Hotel Review: Story Hotel Studio Malmo, JdV by Hyatt

Story Hotel Studio Malmo Review

I’m always game for new hotels, especially ones that are inexpensive and fit my travel plans. I’d anticipated staying in Copenhagen for three nights. But after browsing the hotel options, I discovered the Story Hotel Studio Malmo, just across the Øresund from the Danish capital. Would it be worth splitting a four-day trip between the two cities? I thought yes.

Overview and Pricing

One of three Story Hotel properties in Sweden, the Story Hotel Studio Malmo is a 95-room boutique property close to the heart of the city. It’s a Joie de Vivre property, a brand that has been shortened to “JdV by Hyatt” of late. The hotel offers six room types, the nicest of which is the Ocean View Junior Suite.

The best part is that the Story Hotel Studio Malmo is a mere Category 1 Hyatt property. It’s a steal at 5,000 points per night at standard pricing. Off-peak and peak pricing is 3,500 and 6,500 points per night, respectively.

I checked the going rate the night of my stay, expecting it to be low. January is the middle of the off-season for tourism in Sweden. At $119 USD (1,225 SEK), the hotel is affordable. Rates jump into the $150-180 range as summer hits, making points the obvious choice in this case.

I opted for an award stay, spending 10,000 points for two nights at standard pricing. I would have otherwise paid ~$250 USD.

Location

The Story Hotel Studio Malmo is in an excellent location. It’s a mere 5 minutes from the central train station and offers easy access to the Gamla Staden (Old Town). It’s also on the water, with views of the harbor. Along with the Clarion Hotel & Congress Malmö Live, its the closest hotel to Malmö University.

Lobby and Check-In Experience

It took me a minute to understand what I was walking into when I entered the Story Hotel Studio Malmo. Expecting the typical front desk, there was instead an counter island in the middle of the room. There are a couple sofas and then an odd stair/seating area beyond.

It turns out that the hotel doesn’t occupy the whole building, something I didn’t realize before the stay. There are a couple restaurants on the first floor, and offices on upper levels. The hotel and its restaurant occupy the five highest floors.

The lady at the front desk must’ve noticed my confusion, since she offered to help immediately. Check-in was quick and smooth. She ran me through the hotel’s features, including complimentary breakfast on the top floor in the morning. What she didn’t mention was the upgrade to the Ocean View Junior Suite.

The wooden key cards are super cool. This is something reasonably common in Scandinavia. But this was my first experience with this feature. Sadly, I sat on mine that evening and partially snapped it. But the front desk was kind enough to give me another as a souvenir before I departed.

Story Hotel Studio Malmo Junior Suite

All Story Hotel Studio Malmo rooms are located on floors 10 through 13. I was in the best room in the hotel, which would be the Ocean View Junior Suite on the top room floor. It occupies the end of the building with several windows around the curved wall.

The room offers modern Scandinavian furniture and some unique design features. The entry area contains the “closet” that isn’t. It’s not even an armoire. But the shelf and rack work well. There are robes, a safe, and coffee for a fancy Nespresso machine. In the fridge is complimentary sparkling water.

The bed is comfortable. I still wasn’t adjusted to Europe time, so I woke up quite early.

The bathroom had the essentials. My primary complaint was the half shower door tub design. I don’t get this. It’s dumb. I wish hotels would stop with the madness. The isolated counter is the only real space to set your toiletries. I found it to be a hair small, and I don’t travel with much. One upside is that the floor is heated.

I have a few pain points about the room and bathroom. First, the shower temperature didn’t get even close to hot enough, even after turning it up all the way. It was comfortable, but not to my liking. File this under #firstworldproblems. It’s still not what I expect from a hotel of this caliber, however.

The other complaint is the lack of a desk and nightstand. I made do with the lap desk. And the low bed didn’t bother me. But no nightstand for stuff? The weird headboard wouldn’t have helped, as I’d have to reach around it. The lack of a nightstand was the most annoying. It was weird to just leave my PC, chargers, and pile of books on the floor. Not sure I’ve ever been to a property where the bed doesn’t have a nightstand or table next to it.

Even though it’s toward the warehouses of the industrial port section of Malmö,

Hotel Amenities

The Story Hotel Studio Malmo doesn’t have a whole lot of additional features. There is a Salads and Smoothies shop in the lobby, open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. There is also the Lokal 17 Restaurant, open for just lunch. I didn’t try either.

The hotel doesn’t offer a pool either, but they do have a fitness center available to guests. However, it is off-site. The hotel uses the Nordic Wellness Malmö Central, located about 3 minutes away by foot. You have to ask the front desk for a key card and code to access it.

Food and Drink

The main restaurant is Kasai in the sky. For dinner, it offers a solid sushi menu and lovely views of the harbor. There is a terrace area which obviously isn’t open in January, but I am sure is lovely in the Swedish summer.

I ate at Kasai in the sky during my final night. It’s a hair pricier than I expected. I spent $37.00 USD for a glass of sake and the chef’s choice of sushi. I enjoyed the presentation, and the sushi itself was good. Service was just okay.

You’ll find the breakfast buffet up here in the morning, which is very much not a sushi menu. It’s included in the rate for all guests, even if you’re not a Hyatt Globalist. I had a funny moment where I gave the server my room as 503 instead of 1303. She laughed as I realized my error. That floor doesn’t exist. No idea why I said it.

The buffet has a nice variety of options, including pastries, bread, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt, as well as a few hot options including bacon and eggs. The eggs were surprisingly good. There is also coffee and juice. I tried liver pâté for the first time here.

I’d give the restaurant an “A” for breakfast and “C” for dinner.

Story Hotel Studio Malmo: Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed the stay. The Story Hotel Studio Malmo is a inexpensive property with a good location in the city. Breakfast is solid. The property is short on some amenities, as it is without a pool and offers on-site gym. The rooms are nice in some ways but quirky in others. All things considered, I’d stay here again, given the value.

As a final note, I learned how to correctly pronounce Malmö before the end of the trip. During my time in Copenhagen, I attended church and chatted with a couple of guys afterwards. As I told them my itinerary, I pronounced “Malmö” with a very American accent. They did not understand. It took some practice to get it right, but I eventually did.