Gimo Herrgård Sweden

Located in the town of Gimo in northern Uppland, you can find the hotel, Gimo Herrgård. We stayed one night during our road trip and had a lovely experience. 

Gimo Herrgård is a beautiful old mansion with gardens and several buildings where the elegant hotel rooms and suites are located. The 18th-century manor house functions as a hotel year round.

Dinner is served in the hotel's restaurant but remember to book a reservation.

The hotel also offers a delicious breakfast buffet, served at the restaurant. It features a cold section, a few hot items, yogurt and even a coffee machine for those who like to start their day with lattes.

There are also dairy-free alternatives for those who have special diets.

The family room included a sofa bed and a double bed and was located in a building a few minutes from the main reception and restaurant. A kettle with complimentary tea was included.

For those 15+ there is a lakeside spa with outdoor hot tubs and sauna that you can use for an additional fee (195kr as of May 2024)

If you're looking for a morning walk before breakfast, walking by the lake, Gimosjön, is perfect. There's a path along the lake and you can turn around when you like.

Friendly staff and good service during our stay. Gimo Herrgård is a beautiful place! We were also lucky to see the Northern Lights during that weekend.

If you're planning a roadtrip and looking for a nice hotel stay north of Stockholm, check out Gimo Herrgård!

Don't forget your snacks!

Gimo Herrgård 

Bruksgatan 24, 747 44 Gimo

Check out their website for more info. 

Avalon Hotel Riga

During our visit to Riga, Latvia we wanted to stay in the center of the city and Avalon Hotel located next to Old Town was the perfect choice.

We visited in the month of February and had a wonderful stay!

The junior suite with 1 large bed and 2 single beds was a perfect option for a family!

The breakfast buffet was better than we expected with both cold items like deli meat and cheese and hot items like kids favorite American style pancakes, warm veggies, sausages and eggs.

They even had kids plates and utensils available if needed so we didn't need to worry about using our own.

Each day at the Avalon Hotel, we always received nice, friendly service. The staff were helpful with suggestions and room requests. You can choose room cleaning everyday if you need. 

There is a little bar in the lobby and a computer to use if needed. The lobby was a pleasant place to sit and relax while waiting for other family members to be ready.

The Avalon Hotel is a modern hotel with elevators and a small gym for those interested.

If you're visiting Riga, Latvia and are looking for a good hotel option in a convenient location, check out the Avalon Hotel.

Don't forget your snacks!

Avalon Hotel

13. janvāra iela 19, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

Check out their website for more info

Yasuragi Stockholm

A peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy week? Yasuragi in Stockholm, Sweden is an amazing getaway for some quiet, peaceful, screenfree time to just relax.

"Disconnect and relax" signs are seen in the spa area which is a mobile phone free zone.

Stay at the spa for a few hours or overnight. You can even choose from a Japanese style room to a regular hotel room or, for those who really want to disconnect, there's even a TV free hotel room option.

According to the hotel's description, "Yasuragi" is the sound one makes when they step into the Japanese hot springs and exhale. 

After traditional Japanese bathing to clean one's self before heading to the baths, it is recommended to start with a foot bath to warm up.

After that, you can explore the various places to relax around the spa, like a Carbon dioxide bubble pool with light bubbles, both a dry sauna and salt steam sauna as well as a Sleep sauna where you can lie down!

Indoor pools are nice and relaxing as well! They are warm but not too hot so it's a nice place to get adjusted to the temperature. The main pool area is big enough to swim around in if you feel like it.

Our favorite, however, were the outdoor baths which are 39C. This is as close to Japanese onsen as one can get. There are several outdoor baths under a covered area so you can spread out if there are other people. 

The spa hotel is surrounded by pine trees and beautiful views of the water. You feel so far from the city at Yasuragi even if it's just a short boat ride, bus ride or taxi ride away. 

Remember to stay hydrated! When you first arrive at the spa reception, you can pick up an empty water bottle to fill, and your towels. You also get a bathing suit to take home and a robe and slippers to borrow. The robe is available to purchase if interested for 175kr.

Of course, there is a fruit and tea buffet included in the spa time. If you want more snacks or food, get some snacks at the hotel reception or check out one of the restaurants.

Aside from the spa, there are Nature walks and activities you can do during your visit to Yasuragi. Activities take place in the Dojo or outside and include some morning stretches, yoga classes, and even some quiet meditation classes! 

