"You're going to disappoint the children. They expect a fat Santa." ~Mrs. Claus, Rudolph the Red…read moreNosed Reindeer When travelling close to Flåm, a restorative and quaint side tour for regular humans (or pit stop for fjamous men in red suits needing to fatten up before a worldwide tour) is a trip to Fjaerland by passengerboat. Fjaerland is a fjolksy village of about 300 people, sitting along the Sognefjord where it meets the Jostedahlsbreen glacier. The town, dubbed "Norway's Book Town", is known for its secondhand bookshops...some even set in old cow sheds and pigpens! If you haven't come for the books, you are likely there to see and experience the surrounding magical scenery by kayak or by hiking through the mountains or glaciers. Whether you've worked up your hunger by hiking, bumming around bookshops, or delivering presents, you'll eventually be fjamished for lunch. There is no fjiner choice than to dine at Fjaerland Fjordstove. Fjabulously situated overlooking the fjord and glacier, Fjordstove hotel and restaurant charms with its amazing setting and shabby chic décor. At the reception desk, we met the fjastinating and hospitable hotel owner, Bard Huseby, who promptly guided us to a seat outside on the wrap-around deck. We felt like we were sitting in the middle of a live postcard with unbelievable views in every direction! Bard was quick to make us feel at home and ensure that we swiftly had beer in our hands to help us cool down and relax. We had grown so fjond of Hansa beer that we all ordered it without a second thought. Unfortunately though, we all regretted that choice later once we found out that Bard makes his own craft beer, Fjaerlands Ale. Hansa glasses in hand, we considered ourselves very fjortunate to enjoy such a tranquil spot where time seemed to stand still. The scene almost fjelt fjictitious, but our hungry stomachs quickly brought us back to reality. While looking over the menu, we appreciatively noticed that the hotel procures its ingredients locally (beef will come from grass-fed cattle in fields close to the hotel), including the reindeer meat in the burgers we ordered. Let's hope none of that meat came from everyone's favorite reindeer, or there will be a lot of sad boys and girls (and adults) this Christmas! So what is reindeer meat like? Our burgers were very flavorful and juicy with no hint of reindeer game-iness or tinsel at all. There was a fjaint aftertaste of wrapping paper, but that quickly crumpled away. I wouldn't say the meat glowed, but it was very lean and tender--definitely a burger that would go down in history! Our lunch and the great views at Fjordstove were some of our fjavorites from our trip! Though we likely won't be back in the fjorseeable fjuture due to the remoteness of the village, you should definitely pop in for fjeast here if you are in the area. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to peek at Santa's "Naughty or Nice" list!

Amazing dinner - way more inventive and delicious than anyone would expect to find out here in…read morebeautiful, remote Fjærland. Three course dinners are served here each evening with seasonal, local ingredients at 7:30 sharp. This charming hotel has a farmhouse feel overlooking the water and nearby glaciers, and the setting is intimate with about a dozen tables. We weren't guests at the hotel but we decided to make a reservation as this was a quick walk from where we were staying. It was a relaxed fine dining experience, definitely one of the best meals of our Norway trip and worth a detour if you are wandering the fjords. I would recommend making a reservation in advance using the contact number on their website, note the price for dinner was 550 kr per person as of Aug 2017. Tonight's menu was smoked fish to start with a lovely beetroot creme, a hearty plate of braised ox and cabbage, and finally a creative dessert of rhubarb topped with ice cream and a delightful sweet wafer. This was the type of food we hoped to enjoy in Norway!

This is listed as a 4 star hotel. Prices range from US $400 plus to $1,100 per night! Our…read moreexperience is more of a 3 star experience. Our room was for three adults. It is a small sized room. The beds are European sized (small) and a fold out couch bed for the third person ( not the greatest bed option). The mattresses are very soft and without support for your back. The room is not air conditioned. In May- June and beyond, it may require you to open your balcony door as we did. Warning: little flying insects may want to hang out with you if you keep your balcony door open. ; ) However, the cooling fjord air is delightful. The bathroom is very small and the walk in shower cube measures @ 3 1/2 feet by 3 1/2 feet. Good water pressure and hot and cold temperatures. The shower cube is a fold out door system. Be prepared to have water sprayed and leaked everywhere after your shower. It was a mess to put it mildly. Watch out for slipping! The lighting system is interesting here. There are box shaped switches that you press to turn on and off the various lights in your room. Lights will turn off automatically at times. Closet has enough space for jackets and robes. Robes and room slippers are provided for your use by the hotel. Window views from the third floor are gorgeous and you can see the fjords and mountains. This alone was worth the stars. Overall, the room doesn't have much space to walk around in room. It's nice that there is a balcony with chairs and a table to sit outside and enjoy the view. There is a desk which is helpful for computer use. There is also a small refrigerator that holds drinks, which you may purchase. Service: Friendly and accommodating. Family run hotel. A 14 year old brought up our luggage. You may ask the front desk to freeze your ice packs and store medicine if needed. Nice lobby, library, and artwork around hotel. Walking distance to a convenience store market named the Joker Leon. Restrooms located throughout the hotel. There is a children's playground also located in the hotel. I would've rated this hotel a 4 star rating if there wasn't a fold out bed and a larger bathroom and shower.

