What was the city’s most luxurious hotel when it opened in 1928 has undergone a 13-year refurbishment project. Today, Bergen’s Grand Hotel Terminus is ready to receive new guests, and is more spectacular than ever.
– We have worked flat out this winter to get everything ready, says Kjetil Smørås.
He and his family took over Hotel Terminus in 2006. At the time, the symbolic hotel built for the National Exhibition in Bergen in the early 1900s was in a sorry state of repair.
– Our aim has been to recreate what was once the city’s most luxurious hotel.
This has taken 13 years, and at a cost equal to the hotel purchase price back in 2006. The result is a blend of history, tradition, luxury, and modernity.
– Finally, guests again have the opportunity to enjoy this historical gem of a hotel in Bergen.
To preserve the hotel’s history and tradition, and at the same time breathe new life into the unique Grand Hotel Terminus, all the rooms have been designed by the award-winning architects ClaessonKoivistoRune. These architects are also minds behind the hotel’s reception, restaurant, and conference facilities. The latter offer a capacity of up to 370 people – and comprise everything from intimate meeting rooms to the large Terminus Hall.
– The architects have succeeded in preserving the soul of the hotel, and at the same time adding an exciting aspect seen from a modern perspective. Original chairs, made for the hotel in 1928 by cabinetmaker Christopher Knag, have been restored and can still be found in the rooms, says the proud hotel owner.
On the walls of the city’s “Grand Old Lady” are selected artworks, and the side-walls of the impressive stairs up the eight floors are used for art exhibitions.
Not only does the hotel offer its very own honey collected from beehives on the roof, its guests can also enjoy a wide selection of liquid refreshments in Norway’s best whiskybar “Bar Amundsen”.
– The bar has received Gold rating in the whisky magazine “Great Whisky Bars of the World”. We are immensely proud to have secured a place on this list, says the hotel owner.
All employees receive special Bergen-focussed training to ensure they know the city’s history and all its nooks and crannies by heart.
In 2012, the hotel was given protected status by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage for “an excellent example of modern hotel architecture from the 20th century”.
More about Bar Amundsen
