Scandinavia Guidebook
Best and worst accommodations:
Best: Balestrand Hotel
Why: I LOVED this place! Probably my favorite hotel I've ever stayed in...gorgeous view, and such a lovely family-run feeling to it.
Rachel Wisdom in St. Louis, MO USA 11/18/2011
Best: Thon Hotel Panorama, Oslo
Why: I got one of the rooms that was like a studio apartment, only without a kitchen. It had a balcony, even a couch and coffee table, and I got it at a special Internet-only rate for three-day stays.
Worst: None were noticeably bad
Why: I was a bit disappointed in the Cabinn City in Denmark, because its website seemed to indicate that it had an onsite laundromat, which proved not to be the case. However, I had an interesting experience at the laundromat that was several blocks away: the Zimbabwe women's BMX team was there washing clothes.
Karen in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/04/2011
Best: Hotel Hilda - Kalmar
Why: Modern and spacious rooms, great location
Peter in Vancouver, Canada 10/06/2011
Best: Scandic Grand Marina, Helsinki
Why: Great location, breakfast, free bikes, internet.
Sam Pelligra, MD in Greensboro, NC USA 09/19/2011
Best: Stalheim Hotel, Noway
Why: Wonderful place, but some travelers may expect more than the scenery. Unless they are hikers, let them know that the scenery and s serene place to stop for the night on the Nutshell tour is worth the time and cost.
Keith Wood in Lawrence, KS USA 09/16/2011
Best: Oslo Budget Hotel
Why: Although the price was slightly higher than quoted in the Snapshot book, they did give us the 10% discount (with the Rick Steves book), which made it the most affordable place we found at 540 NOK . Internet was available for free.
Roberta in McBride, WA USA 09/12/2011
Best: Skansen Pensjonat, Bergen and Flam Campground
Why: We loved the personal attention at Skansen - easy check-in, room had a beautiful view just as she said in her e-mail when we reserved. We flew in, took the bus, got off at the fish market & walked right to the hotel. Yes, there's a hill, but it's worth it. At Flam we had a roomy camping cabin, large areas to wash your dishes, bathrooms were cleaned frequently, free internet, helpful staff regarding activities and times to ride the Flam railway when it wouldn't be full from the large Cruise ships.
Nelda Eitreim in Garretson, SD USA 08/22/2011
Best: Oslo: Thon Hotel Europa
Why: As your book says, hotels in Oslo have great rates in the summer. I stayed 4 nights here in July, and paid about $85 per night including tax and fine breakfast (a great price in in an otherwise expensive city). This hotel is very comfortable and has a fantastic location on a quiet street a couple blocks from the National Gallery. There is free use of two computers in the lobby with free coffee/tea. And the hotel is a block from the last stop of the airport bus. Please add this hotel in your book
Bill Miller in Chicago, IL USA 08/20/2011
Best: Gustav Vasa Hotel in Stockholm; Thon Europa in Oslo; Balestrand Hotel
Why: The Gustav Vasa Hotel has a spacious room, helpful staff, and we liked the location. The Thon Europa in Oslo had the best breakfast buffet on our trip. Balestrand Hotel has nice quiet rooms, a very pleasant common area, great views, and a helpful staff. Just a very comfortable place to stay for a couple of nights.
Worst: Tie between Citybox in Bergen and the Stavanger B&B
Why: Citybox is a good concept but the place is not maintained very well. Think dormitory at a university that's had its maintenance budget cut. There were holes in the walls and bathroom door, the beds were particularly comfortable, and no breakfast is included.
All the guidebooks praise the Stavanger B&B, but I fail to see what the fuss is about. Our room was tiny, the shower down the hall had no place to hang a towel, and the breakfast buffet was nothing special. Highly overrated.
Steve Macfarlane in Carmichael, CA USA 08/07/2011
Best: The absolute favorite was Hotel Bema in Stockholm. We also liked Thon hotels in Bergen and Oslo.
Why: Hotel Bema did not feel like a hotel/pension but rather like a really cool European apartment with lots of sunlight and shiny hardwood floors. And you cannot beat the location!
