Hotel J / Nacka Strand / Stockholm / Sweden
Cities are great! Period! The intensity, the vibe, the energy, the people, the opportunities. I can go on and on listing reasons why I love cities. With this said, I must admit that when I visit cities, I love to find hotels that are located on the outskirts of town. Where you can enjoy some peace and quiet after having spent time pounding the city streets. This fully applies to Hotel J.
Hotel J is located in Nacka, a suburb to Stockholm, nestled right between Stockholm and the amazing archipelago. The hotel is sitting right on the water with views over the sea and Djurgården Island, on the other side of the strait. With this kind of location, the best way to arrive is by boat. There are several different boats that will take you from downtown Stockholm to Nacka Strand, where you’ll just have a short walk up to the hotel reception.
This 158-key hotel opened its doors in 2000 and got its name from the iconic J Yacht, which is seen as a timeless symbol of elegance and great design. When the hotel opened it was much smaller. In 2011 there were an additional 113 rooms added and in 2025 it was time again. This time all the rooms got a make over, where some of the nautical elements were removed to create space for a more sophisticated and subtle look. The make over was led by Wingårdhs, one of Sweden’s leading studios. The result is a more muted color scheme celebrating classic Swedish design features and craftsmanship. One of my favorite elements are the solid wooden floors. Nothing feels more authentic or makes me feel more grounded than hardwood floors.
The most stand-out of the hotel buildings is the Tornvillan, which dates back to 1889. Through the years this has been a private Summer residence as well as a recreational home for factory workers. Today this is where the hotel restaurant is housed.
Stockholm is a great place for culture, design, food and shopping, and is easy to reach with one of the many ferries that depart right in front of the hotel, and will have you in town in just over 20 minutes. And when you’ve had enough of the urban energy, you just board a ferry that will take you back to your seaside retreat.
Best way to arrive at Hotel J is without a doubt by boat. I especially like these vintage vessels that will take you directly from downtown Stockholm to Nacka Strand where the hotel is located.
Welcome to Hotel J!
The hotel is sitting on a a slope, leaning towards the water. The building in this photo was erected in 2011 where 113 new rooms were added.
The spacious lobby
I really like the mix of old and new, where amazing vintage lamps like this one are infused into the design scheme.
In the main building, one floor below the reception, there is a modern hotel gym with really high standard.
My room was in the original Hotel J building, which is now the annex.
Solid wooden floors, muted colors and a discreet nautical theme.
Love these floors!
The view from my balcony of the sea and Djurgården.
Tornvillan, where it all started. This is where breakfast is served.
How amazing is this old tiled stove!?
This statue by word-renowned artist Carl Milles, is standing down by water.
Approaching Stockholm from the sea, with Kastellholmen in the foreground and Gamla Stan in the background.
If you are an avid reader of this blog, you’ll know that I am a huge pizza lover. In Stockholm there is a great local chain, Meno Male, that serves really great, traditional Italian pizzas. One of their outposts is on Östermalm, a short walk from where the boat from Nacka lands.
What might be the best ice cream in Stockholm. Local chain, Kenny’s Gelato.
My favorite part of town (and where we used to live when we lived in Stockholm), is Södermalm. In the Hornstull area, there are some really great restaurants. This one is called Bitza and is a Palestinian restaurant.
This was my favorite dish at Bitza, shawarma Pizza. So delicious!
Back at the hotel just as the sun is setting over Djurgården.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are coming to Stockholm and you want to stay outside the city centre, right by the sea side, in a calm, natural setting, in a hotel with elegant, discreet design. If this sounds like your kind of set up, you will feel right at home a J Hotel.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is that the best way to arrive (and depart) is by boat. Just hop on one of the commuter vessels from downtown Stockholm and in 25 min you will arrive more or less, right in front of the hotel. An exotic kind of feeling.
What not to miss when staying here…
…is, if you stay here during the warmer months, take a dip from the cliffs in front of the hotel. Stockholm is amazing in the sense that you can swim in town. Another thing to prioritize is to visit Södermalm. The most interesting part of town with a laid back vibe, great restaurants, shopping, bars and the most relaxed people you’ll find in town.
If you like this hotel you might also like:
Ellery Beach House / Lidingö (Stockholm), Sweden
Nääs Fabriker / Tollered (Gothenburg), Sweden
De Durgerdam / Durgerdam (Amsterdam), Netherlands
