I treated myself to a night at the Ibis when in Västerås for a social night. I was attracted by its extremely competitive weekend rate of 394kr per night for an en suite room (approx 44 euros / £29) - this is an extremely good price indeed compared wih usual Swedish hotel rates.

I was aware that the hotel was some way out of town - it is; as a guide it is 45 minutes' walk from the railway station. However, there is a bus stop 5 minutes' walk from the hotel and the fairly frequent buses run late and take just 5 minutes into Västerås centre. However, be aware that there are absolutely no facilities (shops, restaurants, bars etc) of any description near the hotel. The area is dominated by a dual carriageway and a clutch of different sports stadiums.

The Ibis is quite an interesting building as its exterior comes from an oil rig in Chile! My room was absolutely spotless and very modern, with a big comfortable bed. The room feels a bit like a cabin on a ship, which probably stems from the oil rig connection and the fact that there is an extra fold away bunk bed accessed with a ladder.

The young staff were very professional, helpful and nice and had local bus timetables to hand. The breakfast was a typical simple Swedish breakfast buffet. There is a simpler breakfast available quite late and very early, which is a nice touch.