We really liked Thon hotels in Norway, Thon Bergen Brygge in Bergen and Thon City Cecil in Oslo. They were very nice, clean, comfy and had the best breakfast buffets we encountered in Scandinavia.
Irena in Cleveland, USA 07/29/2011
Best: Gekkens Room for Rent in Balestrand, NO
Why: Good homey rooms and very good meals. I had the salmon plate both evenings.
Worst: None.
Why: All accommodations were OK to excellent. We stayed at hostels and guest rooms.
Greg Mansfield in Washington, NC USA 07/03/2011
Best: Scandic Marina in Helsinki
Why: Location...Location...Location! Quiet hotel adjacent to Viking cruise terminal and close proximity to market square, cathedrals and suomenlinna ferry. Though, few restaurants nearby; greater attention to business vs leisure customers.
Worst: "Avoid Meriton Old Town hotel in Tallinn like the plague!"
Why: we booked this hotel nearly 60 days prior to our arrival. we booked this hotel given the location and recommendation per Rick Steve’s guidebook (within the Old City and close proximity to the cruise ship terminal). subsequently, we attempted to book their airport pickup service (via 4-emails and 2-faxes to hotel) however to no avail (no response from hotel). finally, we requested airport pickup service via booking.com and booking.com confirmed accordingly. upon arrival at airport, no airport pickup service was present and we had to find alternate transportation (airport bus to outside the Old City and then walk uphill ˝-mile into the Old City with suitcases to hotel). upon arrival at hotel, we were informed there were no rooms available, being bumped by a tour group and being relocated to a sister hotel on the opposite side of town (outside the Old City and away from the cruise ship terminal; however they paid for the taxi to their sister hotel and upgraded our room at my request). other non-tour group travelers were also bumped accordingly (and many on numerous hotel review websites). there is no excuse for this type of conduct! we are experienced travelers (our 16th trip to Europe, most of which included 99 out of 100 score hotel recommendations per Rick Steves) and would not recommend this hotel to anyone (except perhaps a tour group)! And be warned as we got the impression this happens alot, as the Meriton Old Town hotel is beautiful but small, reigning guests in to the Meriton hotel franchise, and they must know they have loads of empty rooms in the other meriton hotel to put guests in as it's so unappealing, especially if you've already paid!
richard kruse in la jolla, ca USA 06/16/2011
Worst: Rica Hotel Kungsgatan
Why: although true - central but characterless...I would add more - -positive note very clean...but negatively - - there is no concierge type service - hotel staff could not provide directions, restaurant recommendations, and if you needed to iron something you had to do it out of a hallway closet ...
Lynn Porterfield in Ridgewood, NJ USA 04/11/2011
Best: Freys Hotel
Why: I found this hotel in the Snapshot Stockholm 2010 book. It was a gem. The location is very close to the train station, a short walk from the Arlanda Express train. Folks at the front desk were friendly and helpful, especially Maria. After 1 night we asked to change rooms to one on the inside courtyard. Our 1st room was just above the outside front terrace...too noisy at night with the windows open. This change was no problem for the desk clerk. We conveniently bought T-Bana tickets at the front desk. Just a wonderful, immaculate place with free WiFi in the rooms. Great big breakfast buffet which is kept well stocked throughout the serving time.
Sharron Stevens in Oberstaufenbach, Germany 09/04/2010
Best: Kiviknes
Why: Location, location, location (Balestrand)
Ashley Parker in Tampa, FL USA 08/30/2010
Best: Walking tours for Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallin
Why: Most of these are in old town and easy walking and shopping
steve meno in new palestine , IN USA 07/31/2010
Worst: Queen's Hotel Stockholm
Why: Additional comment: After I posted this, the hotel apologized to us via email for not clearly communicating the prices, and even gave us a partial refund for the charges. Definitely a nice token.
Liz in Tucson, AZ USA 07/28/2010
Best: Thon Hotel Stefan Oslo
Why: Got a great deal by booking online, nice room, great breakfast. Very classy place.
