St Olav

After the seven-hour train ride from Oslo, I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. It was almost empty, even though I'd booked ahead. Breakfast was nice, and lunch and dinner were available too. My room had two single beds and was fine. Apparently it's mainly used as accommodation for patients' families, with tourists staying when rooms are free. I paid for two nights but will skip the second one because I'm taking the overnight train to Bodo.

I was in town for a music competition at a nearby university and stayed two nights. The hotel is close to the city center, though the surroundings do feel a little like a hospital, which makes sense for a hospital hotel. I got the decent room and bed I expected. I needed somewhere to practice my instrument, and the receptionist kindly let me use a meeting room for free. Breakfast could've been better, but it did the job ++. The TV didn't quite work, but that wasn't a big deal. I didn't try dinner.

The midwives and nurses were amazing, but the rest of this stay left me upset. After my wife gave birth, she already had a room, but I had to pay 354 nok to stay there with her and our child for one night. It felt sexist and insulting, as if fathers don't deserve to be with their newborn or help the mother if they can't afford it. That makes no sense. The bed was also too small for people who might want to sleep with their child.

The breakfast was delicious and had lots of variety, enough to earn four stars on its own. The accommodation felt too expensive for what it was, and the double beds were small.