Where to Stay in Malmö, Sweden: Best Hotels & Neighborhoods

Given that I live in Copenhagen, I’ve visited Malmö dozens of times. In addition to being one of the best day trips from the Danish capital, I have also stayed overnight on numerous occasions. It’s a nice place to have a staycation, with a surprisingly good range of places to stay.  

Malmö isn’t a very big city, which makes picking a suitable neighborhood to stay easier. But since you have so many accommodation options, making the right overall choice can still be overwhelming. What you pick will also depend on your specific reasons for traveling, and today, I’m going to help you out. 

Based on my several visits to Sweden’s third-biggest city, I’ll give you all the details you need to determine the best place to stay in Malmö for you. You’ll also discover which neighborhoods I suggest staying in, along with whether it’s worth staying in Malmö when you visit Copenhagen.

The Best Hotels in Malmö: My Top Recommendations, Based on Personal Experiences

If you’re looking for specific hotels to stay in Malmö, I can recommend two main places in the city. Both of them cater to different types of travelers, but I think that one or the other will almost certainly meet your needs.

MJ’s Malmö

So far, MJ’s is the best place I’ve stayed in Malmö. My girlfriend and I went here for a short getaway in May 2024, and I loved the full experience. It’s one of the quirkiest hotels I’ve stayed in anywhere in Europe, let alone Scandinavia. 

Everything about MJ’s ticked the boxes for a great stay. The staff are super friendly, and our room was pretty spacious. I liked the design of everything, too, which was somewhat rustic but at the same time very flamboyant.

Their breakfast was one of the best I’ve had in the Nordics, and it’s so good that even locals actually book to eat here. I also liked the dinner we had, which was multi-course; our waitress explained all the dishes to us and was very polite. The courtyard you’ll eat in is also cool; it reminded me of something in Italy or Portugal.

MJ’s is very centrally located, but I didn’t hear any noise from outside. I also appreciated our room having actually good ventilation, which is handy if you visit during the summer. 

The only real downside I had to say was that I’m not a huge fan of the carpets in the rooms. But to be honest, that’s a minor irritation and easy to ignore. I also would say that the hotel is more suitable for couples than families; my second option is a better choice if you’re the latter.

Clarion Hotel Malmö Live

I stayed at Clarion Hotel Malmö Live when I visited the city for a weekend trip. I was here solo, and I’ve spoken lots about how I’m a big fan of Clarion hotels in general. In my opinion, it’s the best chain in Scandinavia; Clarion Hotel Malmö Live is no exception.

The biggest advantage of Clarion Hotel Malmö Live is its location. It’s right next to Malmö Central Station, making it ideal if you also plan to visit Copenhagen on the same trip. Another benefit is that the area around it is pretty quiet at night, and in any instance, the rooms are well-soundproofed. 

Like many other Clarion hotels, this one has an excellent breakfast. You’ll find both meat and plant-based options, along with plenty of choices for even the fussiest of children. My bed was comfortable, and the room was more spacious than many other hotels I’ve visited in Sweden. 

Some of the rooms have great views of Malmö, and you can also stay in suites. Beyond that, you’ll find a sauna. Pets are welcome at the hotel for an additional fee.

I didn’t really have any complaints about Clarion Hotel Malmö Live. If I were to be picky, I’d say that the hotel’s size means it’s not too personal. This, however, wasn’t a problem for me as I kinda wanted a quiet getaway. 😄

What I Didn’t Like About Clarion Hotel Malmö Live:

❌ It doesn’t have the personalized experience that you’ll get at MJ’s

Clarion Hotel Malmö Live Is Best For: Anyone visiting Malmö who wants somewhere convenient to stay, including families. 

Should You Stay in Malmö if You Visit Copenhagen?

While Malmö itself has plenty of fun things to do, many people visit as part of a trip to Copenhagen. Malmö generally is cheaper than Copenhagen, and accommodation in the Danish capital is particularly expensive. Still, I generally don’t recommend staying in Malmö if you’re mainly visiting Copenhagen.

I say this for numerous reasons. Firstly, the train from Malmö to Copenhagen costs just over $30 for a return journey. If you travel back and forth over a three-day trip, it adds up to the point that you don’t make any real savings compared to just staying in Copenhagen. 