The place is very nice and well kept. Some areas seem renewed or Updated. It has many rooms for…read moreconferences and meetings. A cute kids area. The buffet fir breakfast wasn't very good. Dinner had more meat options. A la carte was good. The rooms are cute, but don't justify for the price. We found a tick in the room. The sales manager said maybe it came with us. No "we will investigate", no "this is a surprise for us", no reaction, no mortification... nothing that let me know that this was a rate, unusual, isolated situation. Just got told that it would be good for me to check because it might have come with us. The huge extra Large tick as nasty as can be. On my kids and I. I am so upset. It surprises me that a hotel has absolutely no customer service "face" to deal with complications. Really bad. Not coming back. It was a first and last.

So if you're looking to stay in Skei, your choices are pretty limited. Limited to this hotel or no…read morehotel. At least, in the off season, that is. I'm not Norwegian, but I've seen Thon Hotels around Norway, so I assume it's a chain. Pictures in this hotel would lead you to believe it's been there for a long time in some form or another. This current place is weird. It's an amalgamation of several different buildings of varying age. There's a pool, sauna (that didn't work), sun beds, hot tub (that didn't work), fitness room, indoor bowling alley (1 lane), conference rooms, and some other various amenities. Parts of the hotel were new and updated, some were obviously 30+ years old and in need of some care. Our room was simple, overlooking the lake. Very small, no outlets by the bed. No little bottles of shampoo or soap. Very basic. The worst part was that our bathroom was the worst designed bathroom I've ever seen. The whole room flooded when you shower. Water gets everywhere, even around the toilet. Yuck! The result of this is that the bathroom smelled horribly strong like a musty high school locker room. The smell permeated the whole room and never went away. It was disgusting. The dinner is also 390 NOK (about $40 USD) and that's your only choice except for eating at the Circle K cafe. We ate at the Circle K. Breakfast buffet was surprisingly good. Earned back a star.

The Gloppen Hotell is easily the best in Norway. Not only are the rooms comfortable and the staff…read morevery friendly and accommodating, it has great views and a lot of history! Additionally, the food is absolutely incredible. I have been to the Gloppen many times and the food never disappoints. They serve a a lot of traditional Norwegian cuisine which is fun to experience the culture. One of my favorite meals here is the white fish. It is so fresh and always cooked to perfection. Last night I had the scallops with a tomato compote for an appetizer, steak served with potatoes and a raspberry sorbet with a molten chocolate cake for dessert. I was in heaven. See the attached pictures. I will absolutely be back and recommend everyone travel to experience Sandane and the Gloppen Hotell!

This place is wonderful and we would highly recommend it. The staff are amazing and the hotel is…read morebeautiful. We have been traveling through Norway, enjoying the nature and food. Gloppen Hotel has served as a wonderful base for exploring the fjords, mountains and wonderful countryside. We spent yesterday in Lovatnet and today hiking in the mountains. It was perfect to come back to the hotel and relax on the front lawn and look out at the fjord. The food is amazing and will not disappoint. The menu is all local ingredients prepared on site. Even the beer is made here! The decor is tasteful and reminds you of the fishing history and strong people who have lived in this village for generations. Thank you to the wonderful staff, we will be back!

I would classify this place as a luxury lodge. I stayed in the old farm house that has been…read moreconverted into a lodge and I really enjoyed it. Amenties are amazing. Wifi is not available in all rooms but if you stay in the main building or very close to old building side in farm house then you may have a bar or two. The owner sets up a beautiful breakfast feast every morning with plenty of cheese, juice, bread and fish. All rooms also have lotions, scrubs and creams made by her and they smell good! :) It is really quite here and the room is decorated in a real tasteful fashion. The hotel is more on the expensive side but i loved my stay here.

This hotel is excellent. Think classy outdoors person who wants to enjoy proximity to amazing fjord…read moreviews without sacrificing quality of hospitality, interesting architecture, delicious food, and decor that suits this all perfectly. My partner and I attended a wedding weekend here, enjoyed the feast of a reception and morning buffet, rested well in the neat and comfortable rooms, and loved the balcony view.