Smådalarö Gård Hotell & Spa

Smådalarö Gård Hotel & Spa is undeniably beautiful. The lakeside setting is peaceful, the interiors are thoughtfully designed, and the spa facilities offer a tranquil escape from daily life. Most of all, I want to commend the staff, who were consistently friendly, attentive, and warm — truly some of the most hospitable I’ve encountered in Sweden. But unfortunately, my experience was overshadowed by a blatant and deeply offensive racist incident in the hotel lobby. While having a calm conversation with another guest — a Finnish woman I had never met — she looked at me and said, without any provocation: “You belong in hell.” The comment was shocking, cruel, and clearly rooted in prejudice. I won’t pretend I didn’t have the words to respond — in fact, I could have destroyed her with a single comeback. But in that moment, I chose to take the higher road, to stand in quiet dignity rather than descend into the same hostility that was directed at me. What followed, however, was perhaps even more troubling. When I reported the incident to the staff, they responded by saying that they were used to this kind of behavior, and that “this is how people are in Sweden.” As if racism was part of the cultural landscape — something to be tolerated, not confronted. Let me be clear: no amount of Nordic charm or spa treatments can justify a place where people are dehumanized — and then told it’s normal. Hospitality should never come with conditions based on skin tone or background. This place may feel like paradise if you’re blonde and blue-eyed, but for anyone else — it’s a gamble. One that could leave you feeling less like a guest, and more like a target. To the staff: your kindness did not go unnoticed. But to management — silence in the face of bigotry is complicity. This should be a place of refuge for everyone, not just a select few. Until that changes, I cannot recommend Smådalarö Gård Hotel & Spa.

Hotel is great. Food in restaurant was very good. But the saunas in the Spa were gold and there was no water that get löyly.

Everything was an amazing experience. The staff, spa, food and accommodation was great! It was so worth the trip and the money.