SIMPLY THE BEST HOTEL IN STAVANGER, NORWAY!…read more I have had the great pleasure of staying at the St. Svithun Hotel for the past three consecutive years (2010, 2011 and 2012), and there are many reasons why I keep coming back. Whenever I visit Norway, I have to visit Stavanger--and I have to stay at St. Svithun. I must admit that when I first booked a room at St. Svithun back in 2010, I was a little apprehensive when I heard that the hotel was "connected" to a hospital. I have never heard of such a thing. However, as soon as I arrived, I realized the advantages of having both a hotel and a hospital located adjacent to one another. In fact, when I had a minor medical emergency during my first visit, I was so thankful that the emergency room was only around the corner of the building (I was also thankful for the smart and practical Norwegian healthcare system because I ended up paying less than $20 (US) for complete treatment of my ailment). What do I like best about this hotel? Let me count the ways: 1. The hotel staff go out of their way to help in every way possible, whether it's more towels in the room to preparing a packed lunch for a day of hiking, to providing public transportation suggestions in the downtown area. 2. The hotel has a fantastic restaurant called, Cafe Morgenrød with very interesting "theme nights" that showcase international cuisines. Compliments to the chef! 3. The 24-hour gift shop and snack bar located in the lobby has everything one would need, from a delicious midnight snack (pølse sausages, hot sandwiches, and Norwegian ice cream, "Soft-Is") to late night reading from the latest best-selling novels. There's also a great selection of men and women's toiletries, over-the-counter medication, and other travel essentials. 4. The hotel is impeccably clean. Since it's tied to a hospital, St. Svithun is one of the cleanest hotels I have ever experienced. They have an incredible housekeeping staff! 5. The room rates are the most reasonable I have seen throughout Europe, and an especially excellent deal in the super-expensive country of Norway. 6. The hotel has buses at the corner stop that head straight to Stavanger's city center and beautiful Vagen Harbor. 7. Lastly, the newborns that one sees every once in a while are both heart-warming and lovely. There's nothing like seeing happy couples with their cute babies in tiny see-through movable basins. That's probably my most lasting image of this truly unique and magnificent hotel. When I visit Stavanger again, I definitely plan to make my hotel reservations at St. Svithun. Tusen takk (many thanks) St. Svithun. You are SIMPLY THE BEST!

A different hostel! This is not at all where you would expect to find a hostel…read more It is connected in par with the hospital, which at first I was a bit uncomfortable. The reception is in the main entrance of the hospital as well. There is apparently a hotel and hostel; However, I stayed in the hostel. The price is decent for hostel so I booked a bed anyways. At first expected my room to be in the same location as the other hostel rooms but I was not told they were overbooked. The receptionist showed me to the room and told my to go through the dining room (which was closed) and go right where you will find the room. The room was a office meeting room (large table and all) with a cot in the corner. I was not mad, I just thought it was funny and quite odd. I finally was told there was a whole hostel area on the bottom floor with a kitchen and everything, I had no idea! The best part of the hostel was the breakfast. It was fantastic and delicious!! All you can eat fresh food, coffee, everything. That made up the whole experience. I recommend this hostel if you are not picky about places to sleep and don't mind dining with new-born babies, because trust me, the breakfast is worth it!

On of the treats of cruising in Norway is the opportunity to do some amazing tours. One such tour…read morewe took was the Stavanger to Lysefjord tour. While on our slightly bigger cruise ship (we hate large ships!) somewhere traveling in the North Sea, our friends and we decided this would be a fun excursion so we booked easily online. Before I go any further on my review, a huge shout out to the customer service team as I accidentally booked the wrong date. Using great ship WIFI calling, I was able to straighten this out easily and quickly. The boat provides mostly covered accommodations and this was good as it was raining off and on all day. The lower deck consisted of 30 or so tables comfortably seating up to 6 people. The upper deck was mostly exposed to the elements but great for getting pictures. There was also a snack bar serving basic sandwiches, bakery items and drinks of all kinds. Also, the boat was an all electric boat with the company advertising a "sustainable fjord experience". Our tour began at noon and lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours and we got to see Pulpit Rock which rose approx.1800 feet above the fjord along with great waterfalls and landscapes in addition to views you never tire of. A delightful way to spend a rainy afternoon. The only negative was I believe our tour was slightly oversold. In as much as the upper deck wasn't usable due to the rain, there didn't seem to be enough seating for everyone.

This is a great option for seeing the nearby fjord and nature of Stavanger. We lucked out…read moreweather-wise and only had a little rain so we were able to utilize the plentiful outer deck space. The boat itself is very well-kept and large, so unless it is a very choppy day you shouldn't even really notice you are on the water. Nice facilities all around; comfortable chairs, tables, bathrooms, and a snack bar inside with benches and mostly standing-room outside on the decks. There is a periodic voiceover giving you the highlights of the area, otherwise pleasant music is playing softly so you can have whatever conversations without feeling like you are yelling. Scenery wise, this is a great trip. You get up close and personal with the fjord walls and a beautiful waterfall, making for stunning pictures and views. Highly recommend if you have 3.5 hours to spare while in Stavanger!

