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The library area provided a quiet zone at one end of the lounge away from the reception desk
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"the bedrooms were of a good four star standard, as was the design and fitting out of the public areas"
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The operator offers accommodation and food as a package, so the restaurant operation is run as a buffet. At breakfast there is a griddle for guests who want to cook their own eggs,as well as the standard continental fare of hams, cheeses, and this being Norway, pickled herrings. Meals in the evening are a buffet hot course and cold cuts, breads, desserts etc.. In the afternoon a traditional waffle and jam snack is available.
The food is good and plentiful, making the room rate very competitive. The hot buffet on the first night of my stay was whale stew – seafood dishes are very popular in this seafaring nation. The restaurant seating was comfortable and the two areas contrasted, one having a formal table arrangement the second more informal, with banquettes encouraging guests to lounge and linger.
The large lounge was stylish and had a library (in English and Norwegian) for those days when there was a little too much rain for tourism. The bar was an extension to the reception desk (see also previous Reviews Express by Holiday Inn and Marriott Courtyard ), a device becoming increasingly popular, particularly with budget hotels. The Clarion seems to bridge the divide between three and four star, whilst areas of the operation borrowed techniques, like the bar, from three star operations. The bedrooms were of a good four star standard as was the design and fitting out of the public areas.
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The restaurant separated into a formal and an informal dining areas. The formal could easily be used for functions or meetings.
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This is a family hotel and has a check in for juniors...
Click on the image to see the whole reception area
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The formal second room was also suitable for functions and meetings and was fully equipped with the necessary electronic aids. Both room were stylish, the formal with a fireplace that was double sided with the entrance lobby, the informal with a column where the plaster had been carved into a caryatid, and with light fittings made from glass kitchen ware. Staffing was relaxed and informal, with reception doubling up as the bar. Despite being full, the hotel seemed to operate in a relaxed manner, with no evident stress on the staff in dealing with 100% occupancy (see our news articles at Are Full Hotels Desirable...? and 100% Occupancy can be damaging to your wealth for more on the impact of high occupancy rates on operations).
The stairway to the bedrooms as the alternative to the lift was the original granite staircase, with niches and historic photographs and was worth the climb for the interest. There is also a viewing platform on the roof giving a good view over the harbour, although the funicular ride up the mountain gives much more spectacular views across the whole of Bergen. Bergen incidentally has a very well curated and witty Design Museum that is worth a visit.
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Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret
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