Kviknes Hotel

The historic old part of the hotel has a lot of character. Their sumptuous dinner buffet is expensive but worth it with all the many dishes. The hotel is worth visiting just to see their large art collection hanging on the walls of the various rooms and hallways. ”Four generations have been collecting the original artworks that now grace the walls of our hotel. At the heart of the hotel’s large collection are the artists for whom Balestrand was a source of inspiration. Artists such as Hans F. Gude, Johannes Flintoe and Hans Dahl were regular guests at the hotel or built themselves houses in the village.” One room "Hoyvik Hall"- has intricately carved wood created by the local woodcarver Hoyvik.

Beautiful location Check in was friendly and efficient. Room: Old No floor towel No do not disturb sign No luggage rack Shower had good pressure and was instantly warm Balcony was nice but others on cell phones talking ridiculously loud so couldn't enjoy it, would have loved to make tea/coffee in early morning or evening but no kettle or coffee maker. Breakfast: Excellent, quality and selection was impressive. Superb and attentive staff. Best breakfast during our trip in Norway. Tip: hold key card to door to lock on way out, does not lock automatically. Note: Hard to find lunch spot that was opened when we arrived right before noon.

I stayed 3 nights in the historic section, and very much enjoyed relaxing on a corner room's front and side balconies. Comfortable single twin bed in a very clean suite, with views of the front yard and fjord, and ferry a 1-minute walk away. Tiled bathroom with a controllable heated floor had the usual mini soap, shampoo, conditioner. Stand-alone tub with hand-held shower but nothing on the wall to hold it up. Room was quiet except when the people next door were loud. Historic pictures decorating the hallways were interesting to view, like staying in museum. I enjoyed looking at and reading them all. I didn't go into the 'new' addition on the back. Many hot & cold breakfast buffet selections in a large dining room catering to large tour groups. Tables in the nooks edging the room are quieter and have better views. I enjoyed the warm croissants. The intention is good, but I'm afraid quality suffered a bit (hot food cools off) having to serve so many people within the meal time. As I don't eat much, I didn't go to the dinner buffet, but had small meals in the local eateries. 4 stars instead of 5 for the small (yet probably still expensive) improvements that could be made if someone looked closely. Fresh flowers on tables were a very nice touch in the lounges. I would absolutely stay here again enjoying the area and town, avoiding the crush of people when bus tours arrive, as there are things to do in the area, or doing nothing but relaxing in the large lounges. I appreciated an owner taking the time to talk with me after I overcame my reluctance to say anything that may be taken in a negative way, but figured if it were MY business, I'd want to know, to improve where I could. Thank you for my stay.

An excellent hotel despite being in the "new wing". The bedroom was certainly big enough and was kept very clean by the charming employee. The food at breakfast was a buffet style and no complaints at all about the standard of food. The evening meal again was buffet style and was excellent - although it would have been nice to get a bit of variation on starters and desserts. All staff were very friendly and very attentive. Not much to do in Balestrand, but, you can do walks and get ferry to various locations.

Kviknes Hotel's main building, a modern annex connected to the original, elegant structure, stands out from the beautiful fjord waterline like a sore thumb, an architectural ugly ducking that could be forgiven if it provided a comfortable and welcoming stay. Sadly, it does not. The staff was pleasant, and the breakfast was good, but the rooms lacked basic amenities one would expect of a hotel of that stature. We had to bob and weave our way through the lobby when a couple of crowded tour buses arrived (and climbed up to the seventh floor to avoid standing in line for the inadequate elevators). We were grateful that we'd brought our own shampoo. It was fortunate that we'd brought soap (they provided "body wash" in dispensers that didn't work) and there was neither a tea kettle, coffee maker nor a refrigerator/minibar in our room. The carpeting in the hallways is looking a little worn and all in all, this hotel seems as if it's seen better days.

We did the return day trip to the famous and historic family owned Kvikne's Hotel in Balestrand from Bergen. The ferry leaves Bergen at 8:00 am and there is a return ferry at 4:45 pm.The ferry takes about 4 hours through the famous Sognefjord. The ferry is a modern ferry run by Fjords Tours...very modern,chic,comfortable ferry with large viewing windows. It is a Cataraman and stunning.It is cleverly designed with sloping walkways so that everyone gets a great view.Aim for the upper deck.It has a nice open deck also for viewing and taking photographs. It has numerous toilets and a nice cafe. The famous and historic Kvikne's hotel is very welcoming and permit the day trippers access to the entire hotel.We had lunch at the hotel sitting in the Verandah with a gorgeous view.The food menu was ample.There is also a nice shop for souvenirs. The hotel has a superb art collection all over with easy access to the day trippers. Balestrand is a small charming village with an old historic St. Olaf's Church with an interesting history.Take the 2 kilometer heritage walk pass unique historic painted villa's with unique architectural designs. I discovered the historic Kviknes Hotel from my book, "One Thousand Places To See Before You Die". This trip to Kviknes Hotel, Balestrand by the very comfortable Cataraman through the famous Sognefjord was the highlight of our visit to Norway.

We enjoyed our two-night stay at Kviknes Hotel. Our room was in the older historic hotel and was comfortable and clean, with a lovely balcony overlooking the fjord and a sitting room off the bedroom. The bathroom was tiny but fine. Breakfast, included in the price, was quite extensive and very good. The big dining room is surrounded by windows and is light and airy. Would definitely recommend staying here. The newer hotel is an eyesore -- don't know what the rooms are like. The hotel is expensive, but then again, so is all of Norway.

A beautiful stay in this historic hotel. We opted to stay in the historic section and we were delighted with our room and balcony view of the fjord. Nothing was too much trouble for the friendly staff. The old style furnishings were clean and comfortable. We enjoyed the well prepared seafood and other offerings at the buffet dinner while taking in up the fabulous sunset view. The breakfast was also excellent. We enjoyed late afternoon drinks on our private balcony. A short walk to and from the express boat allowed us to make the most of our time wandering around this beautiful village as well as enjoy this historic hotel.