Birkebeineren Apartments

I was disappointed by how hard it was to get warm water in the shower, especially with below-zero temperatures outside. There was a strange smell in the room, and the Wi-Fi didn’t work at all during my stay. I might usually overlook one problem, but these kept piling up, and the price was still hard to justify even though the ski jumping event likely pushed it up. On the good side, the staff were friendly, the common areas were pleasant, breakfast was really good, and the location was handy for both the town center and the ski jumping hill.

The room felt quite dated, and the bathroom could use a makeover or at least an extractor fan. Aside from that, our one-night stay was comfortable, with a relaxing lounge and a good breakfast. It’s conveniently placed for a short walk into town or up to the Olympic jump.

There’s plenty of free parking, and the main building room was good. Breakfast had lots of choice, though it gets very busy early when athletes from the nearby Olympic Park are eating, then settles down later. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk to the Sentrum, with its pedestrian-only area and lots of shops and restaurants. You might even share breakfast with aspiring and future olympians.

The buildings were temporary structures for the 1994 Olympics, later turned into a hotel, and they feel well past their useful life. Staying there felt like lodging in a prison, with standards nowhere near what I’d expect from a modern hotel. There are so many ridiculous shortcomings and problems that I could go on for paragraphs. This would make sense at $50, but it cost significantly more.