Worst: Queen's Hotel Stockholm
Why: Staff was not helpful, to put it mildly. We inquired about laundry service, were given no prices and in fact told there would be no charge - only to find out the prices after the fact. The staff refused to work with us on this, even though they had misled us. The hotel also reeks of smoke. There is no smoking inside, but everyone smokes right outside the door and it blows straight in, then up the stairways and halls. I would never stay here again.
Liz in Tucson, AZ USA 07/26/2010
Best: Pensione Vestergade in Aeroskobing; Balestrand Hotel
Why: Pension Vestergade is a handsome and historic building, with a superb innkeeper. We were greeted with tea and cookies in the back yard with Hector. Balestrand Hotel has a lovely location, great family owners, and when I messed up my scheduled arrival, they did not charge me extra and accommodated me in a view room.
Mary Paquet in San Jose, CA USA 07/11/2010
Worst: Hotel Thon Oslo
Why: We were one of the many who were unfortunately grounded by the Icelandic volcano. I purchased the nonrefundable accommodation at the Thon which was a huge mistake. British Air was grounded the week we were to be in Europe and therefore we had no choice but to cancel....we could not get there. Our hotel in Lisbon was more than glad to work with us, but not the Thon Hotel in Oslo. We could get no respone until I informed them I had put their payment on hold through a dispute. They then responded and gave us three days to reschedule...impossible with the crazy volcano playing havoc with travel. In the end, they kept our $400 with no chance for a credit under these extenuating circumstances. It would have been great PR to have worked with us and others who could not get to their destination... I cannot recommend Hotel Thon Oslo or other Thons.
Cristina Calvert-Clements in Johnstown, CO USA 06/25/2010
Worst: Villa Hortensia, Estonia, Tallinn
Why: Delux Double room was filthy. Your shoes stuck to the floor in both the bathroom and the kitchen. The balcony door could only open a few inches. Your view is a pile of rubbish. YUCK!
Susan in Derry, 03/26/2010
Worst: Re: Hotel Aerohus
Why: My wife and I had the misfortune of staying at the Hotel Aerohus on Aeroe Island, Denmark, for 2 nights, earlier this year. The rooms were small, cramped and uncomfortable, with bright outside lights which shined through the curtains all night directly into the rooms, making sleeping difficult. The level of noise from tour groups that are permitted to play loud radio music until 1:00 a.m. and later, made going to sleep any earlier impossible.
Their restaurant is overpriced and has tasteless fried food, which is normally overcooked. We had the fried fish for $75 per person. The menu is in Danish only, and imagine our surprise to be charged $8 for tap water which we did not request and which is not stated on the menu we were informed. When we complained that we had not been informed by the waitress of this charge, the owner and his daughter, both of whom run this hotel and are extremely unfriendly and unhelpful, replied that charging for tap water was normal in Denmark. We knew this was not true, from having eaten in a number of good restaurants, none of which charged for tap water. While it may have seen better days in the past, the Hotel Aerohus has deteriorated into a lodging that should be avoided at all costs.
Gary Kauffman in San Rafael, CA USA 11/12/2009
Best: Kvikne's Hotal
Why: Went in early Oct, practically the only place open. It was lovely. For dinner, we order only a $50 bottle of wine, the waitress then proceeded to ignore us sfor the rest of the meal. We had to ask for coffee, she automatically served it to others.
Worst: Heimly Pensjonat, Flam
Why: The owner was very stern. The breakfast was adequate, probably as cheap as she could do without looking totally cheap. The rooms were so small, we bumped into each other while passing the beds. When I asked if we could have coffee, because I saw her carrying it into the dining room, she smiled and said we could get it out of the vending machine. Considering the prevalence of rain and the need to stay in, we would have been happy to pay more for a more cheerful and welcoming accomodations. We used many of your recommentations, and liked all the other accomodations you recommended.
Mary Azevedo in Walnut Creek, CA USA 10/15/2009
Best: Hotel Nebo
Why: We booked 2 suites. Both were lovely rooms but ours in the back was much quieter. Our friends had a lots of street noise. Very nice breakfast, helpful staff and the free computer was handy. Highly recommend as a budget hotel.
