Enter St. Elisabeth Hotel

We tried to make the most of it because we'd paid quite a lot, but less than an hour was enough to leave us bored. It costs more than other actual saunas in the area, yet service was poor too. We waited 15 minutes for someone to show up with a bracelet and towel. They advertise it as a sauna and show pictures of an outdoor bath that isn't part of the sauna at all, but belongs to a private suite. The dinner deal isn't a real deal either, since there's no actual discount. Unless you're happy paying far too much for a swimming pool, fancy shower and steam cabin, I wouldn't recommend it.

We left annoyed, hungry, and feeling we'd picked the wrong place and wasted our money. We used the spa for just under an hour, then asked the helpdesk if they could offer some compensation. We didn't want to spend longer sitting around with nothing to do. Instead, the conversation turned into an argument about how they call a steambath a sauna. The spa itself looked nice and clean. We had booked at the last minute because the advertised dinner and wellness deal seemed to cover what we wanted, and it was within walking distance of the city. At arrival, we were told there was no deal, only the entry fee, and asked if we wanted to book dinner separately. That would have tripled the bill and cut our spa time significantly, so we decided to use the time we had and then go into the city. Getting in was a hassle too. No one was there to help downstairs, so we had to go back up and find someone. It took about 30 minutes before we could enter. The showers, steambath, hot water bath and swimming pool were nicely built, but after enjoying them for 30 minutes we wanted to see the rest. There wasn't anything else for us: the sauna did not have a sauna, and guests weren't allowed into the hot tub overlooking the Fjord, despite photos of it on Google and their website. That felt misleading, on top of the dinner deal.

Breakfast tasted very good, though the buffet was a bit chaotic. Things disappeared faster than I could get them, but when we asked, they did refill the food. The hotel was very nice and clean, and our room upgrade was a lovely gesture. We'd stay again. It's a bit remote, about a 15-minute walk to the city centre. The hotel is on a hill, which could be difficult for guests with limited mobility.

We paid four-star prices but the stay fell short on several basics. Service was weak, breakfast was poor and carelessly presented, the room was unfinished and missing equipment, and sound insulation between rooms was very poor. Two days before arrival we were told there would be minor renovations, then at check-in they offered free spa access as compensation. The hotel was actually still fully under construction. Hammering and drilling started before 8 a.m., so getting proper rest was impossible. We raised it at the front desk and got a brief apology and were told the construction workers had been asked not to start before 9. No further solution was offered, and the spa access didn't make up for the disruption. Rest is a basic promise of a hotel, and we didn't get it here.