Storfjord Hotel sits on a hillside above the Storfjord near Ålesund, on Norway's west coast, with the Sunnmøre Alps across the water and thousands of acres of woodland around it. It is built in the traditional lafted style, from whole logs, and its 30 rooms are spread across four timber buildings, each with its own character. Every room has a balcony facing the fjord and the mountains. Inside, antiques, classic Norwegian furniture and works of art give the hotel the feel of a well-kept mountain house, rugged and elegant at once. The restaurant serves a four-course dinner each evening from local produce, by the fire, and dinner can also be taken in the boathouse on the fjord or around an open fire in a forest lavvo. Wellness is kept small and simple, with outdoor hot tubs, a sauna looking into the forest and a few treatments. From early November the fires are lit and the hotel prepares for Christmas, so the darker months have their own appeal.
- Rooms
- 30 rooms in four timber buildings
Insider tip Ask for dinner in the boathouse on the fjord or by the fire in the forest lavvo on one evening, as a change from the main dining room.
Why I choose it It is small, quiet and deeply Norwegian, a calm place to slow down among the fjords after Oslo or the coastal towns.