The sound journey mediation activity was very relaxing and a nice way to start your stay. Check the digital screens around the hotel for the activity schedule. 

The morning sessions were really nice, just be sure not to eat too much at the breakfast buffet, which features both Swedish and Japanese breakfast items like Miso soup and pastries.

This was such a relaxing escape and a lovely experience! Everyone needs a break every once in awhile. If you're in Stockholm and enjoy the spa, or curious about a Japanese bath experience, check out Yasuragi for various spa packages - even one with a 3-course dinner after spa time 😌 

It's even a great place to celebrate a birthday complete with snacks and some bubbly. Thank you Yasuragi! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Yasuragi

Hamndalsvägen 8, 132 81 Saltsjö-boo

Check out their website for more info

Elite Grand Hotel Norrköping Sweden

On our road trip, we stopped for a night in the city of Norrköping. The city, which is south of Stockholm, used to be considered a major hub for Sweden's textile industry before textile production became irrelevant (in Sweden).

We really enjoyed our stay at the kid-friendly hotel, the Elite Grand Hotel. Located next to the Motala River, this elegant hotel is centrally located and the customer service was pretty great!

It's always nice when hotels offer tea and coffee all day for their guests and Elite Grand Hotel did just that :)

While the grown-ups check into the hotel, the kids can sign themselves in by standing on a stool and writing their name on a notepad at reception. 

Kids received a bag with some playing cards, stuffies and coupon for ice cream which was a popsicle in case kids have a dairy allergy. 

The room had one sofa bed for the kids to share which worked out perfectly for us. The complimentary breakfast buffet included various kid friendly items and even Vegan waffle mix to use to make Heart Waffles!

We had a lovely stay and the hotel staff were very helpful with ideas for which places to stop in the area as we continued our roadtrip.

If you're looking for a family friendly hotel in Norrköping, check out the Elite Grand Hotel! We would definitely stay again!

Don't forget your snacks!

Elite Grand Hotel Norrköping 

TYSKA TORGET 2, 600 41 Norrköping

Check out their website for more info

TUI holiday at Atlantica Aegean Park

This was our second time booking a Tui resort holiday to a warmer climate but it was the first time grandparents joined us on the trip. 

Why people stayed in all inclusive resorts was something I really wondered about before becoming a parent! After becoming a parent, I realized why these places are so great for families! Especially with young kids AND aging grandparents coming along. 

Details

• One week all-inclusive with TUI to Rhodes, Greece. 

• Trip was taken during Fall break, late October to early November. 

• We flew Aegean airlines and most if not all, of those onboard were also staying at our resort.

Popular kids cartoon character Bamse and Captain T and the "Bamse kids club" with the evening dance activities for kids was a huge hit! Grandparents enjoyed watching the kids dance. The kids made sure to finish dinner most nights so they could see the show. 

Atlantica Aegean Park is a TUI Blue hotel located at Kolymbia Beach on Rhodes. To get from the airport, buses were waiting at the airport exit. When leaving the hotel to go back to the airport, shuttle buses picked us up at the hotel.

Good

• 2 separate rooms - one for us, one for the grandparents 
• Rooms faced Pool side 
• Exercise classes available 
• Kids club 
• Kids entertainment 
• Kids pool
• Buses took us from airport to the resort
• Allergy substitutions 
• Very friendly and helpful staff
• All inclusive includes 1 free dinner at each of the resort restaurants 
• Condition of the hotel was pretty good for it being the last week of the season
• There was a water park that was free to visit with slides and a kids splash area!

Snack bar offered greek iced coffee 

and slushies all day.

Would have been nice to have

• More Greek food options
• Kids club stayed indoors instead of walks outside for example
• The flight was 10pm at night so by the time we arrived it was early morning and kids were cranky and exhausted 😩 
• They gave out sandwiches but unfortunately they were all cheese and ham and with allergies we didn't eat most of them.
• The wristbands didn't work at the sister hotel (with the water park) for any snacks.
• It was missing a spa with a sauna and jacuzzi. There was spa services like Massages and facials but not much else. 

Excursions

The hotel is located next to a couple of small shops but not much else. You can walk along the beach to get to another area and it was nice being right by a beach.

There was also a hiking trail up a mountain that you could do for an incredible view of the island.

Atlantica Aegean Park also offers daily excursions to different parts of the island that you can sign up for.

There is scuba diving nearby. Check out my past blog on Scuba diving on Rhodes.