Wow, what an awesome hotel! I stayed in 2 rooms during my trip, one with a view, one without. I had…read moretwo hotel rooms only because of my delayed flight. I had everything I needed. Room was serviced daily. I could change the temperature to my liking. The highlight was the breakfast! Coming from the US, this breakfast is nothing like we get in the states, aside from staying in bougie, expensive hotels, you won't find this. Breads galore, 5 types of eggs, vegetables, fruits, you name it, they've got it. I wanted to take allllll the pictures of food, but I also didn't want to ruin the breakfast mood. The most important thing is that they have 2 coffee machines in the breakfast area alone. There is a lobby space with a nespresso machine so you could enjoy coffee all day round. I am glad I picked this hotel and would absolutely come back!

The room was nice and had plenty of space to move around. The bathroom was also spacious. Centrally…read morelocated in town and around a lot of shops and places to eat. The breakfast space is large and hard tons of options. Staff were nice and helpful.

This was a really amazing experience. The dinner may have been my favorite meal across our 14 day…read morevacation. The gardens are stunning everywhere you look. Would definitely recommend this for a stay in Stavanger!

WOW! WOW!! WOW!!! Did not expect to see what we saw. Flor & Fjære is AMAZING!!!! Be…read moreforewarned, they are not open year long. They are open (approximately) from May to September every year. Take their colorful ferry from the port in Stavanger, Norway. It is about a 20 minute ferry ride on the fjord before arriving at the beautiful island. Even before we set foot on the island, we were totally blown away with what we saw. We peered out the windows, and we were greeted by gorgeous colorful flowers. I did not expect to see such lush breathtaking gardens! Flor & Fjære truly is an island paradise in Norway!! We took a short guided tour first which gave us a glimpse and history of the place. We did our own self guided tour (and took a bunch of pictures) after partaking of their delicious lunch buffet. Most of our meal was made from organic ingredients only found on the island. Everything from the chicken to the lamb to the dessert and everything in between was yummy! Of course, I had my favorites. I especially enjoyed the scrumptious Hidlefjord Fish soup and delectably divine dessert! Definitely, a 5 star lunch buffet experience! I highly recommend a trip to Flor & Fjære if you have time to spare in Stavanger. Well worth the price of admission to see these spectacular magnificent gardens!!! You have to book your tickets in advance, though. Personally, I enjoyed them more than Butchart Gardens in Canada. Simply STUNNING!!!!!

Without a doubt, this was the nicest looking ferry that I have ever ridden on. It looks like a…read morecruise ship. There are even cabins that you can book in order to spend the night. We took the car and ourselves onto the ship. This ferry goes from Hirtshals, Denmark to Stavanger, Norway to Bergen, Norway. Well, we took this ferry service from Tananger (Stavanger) to Bergen. It was about a 5 hour ride. Time went by fairly quickly. I spent some of the time exploring the ship. There are a couple of places to eat. One is cafeteria style. The second is a buffet. I purchased a couple of yummy pastries and drinks. Affordably priced in Danish Kroners. There are plenty of spots around the ship to sit, sleep, and lounge. After 10am, though, it gets more crowded because folks have to leave their cabins by that time. Anyways, it was a nice ride. Made for a welcoming change of pace from driving the entire way back to Bergen. Just remember to bring your passport!!

I stayed at this hotel for 4 nights during a business trip and really enjoyed the amenities and…read morelocation. The hotel is within walking distance of most major city-center activities and is outside the bus terminal area, so there are plenty of bus routes/taxis available, too. I had a room facing the lake, so a nice view, but it did get a bit noisy on Friday/Saturday night with nightlife noise. The rooms seem recently updated; the bed was comfy with a nice table and seating area. The bathroom is bigger than your typical "European" style bathroom, which was a welcome change! Front desk employees were professional and friendly. Room service is available from the nice restaurant downstairs, Fire Lake. Breakfast is additional cost, but it is a huge spread and worth it in my opinion. All in all, certainly would stay here again if I am ever back in the area!

Now this is a hotel. Right next to the Stavingers main bus station. Easy to drag a suitcase to…read more It has air-con which was needed this 80F feeling day. The rooms are notably larger than the general hotel room size. It has lots of liquid amenities that have a refreshing scent that I enjoyed. The in house coffee machine was convenient. The fridge was helpful. There is breakfast, though I slept through it, as usual. The VIEW! It has a commanding pond view with a water feature. Love the swans. The city and mountains are a beautiful backdrop. Location. Steps from a supermarket above the bus/train station. To the left is the city centre.