Scandic Stavanger Forus

The shower has a flow limiter, and there are maintenance issues in the rooms. They also don't clean rooms daily to cut costs, which isn't reflected in what you pay. Breakfast is acceptable, though mediocre by Norwegian standards. This isn't one of the more outstanding places.

The lobby and restaurant music kept jumping from loud to quiet, which was uncomfortable. The bathroom was cold, with no way to adjust the temperature, and there was no bath mat. I was made to pay for the whole stay at check-in, then refused a payment receipt for some strange internal reason. After a long discussion, I had to refer to Norwegian law before they finally gave me one.

At peak times, check-in lines get extremely long, sometimes stretching all the way out the main entrance. Otherwise, it's a decent hotel with spacious rooms and welcoming service. The staff are friendly, especially the breakfast restaurant crew.

The gym is open at all hours, though it's small and down in a basement with no daylight or view while you're on the treadmill. Breakfast was a highlight, with a large, varied buffet, and my stay was otherwise comfortable and mostly uneventful. At check-in, the first receptionist couldn't find my business booking. My company had supplied its name but not mine, but a second receptionist found the booking in seconds using the same details. It was frustrating and anxiety-inducing to be told they couldn't find my reservation while I was in a foreign country, and I doubt the first receptionist searched properly. At 4am on the first night, the room thermostat started clicking and flashing every five minutes or so. I don't know why, but the team called an engineer who removed and unplugged it. After that, I slept perfectly every night.