Clarion Hotel Sign

The country behind Ikea brings a similarly streamlined aesthetic to the affordable hotel chain Clarion. Designed by Gert Wingårdh, this outpost has an exterior that features noiseproof granite facing the railroad and sheer glass fronting lovely Norra Bantorget park. All 558 rooms are furnished with the work of Scandinavia’s top 20th-century masters, such as Bruno Mathsson and Hans Wegner. Best of all, Swedish star Marcus Samuelsson, the chef at New York’s Aquavit, has opened a restaurant here.