Strand Fjordhotel

Wir fanden dieses Hotel sehr enttäuschend und checkten letztendlich aus, ohne zu übernachten, nachdem wir im strömenden Regen zurück in die Stadt laufen mussten, um etwas zu essen zu finden, weil die Küche schloss (der Speisesaal war mit einem Reisebus voller Leute gefüllt – offensichtlich haben sie sich darauf verlegt, sich um Touren statt um Gäste zu kümmern). Das Hotel, in dem wir schließlich gegessen haben, war viel schöner, also verließen wir das Strand. Der Manager konnte das nicht verstehen. Mein größtes Problem ist, dass in winziger Schrift steht, dass der Check-in um 20:00 Uhr endet und dass man 250 NOK Strafe zahlen muss, wenn man nicht vorher vereinbart, danach einzuchecken. Nun, das Boot, das mit den Reisenden ankommt, kommt erst um 19:50 Uhr unten an der Bootsrampe an. Wir waren in Panik – wer weiß, wie lange es dauert, die Taschen im Regen von den Docks bis zur Tür zu schleppen? Warum sollte man diese Regelung haben, wenn das Boot erst dann ankommt? Natürlich können Boote außerplanmäßig sein. Es scheint, als würden sie versuchen, das Hotel wie ein Hostel zu führen, das sich an Wanderer richtet. Das ist in Ordnung, aber es ist das Geld nicht wert. Zu guter Letzt war der Schimmelgeruch in unserem Zimmer schrecklich und obwohl es als Nichtraucherzimmer gekennzeichnet ist, riecht der Teppich, als ob dort jahrelang jemand geraucht hätte. Wir haben für ein Doppelzimmer mit Deluxe-Fjordblick bezahlt und würden nicht darin übernachten! Ich denke, das sagt alles.

I found the kindest folks working in the Strand fjord Hotel. We were en route to the hotel when I got a call informing me that my credit card did not go through and to reassure me that my booking was intact, and I could pay on arrival. Upon arrival we were offered pizzas if we wanted them, as the restaurant had closed. The room was spacious, and so was the bathroom. It had plenty of seating and a fantastic view of the fjord and the town of Ulvik. There was a nice little patio outside the room. The breakfast was adequate with good vegetarian choices, eggs were cooked as requested. We could take our tea out to the sun-drenched terrace on the fjord. There is a popular activity centre attached to the hotel and a bunch of tourists from a cruise ship which was docked at Ulvik, had come over for kayaking. Overall, a satisfactory stay.

We stayed at this hotel because the Brakanes Hotel was fully booked, but we were not very impressed by it. The hotel room seemed worn out, the breakfast was average, and nothing stood out as exceptional. We also found it strange that we had to speak English at a hotel in Norway. There was not much to do in Ulvik when we visited in June 2023. However, the location of the hotel was very good, with a nice view of the fjord. We think this hotel has a lot of potential if it gets renovated. We are a couple in our 50s.

My wife and I are advocates of Macs Adventures—-a Scottish touring company that caters to hikers around the world. Macs Adventures lines up the hotel and moves your luggage daily to the next hiking area. The hotels are always lovely—not 5 star resorts—but comfortable, friendly hotels with nice dining and drinks, and always set in gorgeous scenery with amazing backdrop views. Against this very high standard of excellence, the Strand Fjordhotel stands out relative to a large offering of great hotels. The meals (the hotel offers 1/2 board) are simple, but superb. Classic Scandinavian breakfasts (read into this healthy and tasty and simple, but with a full choice of cereals, meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, yogurts) and accompanied by a hot egg and meat entree. The same is true of the dinners—healthy, simple, delicious. The rooms are well-accompanied and they look out on a bay of the Hardanger Fjord. Majestic is but a starting compliment. The common areas include outside decks to enjoy the views, comfortable sitting rooms for coffee and reading and conversation or work (avoid at all cost). The hotel also serves as a sport hotel-offering kayaks, bicycles, paddle boats and other means to more fully enjoy the scenery of the fjord. This is not a hotel for 1-2 nights, but 4-5 nights with days full of hiking, biking, boating and soaking in the remarkable ambience of Norwegian summers. The highlight was the service. It was possible that someone was not smiling at some small moment, but we did not catch it. The owners are active in managing the hotel and exemplify service. We would be remiss to not mention Angelou—the son of the owners. We had a change of plans and he picked us up at a new location at a longer distance than expected. He could not have made our journey better. Smart, friendly and truly focused on his guests. You can always spot an owner and Angelou could not have been a better introduction to the Strand Fjordhotel. Ulvik is not a town for disco, but it is Norway at it’s finest. Friendly people. Breath-taking scenery. Fruit orchards at every turn. And of course, the Strand Fjordhotel. A must stay.

Le personnel gagnerait à mieux connaître la région pour offrir des conseils qui soient utiles. L’hôtel a une vue assez spectaculaire et se situe dans un cadre paradisiaque mais il est tout de même très défraîchis. La chambre était assez confortable. Le petit-déjeuner sous cellophane est le plus mauvais que je n’ai jamais mangé lors d’un voyage. Ulvik est une ville magnifique, un de nos coups de cœurs en Norvège.

We gingen speciaal naar het restaurant, omdat de website een aantrekkelijk menu van het restaurant liet zien. Helaas bleek dat niet te kloppen. Er werd maar een voorgerecht en een hoofdgerecht geserveerd. We zijn verder gaan kijken.