Balestrand

If you don't get responses in this thread, try the Search function (or use Google search and include ricksteves.com/travel-forum in the search). I remember seeing that hotel mentioned (positively, as I recall) when I read back through old threads here.

it looks like a nice place and well located. I was looking for first hand experiences with positive and negatives to consider. Is it moderately priced rather than the Kviknes hotel.

Bill

Yes, stayed there 3 nights in 2017 as part of Norway in a Nutshell trek. Not a fancy hotel but very welcoming and low key. Found it in RS Norway guidebook and would stay again.

Yes, the search that acraven suggested will find you just that - any first-hand experience that people have reported on the Forum.

I looked at the website for Balestrand Hotel and it states that they are not open for the summer of 2020. But nothing is stated about 2021. Does anybody know if they have "hung it up" for this year as well?

Have you sent them an email?

While traveling with friends in 2019 (5 couples total), we had a two night stay at the Balestrand Hotel. All of us loved it. I just re-read my TripAdvisor review to remind myself of what I said about it shortly after staying there. I wrote: "We loved all the common living space we could enjoy as a group. We could gather together in the living room, or in the furnished corners of the spacious lobby reception room, or on the tables and chairs outside in front of the hotel. All three spots afforded us beautiful fjord views. Four couples in our group had rooms with balconies, with fjord views, and one couple chose to have a non-view room to save a little. The rooms weren't huge but they were spacious enough. The fjord views were great and the rooms contained room-darkening window shades, which was helpful because of the late sunset and early sunrise. The beds were very comfortable. The showers were generous sized and there was good water pressure and nice hot water. The included breakfast buffet was very nice. There was a room for drying wet clothing, including shoe dryers, very helpful to us since some in our group took a hike in the rain and it would have been hard to get all the clothing dry without the heated blowers in that room. The owner, Unni-Marie, and her daughter were both very friendly and helpful to us during our stay. This hotel was perhaps the favorite place we stayed during our two weeks in Scandinavia. We loved the fact that it was friendly and family run. I highly recommend it."

Thanks so much for the input. I'm going to email them and see if I can book a 3 day stay in August.

I stayed there for two nights in 2016. It's a very charming hotel, and the owners are warm, welcoming, and helpful. The breakfast was really good, and it was easy to chat with other guests, as it's a small, intimate place.

It's worth spending a tad extra for a room with a view of the fjord (in the front of the hotel). Sitting outside on the balcony was a treat.