The Best Hotels in Gothenburg

Gothenburg is compact and well served by tram, so you can stay almost anywhere and still be close to a stop. This selection covers five categories, from a luxury hotel with a glass-bottomed outdoor pool to a hostel by the city park. The prices given are rough per-night guides and vary a lot with season and dates. For help picking the right neighbourhood, see the guide Where to Stay in Gothenburg?.

Upper House, luxury with a glass pool above the city

The Upper House occupies the upper floors of the Gothia Tower (Tower 2), floors 18 to 25; the attached Upper House Spa spans floors 18 to 20. Its signature feature is the glass-bottomed outdoor pool on the 19th floor, a cantilevered basin that appears to float free above the city. The hotel doesn't publicly state whether it's heated and open year-round, but nowhere else in Gothenburg gives you this view.

The spa won the World Luxury Spa Award in the national "Luxury Hotel Spa" category in 2019, and the hotel repeatedly ranks among guests' top picks in Sweden. The location is convenient, the Korsvägen tram and bus hub is within a few hundred metres, Liseberg is right next door, the Avenyn is under ten minutes on foot, and the city centre is about two kilometres away. Rooms sit at the top of the price range; exact rates vary considerably by date.

Clarion Hotel Post, rooftop pool in the old main post office

The Clarion Hotel Post occupies the historic former main post office on Drottningtorget, a building by Ernst Torulf completed in May 1925 and listed as a heritage building in 1995. The hotel opened here on 26 January 2012, after a renovation that added a modern tower extension, cost 1.4 billion SEK, and brought the building to 36,700 square metres. Today it has 500 rooms including three suites, 17 conference rooms and an event hall for up to 1,000 guests.

The rooftop pool on the 13th floor, heated to around 30 degrees, is usable year-round. The dining line-up includes several acclaimed restaurants and bars, among them Vrå (Swedish west-coast cuisine with Japanese technique) and Norda, set in the former post hall. The location could hardly be more convenient, the hotel stands right next to Gothenburg Central Station, with the Drottningtorget tram stop (lines 2 and 13) directly outside.

Hotel Pigalle, boutique charm near Brunnsparken

Hotel Pigalle is a boutique hotel in a building dating from 1749, just a short walk from the cathedral and Brunnsparken. It consistently scores highly in guest reviews and was named "Sweden's Best Business Hotel" in both 2024 and 2025. The hotel deliberately skips a spa and conference rooms, focusing on atmosphere instead, complemented by the French-inspired Restaurant Pigalle and the rooftop Restaurant Atelier. No Michelin recognition is documented; the kitchen's reputation rests on guest reviews.

The location is about as central as it gets, roughly 100 metres from the Brunnsparken tram stop and just a few minutes' walk from the water. That puts you right in the Inom Vallgraven district, within walking distance of the canals, the cathedral and the main shopping streets.

Hotel Flora, owner-run design hotel in the city centre

Hotel Flora is one of the few independent hotels in the city, unaffiliated with any chain. Carina Högberg has run it for around 30 years; it has 71 rooms and is home to more than just guest rooms, with the Södra Larm bar and bistro plus a coworking space. A signature feature is the courtyard "The Terrace", used in summer, while the adjoining library becomes a cosy retreat in winter.

The location works well here too, the hotel sits within walking distance of Central Station, Liseberg and the Avenyn, with the charming Haga district about a 15-minute walk away. If you value a personal, distinctive hotel over chain standardisation, this is the one.

Slottsskogen's Hostel, budget stay by the city park

For a tight budget, Slottsskogen's Hostel (Slottsskogens Vandrarhem) in Linnéstaden is the top choice. With capacity for around 300 guests, options range from dorms with up to 16 beds (some women-only) through shared rooms to single, private and hotel-style rooms. The low entry price of around 35 EUR applies to a dorm bed; private rooms cost considerably more.

The location by Slottsskogen park is a bonus in itself, it's about a three-minute walk into the large city park, and the Olivedalsgatan tram stop is around five minutes away. That means an affordable, green stay that's still close to Linnéstaden's cafés and bars.

Location, getting there, and choosing the right time to visit

If you want to stay central, choose Inom Vallgraven or the area around the Avenyn, both put you within short walking distance of the sights, with good tram connections. Drottningtorget by Central Station (Clarion) and Korsvägen (Upper House, Liseberg) are the two key hubs; trams 2 and 13 run between them, and Liseberg is reachable from the centre on lines 5 and 16. From Landvetter Airport, the Flygbussarna airport coach takes around 20 to 30 minutes to Nils Ericson Terminal, running every 10 to 20 minutes; Korsvägen is its first stop in the city. More on this in the guide From the Airport to the City and under Getting Around Gothenburg.

Time your booking around Liseberg's season. In 2026 the park runs roughly from mid-April to the end of September, followed by Halloween (early October to early November) and the Christmas market (mid-November to 30 December). The busiest months are July, August and September, plus Advent, when Gothenburg's Christmas markets at Liseberg and in Haga draw large crowds. Central hotels fill up fast during these periods, so book early if you're travelling then. For a wider view of when to visit, see the guide Best Time to Visit Gothenburg.