The West Coast Fjord Country - Norway - page 328

31 Mon-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; Sept Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sun noon-4pm; Oct-Dec Mon-Tues and
Fri 11am-3pm, Sun noon-4pm. Lies 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles) east of town center by bus 13, 14, 18, 23, or 24.
WHERE TO STAY
MODERATE
Comfort Hotel Bryggen The steeply gabled, six-story hotel was orig-
inally constructed in 1906 as a fish-processing factory. Renovated in 2003, it is
today a tasteful, well-run hotel, among the best in the area. The hotel contains a
library with a working fireplace and a glassed-in display of the tools used by the
workmen who constructed the original building. The interior decor incorporates
the thick walls and massive beams of the original structure into an otherwise
modern design. The bedrooms are contemporary and tastefully furnished, half of
them opening onto views of the water. Each unit comes with a small bathroom
with a shower. The place is completely unpretentious and homelike.
Apotekergata 1-3, N-6004 Ålesund. & 70-12-64-00. Fax [phone]. www.comforthotel.com. 85 units.
995NOK-1,560NOK ($141-$222) double; 2,300NOK ($327) suite. Children under 12 stay free in parent's
room. Rates include breakfast and dinner. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; sauna; bike rentals;
babysitting; laundry service/dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: TV,
dataport, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, safe, trouser press.
Quality Hotel Scandinavie Set on a gently sloping street in the town's
historic core, this hotel was originally built in 1905 after the great fire destroyed
its predecessor. Today it's one of the most authentic Art Nouveau buildings in
Ålesund. Renovated in 2004, it offers midsize and tastefully furnished bedrooms
with either antiques or reproductions. Bathrooms are freshly restored and
immaculately kept, 30 of them coming with a tub and shower, the rest with a
shower only. The staff is especially helpful in arranging boat rides on the fjords
or bird-watching at Runde. The on-site restaurant serves mainly Italian food.
Lovenvoldgt, 7, N-6002 Ålesund. & 70-15-78-00. Fax [phone]. www.choicehotels.com. 65 units.
890NOK-1,390NOK ($126-$197) double; 1,800NOK-2,100NOK ($256-$298) suite. Children under 5 stay
free in parent's room. Rates include breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Dec 20-Jan 6. Amenities: Restaurant;
bar; pub (with live music on weekends); limited room service; laundry service/dry cleaning; nonsmoking
rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: TV, dataport, minibar, hair dryer.
Radisson SAS This sleek, modern hotel rises five floors and attracts
business clients and summer vacationers. Its major feature is its restaurant open-
ing onto panoramic views of the surrounding islands. It's run by a top-notch
staff that will help you arrange sightseeing or fishing trips. Some of the rooms
also open onto views of the neighboring islands and the fjord waters. Bedrooms
are either carpeted or have wooden floors. Each unit is tastefully furnished and
all the units except suites are doubles. About 40 of the rooms on the third floor
come with bathtubs, the rest come with showers.
Sorenskriver Bullsgate 7, N-6002 Ålesund. & 70-16-00-00. Fax [phone]. www.alesund.radissonsas.
com. 131 units. June-Aug 890NOK ($126) double; Sept-May 940NOK-1,440NOK ($133-$204) double; year-
round 3,500NOK ($497) suite. Children under 12 stay free in parent's room. Rates include breakfast buffet.
AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 60NOK ($8.50). Amenities: Restaurant; bar; limited room service; laundry service/dry
cleaning. In room: TV, minibar, coffeemaker (some units), hair dryer.
Rainbow Hotel Noreg One of the most desirable hotels in Ålesund dates
from 1954. Most of what you see today was the result of a complete overhaul in
2002. This conventional-looking hotel lies at the edge of the historic center near
the bus station. Bedrooms have modern styling and wooden floors, the most
desirable units opening onto views of the harbor. Fifteen of the accommodations
come with a small bathroom with a tub and shower, the rest have a shower only.

Finds