Overall, we all had an enjoyable time at Atlantica Aegean Park! We enjoyed pool time, the fitness classes, water park, walks and scuba diving. 

The grandparents visited a few towns and did some shopping. The kids loved the Bamse kids club and evening entertainment! It was great not to have to worry about what's for dinner or any cleaning for the week! 

We visited on the last week of the season but the hotel grounds were in great shape and the staff was friendly and always attentive. We especially appreciated the allergy alternatives they had for my little one. 

We would definitely visit again!

Don't forget your snacks - The snack bar by the playground was always open for snacks like Gyros and fries!

Atlantica Aegean Park

Βρυξελλών, Kolympia 851 03, Greece

Check their website for more information 

Clarion Hotel Post Gothenburg

 

We recently stayed at the Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden. Located in Gothenburg centre, the hotel used to be an old post office, hence the name. We had a great night and enjoyed our stay - including the Swedish hotel breakfast!

The Clarion Hotel Post's breakfast is served on the main floor of the hotel. Check with the front desk on the breakfast hours. During our stay in May 2022, we had to book a breakfast time to avoid crowding... although it was pretty crowded anyways.

The delicious breakfast included a variety of cold and warm dishes. They even had a tasty dessert section with little brownies and cakes! 

The breakfast area had multiple tables for the main food. For the hot dishes you could choose from items like sausages, thin pancakes, and eggs. The cold dishes included deli meats, cheeses, and smoked salmon (both warm and cold smoked).

There were also a few different drink stations to get tea/coffee, and juice but it seemed like everyone wanted to lineup at the closer coffee station, so it was slow getting your drinks.

One station offered some dairy free, gluten free and Egg free alternatives which included, yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, and even a couple of desserts. With a few allergies in our family, it's always nice when a hotel breakfast has some great alternatives. 

The Clarion Hotel Post is a very popular hotel located next to Gothenburg Central Station. We loved the location, the service, and of course the hotel breakfast. The room was spacious and had a fantastic view of the square outside.

A few things to know when staying with family...

- the pool at the hotel isn't included but can be booked. Kids can swim before 3pm.

- front desk replies to emails if you need to ask any questions before your stay.

- the sofa in the room can be made into the extra bed, however, there's an extra charge if you want bedding/pillows. 

- the hotel suite had a small fridge but it was full of drinks and snacks.

- There was also a kettle and coffee maker.

If you're visiting Gothenburg and looking to treat yourself to a nice hotel experience, check out the Clarion Hotel Post!

Don't forget your snacks! 

Clarion Hotel Post

Drottningtorget 10, 411 03 Göteborg

Check out their website for more information.

Our Stay at Pinnacle Hotel Harborfront

We recently stayed at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront during our visit to Vancouver in Dec 2021. We booked our stay online on Booking.com before our trip. Located in downtown Vancouver, by the seawall, the Pinnacle Hotel was a great choice for the first part of our visit!

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the family room we got. It was great for the kids to run around in, especially since we spent our first day in the hotel room while waiting for our on-arrival Covid test results to come back. 

The Pinnacle Hotel is in a pretty central location near the seawall and a short walk to the shopping area of Robson Street.

The beds were smaller than we expected but they were comfortable and we liked having a fridge and coffee maker too.

The kids enjoyed having a bath tub since we only have a shower in our home in Sweden.

There was no room cleaning during Covid, but they did clean the hall and rooms of people who had checked out. There were glasses left outside the door of our room since before we arrived. They sat there for a day or two. We had to notify the hotel staff before they cleaned it up.

Hotel reception was helpful when we asked about good options for food delivery since we quarantined at our hotel for 24 hours waiting for our on-Arrival test results. 

Due to Covid, the hotel offered a modified Room Service option, but that required you physically going to pickup the food downstairs yourself. They also recommended some food delivery apps to use. We opted to order food delivery from a local grocery store and one Asian restaurant. 

After we got our negative results, we made sure to enjoy the pool and hot tub facilities. You don't need to book a time during Covid for the gym or pool area, but we were lucky that noone else was at the pool when we went. You do need to wear your mask everywhere inside the hotel, except when in the pool/hot tub (so in change rooms, hallways etc.).

 

View from our windows!

Overall, we had a pretty great stay at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront and it was nice to be right in downtown for evening walks on the seawall. Despite it being the Pandemic, it was a really great start to our vacation for the holidays 2021.

Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront 

1133 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6E 3T3, Canada

Check out their website for availability and information.