This time of year Sweden is dark, snowy and cold. Even if spring is making its first entry in the south of Sweden, up north winter holds its grip. Scandinavianways had a short business trip to Umeå just before Christmas, with a short stay at U&Me hotel.
Umeå is a university city and also the largest city in northern Sweden with 125.000 inhabitants. Also nicknamed the city of birches, Umeå features a lot of cultural venues such as Norrlandsoperan but also festivals such as the yearly recurring jazz festival, Bildmuseet, a sculptural park and much more. With its university the city has a rather young vibe to it.
We were in Umeå for business and only had a short stay. We found the city quite charming with nice bars, restaurants and a very beautiful location by the Ume river.
Hotels are always a personal preference but when going on business trips we prefer high connectivity, lots of power sockets, great bed and bathroom, quick check in and -out and a good breakfast. Functional is king, and location. U&Me hotel has all that. Check-in is fully automated, just enter your check in number and you’re all set. Check out is even faster, just swipe and leave your key and you’re done. Breakfast is served by Kulturbageriet, serving local produce and very good bread, freshly baked on site.
The rooms come in small, medium, large. All have large window views and the beds are placed so you wake up looking at the sun coming up over the river.
If you are more into old classic hotels – the neighboring Stora hotellet is a wise choice. Stora hotellet and U&Me Hotel has the same owner and the hotels are actually physically connected so you can walk indoors between them. Stora hotellet also features Gotthards krog which is a great place for a drink or dinner. The bar is a great choice, with polite and service minded bartenders who know their cocktails. You can dine by the bar and have a luxurious meat sandwich – or step inside the dining room. The dining room has a small but exclusive menu with fish, local meat and vegetarian options.
We also dined at Rex at Umeå city hall. A classic brasserie which serves a lot of local produce such as reindeer and char. Busy and with a great ambiance. Highly recommended even if you dine alone.