The Sortland Hotel offers comfortable accommodation in the centre of Norway's blue city.
It might not seem it at first glance, but there are many choices of accommodation in and around Vesterålen. Although there are just two hotels in Sortland, numerous campsites, cabins and guest houses across the archipelago offer a choice to visitors. After days of driving Lofoten, I wanted to stay in a town for an evening so I chose the historic Sortland Hotel.
Sortland Hotel
Vesterålsgate 59, Sortland
Arrival
Located on the main road through town, the hotel was super easy to find and had a large parking lot immediately behind. After ringing the bell on the desk (super old school, love it!) check-in was a breeze. I was given a room on the second floor close to the lifts.
Overall the hotel was quiet as there weren't many other guests, but the shared areas were large enough for me to suspect that it doesn't feel cramped even when fully-booked. Free coffee was available in the lobby, which was actually a comfortable place to relax.
The hotel has a proud past and each room contained a book about the building's history. The Nobel prize winning author Knut Hamsun wrote his famous book “ Den siste Glæde” between 1911 and 1912 in one of the rooms.
The room
The room was simply furnished and brightened up with artwork from a local artist, much like the rest of the hotel. There were some interesting pieces of art in the corridors and stairwells.
The room contained a seating area, TV and (not pictured) a small working area where I happily typed up my notes from the day's travel from Svolvær. The bathroom was compact and clean.
Despite overlooking the major road through town, the hotel room still offered a nice view of the mountains across the water and a glimpse of the blue town:
Breakfast
Considering the small number of guests I was surprised at the variety of hot and cold choices on offer. The staff kept everything topped up and seemed only too happy to help when a particular item was requested. I didn't feel rushed like I do at so many other breakfast buffets.
Culinary library
Just off the reception and lobby area is the lovely library bar and restaurant. Dedicated to Norwegian author Lars Saabye Christensen who included the hotel in one of his books, the room houses many books donated by the author himself. Dinner is served every evening excluding Sundays, while lunch is also served on weekdays.
Overall
Sortland is never going to attract hoards of tourists. Unless you're doing business in the town, this hotel is more a place to rest your head for a night while passing through Vesterålen and Lofoten. Having said that, you could choose to base yourself here for a week, using it as a base to explore each of the Vesterålen islands in turn.
Check availability and prices at the Sortland Hotel with Booking.com
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I stayed as a guest of the Sortland Hotel. However this review in independently written and free of influence from the hotel management.