Secondly, the journey time will eat into your itinerary. It takes around 45 minutes to get from Malmö to Copenhagen Central Station, which isn’t massive, but commuting for 90 minutes daily isn’t fun in general. Even more so if you’re supposed to be on holiday. 

That’s if everything runs smoothly, too. While the train from Malmö to Copenhagen is generally efficient, the delays when something goes wrong are significant. I remember one trip when I had to wait two hours for the next train because everything got messed up, which was not fun. Moreover, your journey will sometimes be delayed for passport checks between Denmark and Sweden. 

Malmö Is a Small City, and I’d Recommend Two Main Neighborhoods

If you still decide to stay in Malmö, I recommend a handful of districts. The city isn’t very big, and most accommodation is concentrated within just a few areas anyway. 

Malmö’s City Center

If you were to visit Malmö on a day trip from Copenhagen, you’d spend the bulk of your time in the city center. I’m including Gamla Staden in this part of the city, along with the area near Triangeln Station and neighborhoods like Davidshall.

Pretty much all the major hotels in Malmö are in the city center. You’ll find both chains and boutique hotels; hostels aren’t big in Malmö, but you will find some options. 

This is the best area to stay for convenience and because it’s where you’d spend most of your time anyway. Most of the restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions are close together in Malmö, and while local buses are efficient, it doesn’t make sense to stay so far out. 

Västra Hamnen

Västra Hamnen is the modern waterfront district where you’ll find the iconic Turning Torso building. The neighborhood itself is really nice, with cool views of the Öresund Bridge and toward Copenhagen on a clear day.

You’ll find a nice beach and recreational area here, known as Ribersborg Strand, which is within cycling distance of Malmö’s city center. Moreover, there are a handful of places to eat—though not as many as in the main parts of Malmö. 

For the most part, you’ll find private rentals in this part of the city. There are some hotels, though, such as The More Hotel Västra Hamnen. It’s relatively close to Malmö, and you can take the bus to the city center. Walking is also possible, but it will take around 25-30 minutes. Oh, and it can get *really* windy here.

Hyllie is the first train stop on the Swedish side of the bridge when you travel from Copenhagen. It’s pretty convenient, as a result, if you really want to stay in Malmö and divide your time between the two cities. 

There isn’t a huge amount to do in Hyllie besides the shopping center (and to be fair, there are also some nice places to eat). However, if you want to stay somewhere straightforward, there are a couple of hotels near the train station. 

From Hyllie, it’s two stops to Malmö Central Station. You can also easily get to Copenhagen Airport from here, in addition to Copenhagen itself. 

While Malmö Has Other Neighborhoods, I Don’t Think They’re Worth Staying In

You’re very unlikely to spend much time in Malmö away from the main districts. Since you can walk around the central parts of the city, I don’t think there’s much of a benefit in staying outside of the districts I’ve mentioned. 

Yes, Malmö has a good bus network—and you can also cycle everywhere. But for the sake of convenience, you’re not getting much of a benefit from staying further out. You’ll also probably feel quite isolated, and if you also want to visit Copenhagen, you will further extend your journey time. 

If you were going to stay any further out, I’d recommend finding a place to stay in Lund instead. The city itself is beautiful, and you can also travel directly to both Copenhagen and Malmö. It’s way more convenient, and Lund is also worth seeing for at least a day anyway. The city has a reasonable range of hotels, too.

All the Tips You Need to Find the Perfect Accommodation in Malmö

Malmö is worth visiting both as a day trip and an overnight stay. You’ll find plenty of hotels in the city, most of which are within the center of town and close to all the main attractions. I don’t necessarily recommend staying in Malmö if you’re specifically going to spend most of your time in Copenhagen, but if you choose to, you’ll find some really good hotels. 

If you choose to stay in Malmö, I recommend picking one of its central districts for convenience. You’re somewhat constricted anyway, since this is where most of the main hotels and whatnot are. Staying further out will add to your journey time even more and therefore isn’t a good idea. 

Now that you’ve read this guide, you should have all the information you need to find the perfect place to stay in Malmö. If you have any further questions, feel free to drop a comment, and I’ll do what I can to help. 

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