’s proximity to tourist attractions and Stockholm’s financial district makes it a suitable choice for business and leisure guests. If you are looking for a unique hotel experience that infuses local culture into every design detail and sensory experience, then Stockholm’s At Six is a worthy contender for your consideration, and it is quite possibly the city’s best design hotel yet.

Details

Brunkebergstorg 6

111 51 Stockholm, Sweden

T: +46 8 578 828 00

W: hotelatsix.com