Judy in Alexandria, MN USA 10/06/2009
Best: The Grand Hotel Leveque on Rue Cler
Why: Small rooms - excellent location
Larry Carrigan in Tempe, AZ USA 09/22/2009
Worst: P-Hotel Oslo
Why: The book recommended requesting an upper floor room to avoid street noise. At the 4th floor the sound of the city tram, right outside the door, was still loud. As was the late night (past 3 am) noise from the bar on the corner. People were hanging out in the street having a great time but it was not great for those of us trying to sleep.
Pat Kelly in East Sandwich, MA USA 09/03/2009
Best: Best: A and Be Hotel (Stockholm, Sweden) Balestrand Hotel (Balestrand, Norway) Good: Hotel Cristall (Cologne, Germany) Stavanger Bed and Breakfast (Stavanger, Norway) Cochs Pensjonat (Oslo, Norway) Guesthouse Sunna (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Why: A & Be Hotel (Stockholm): Excellent price, 2-3 blocks from CityBike rack, grocery store and 7-11. There was free wi-fi in the room, bathrooms were very clean, small but comfortable room and the folks running it were always nice and pleasant. Large and filling breakfast. The location seems a bit out of the way, but with the super nearby City Bike rack, and some nearby metro stops, it is very easy to be downtown within 10 or 15 minutes of stepping out the door.
Balestrand Hotel (Balestrand, Norway): This was the best place we stayed the whole three week trip! Owners and their children are very nice, especially through emails beforehand. Beds, bathrooms and common areas are great.
Hotel Cristall (Cologne, Germany) Clean rooms, relatively quiet given its location near the train station, excellent breakfast. Rooms look just like the photos on the website.
Stavanger Bed and Breakfast (Stavanger, Norway) Owner and staff are very friendly – great breakfast. Good value for money.
Cochs Pensjonat (Oslo, Norway) Not as loud as we had feared – even though there are bars on the street. They will loan you any pot or pan you need if you get a kitchen room. Location is excellent, friendly staff.
Guesthouse Sunna (Reykjavik, Iceland) If anyone is looking for a good B&B in Reykjavik this is a good one. Good value for money, nice breakfast, quality rooms (accurate website photos), kitchen access for all rooms and right next to the church and downtown action.
Worst: Absolute worst: Chicken's Private Pension (also called Morten's Guesthouse) (Copenhagen, Denmark). Bad: Citybox (Bergen, Norway).
Why: Absolute worst: Chicken's Private Pension (Copenhagen, Denmark).
I have stayed at numerous B&Bs, pensions, etc. of varying quality (I am comfortable with spartan, threadbare and bathroom down the hall) all throughout Europe and this is by far the least value for money I have ever experienced. I would highly recommend removing it from the Scandinavia book. Below is a list of problems, but the highlights are: false advertising, poor quality rooms, unwelcoming and unpleasant owner.
Expanded explanation: 1. Were told before we paid that kitchen was available to use for breakfast, and the RS book says "kitchen available for breakfast on your own." We then paid and bought food to cook only to have the owner then tell us you are only allowed to heat up coffee or tea - nothing else allowed. This does not count as breakfast in my book. 2. Our double was a narrow L-shaped room with two very short beds next to the alley. Two of the lights were burnt out. Our trash was not taken out during our five day stay. The alley is very loud as it is full of garbage cans that are picked up in the early morning. The room is below the shared bathroom and you can hear with crystal clarity people using it. There was also pipe noise constantly loudly emanating from the walls. Another shared toilet was just outside our room, it was dirty and had a large crack so you could see people inside it. This toilet was shared with the store next door. This toilet was frequently occupied by a lady who worked in the shop next door who came to sit in the bathroom with the door open and talk on her cell phone (because there was an outlet). Folks are allowed to smoke in all the rooms. Two children were washing their hair in the kitchen sink every morning. One of the showers has no door, just a curtain, making it awkward to share with other folks. The other shower leaks onto the floor. In an attempt to clean this water up, I used one of the hand towels from the bathroom, since there were no bathmats. I was then chastised by Morten (FYI Morten is a woman, as apparently this can be a female name as well) for not using a damp towel sitting in the "private do not use" area, despite the fact she had not instructed us to do so. You are forbidden from washing your laundry in the sink or drying it in your room (she wants you to pay her 100 kr for her to do it for you). 3. The owner is highly unpleasant. We were never asked one thing about where we were from, what we were going to see, how our stay was, etc. during our five night stay. She just asked for the money and that was it. She truly seems to dislike running a pension.
