Storfjord Hotel

The most sophisticated, luxurious hotel in all of Norway, this beautiful countryside retreat offers a blissful home base for exploring the surrounding fjords.

• The rooms that feature electric fireplaces and walls of windows looking out at the forest
• The location just 30 minutes by car from Ålesund, allowing guests the opportunity to explore the small city as well as the fjords
• The beautiful wooden sauna and massage rooms, both of which are great places to unwind after a day hiking, kayaking or biking

Tucked among 88 acres on a bucolic plot of land overlooking Storfjord, the rustic-chic Storfjord Hotel offers the best of all things Norway: a stunning natural setting, friendly service, luxe but not overly styled décor and a culinary program that highlights seasonal regional produce. A true home away from home, the 30-room Storfjord Hotel is the country’s most upscale property and an undeniably special abode.

Occupying several log cabin–style buildings, Storfjord Hotel has a traditional aesthetic from the outside, but offers elegant, contemporary interiors. The main building boasts several lounges, which feature antiques and traditional Norwegian furnishings like antique snowshoes hanging on the walls, a chandelier made from antlers and walls lined with books, so guests can pick a title and settle in front of the fireplace. In the warm months, the terrace, which features a fire pit and chairs with sheepskin throws, is the ideal spot to enjoy coffee or afternoon tea. The restaurant, which serves breakfast from the open-plan kitchen in the morning and a delicious, three-course dinner in the evenings, highlights local ingredients in such dishes as salmon tartare with capers and horseradish aioli and cod with beetroot puree and fingerling potatoes. (Guests who want to learn more about Norwegian culinary traditions can visit a nearby farmhouse for a baking class or a food safari.)

The accommodations, all 30 of which are so blissful guests will have a hard time rising in the mornings, or leaving their room at all, feature a modern take on rustic Scandinavian décor. With exposed wood beams, four-poster beds, leather armchairs and a muted color scheme of mostly brown, grey and cream, the cozy lodgings all also afford beautiful views of either the forest or the fjord. Some of the best rooms offer private balconies and electric fireplaces.

While indulging in the pampering atmosphere at Storfjord often means spending hours at the sauna or getting a massage in one of the exquisite treatment rooms, this is, after all, the fjords, where adventure is the never far from reach. Hiking trails wind through the acres surrounding the hotel, guests can take a short walk to the water for kayaking or sailing and bikes are available for exploring the terrain further. The hotel can also arrange high-speed RIB boat tours and helicopter trips to the famous Geirangerfjord.

Couple and families who desire five-star accommodations and a hotel where you’ll be as happy venturing out for day trips as you will be staying put and enjoying the property.