With a location on 8 acres in an old park about 1 km north of the city wall, between Norderstrand beach and a nature reserve, four-star TOTT Hotel Visby offers a variety of activity choices. The elegant, minimalist facade of white and glass windows with plants placed in symmetry doesn’t fail to make an impression. Since I arrive early before lunch and check in is not until 4pm I leave my luggage in the storage room and head out to explore Visby.

A 10-minute walk from TOTT towers the ring wall, followed by the Botanical Garden in Visby. In a way, Visby inside the ring wall is like a world of its own with history in multitude, culture, cuisine and creativity. Although summer brings its share of tourists from near and far, I love to stroll along the myriad of cobblestoned streets in the town center.

In the late afternoon, I continue to the harbor and the beach by Kallbadhuset for sunbathing and a swim.

Back at the piers in front of TOTT Hotel’s Visby Beach Club the sea invites to another dip before check-in.

That my Standard room feels far superior to be named standard with its furnishing from first-class design firms such as Living Divani, Wegner, B & B Italia, and Karl Malmsten speaks of the high quality throughout the property. The one bedroom features a separate living room/kitchenette with espresso machine, electric cooker, microwave oven, stove and fridge, TV, phone, BOSE system (radio/CD/DVD), wireless Internet, sofa, kitchen table and chairs, bathroom with shower and bathtub, plus, the highlight, furnished terrace with sea view. I also love the photo of the sea in Gotland by photographer Johan Hellström.

Room sizes range from Double studios (20 sqm), Standard (40 sqm), Deluxe (60 sqm) and Superior (65 sqm) to a number of suites (Standard, Panorama, Junior, Executive and a two-floor 125 sqm Penthouse Master suite).

TOTT Hotel Visby’s layout is well thought-out with an architecturally pleasing hotel building of 54 apartment rooms and suites centered around the pool opposite the bungalows, 71 in total, each with terrace or balcony. The two architects, Per Öberg who did the bungalows’ design and Jan Perrin from Arklab who designed the hotel, aspired to let the interior and exterior blend in with the surrounding environment of Gotland.

Since minimum age for guests without children is 25 years during high season (week 26-33 ) to avoid status as a party hotel, evenings here are chilled out. The pool bar closes at 6pm, a bar in the lobby offers hot and cold drinks plus lighter meals, below the bungalows there’s a common outdoor grill area, and Visby Beach Club stays open until 11pm.

For those who like to exercise before breakfast, the fitness room opens 7am and health experts lead activities (Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Qi Gong) by the pool every morning between weeks 27-32.

Breakfast is included for all guests. I love the fresh sourdough bread and that TOTT caters to vegans with soy milk to the bran flakes.

After check-out I leave my luggage with the reception for a walk in the neighboring nature reserve Galgberget. The 7 km Trail of Health begins right outside the hotel.

In the afternoon it is somewhat reluctantly that I walk away from the hotel, because this is the kind of place where you can stay blissfuly for a long time.