It does seem difficult to find places in Copenhagen. Prior to the trip I contacted 10 B&Bs (through Bed and Breakfast Denmark) whose calendars indicated they had free rooms on the dates I wanted and not one ever wrote back.
Bad: Citybox (Bergen, Norway).
The way this place is set up seems like it will work in theory, but make sure you have a cell phone you are willing to place a five minute international call on. The room was fine for the price, shared shower and toilet (apparently this building used to be a dorm for the university!). Nice view and the coffee shop (unaffiliated) next door is decent. The problem lies in the fact that the check in terminal is constantly broken. We had to phone and then wait 30 minutes for a security guard to let us in. The next day no one's card appeared to work and we had to phone again. The magnetic door cards are also on flimsy paper so if you bend it at all it doesn't work! The front desk is actually only staffed between 9:00-12:00. Our double room did have a fridge and sink, however.
Dave in Seattle, WA USA 08/31/2009
Best: Thon Opera Hotel in Oslo
Why: The hotel was very modern and well maintained. It is only a few steps from the central train station and made getting around easy. It was perfect for doing the Norway in a Nutshell in one day. They start serving buffet breakfast at 6am so we could eat and still make the 6:35am train without rushing. You can also use the metro and other transportation easily. The ferry to/from Copenhagen is not far. And you are right next to the beautiful new opera house. Despite being so close to the train station the room was very quiet. And you have access to the food, grocery stores, and liquor store in the train station that Rick describes. I got a cheap rate on the Thon web site by prepaying a month in advance. It came out to about $130 per night for a large, very comfortable room, including a nice buffet breakfast for 2.
J. Perschbacher in Atlanta, GA USA 08/02/2009
Best: Hellsten Hotel-Stockholm
Why: Small (80 rooms) boutique hotel; Wonderful staff, comfortable (though small by American standards) and interesting rooms; excellent breakfast-wide variety of items for Europeans or Americans; great bar to meet other travelers; the owner Per Hellsten is on premises and is a very nice gentelman.
Eric Schultz in Wauwatosa, WI USA 07/15/2009
Best: Flam Camping
Why: The cabin we rented for one night was a great way to really experience the area. Unfortunately it rained the entire time we were in Flam, but it was a fun way to break up the Norway in a Nutshell Tour.
Worst:
Why: Just a suggestion to make sure people know that the tickets on the DFDS cruiseship from Oslo to Copenhagen are non refundable. Unfortunately our train from Myrdal broke down and we missed the boat. We ended up losing the money on the cruiseship and having to take an uncomfortable overnight bus trip. Just a tip that while you may have everything planned out just perfectly, sometimes other things get in the way and can throw off even the best plan. Trip insurance could have helped us, but we didn't get any. Just a heads up for other travelers.
Lori K in Chicago, IL USA 06/02/2009
Best: Hotel Arthur - Helsinki
Why: Large rooms, central location
GEORGE T. TUTT in GRESHAM, OR USA 05/18/2009
Best: Cab-Inn City near the Copenhagen train station
Why: Friendly, cheap, reliable. Not only do they have "free internet access in lobby" (pg 88), but they offer both Wifi in the lobby and an iMac for shared use by the laptop-less. And more important, my room came with an Ethernet jack above the phone jack -- which WORKED! The net connection was at least 10 megabits, some downloads exceeded 1 megabyte/minute. I don't know if every room has working Ethernet -- but since I'm typing this is the lobby, let's ask. Yep, every room is wired for Ethernet, it's included in the room price, you just plug it in and it works, and if you forgot to bring a cable, they'll lend you one for a 50kr deposit.
Harald Chess in San Francisco, ca USA 01/04/2009