Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway
Purple is a common theme at Hotel Oleana, which goes with its slightly eccentric artworks.
Hotel of the Month, Norway
Unconventional hotel on the Nordic Broadway Despite its mere two-year history, the 97 individually themed rooms at the exclusive Hotel Oleana in Bergen, Norway, draw inspiration from the legacy of its 19th century Norwegian violinist and composer, Ole Bull, whose street it lies on. By Line Elise Svanevik | Photos: CF-Wesenberg
Located on the self-proclaimed ‘Nordic Broadway’, according to commercial manager Erik Trøstaker, the immediate surroundings of the hotel are filled with restaurants, bars, hotels and one of the three national theatres in the northern European country. The design of its vibrant and colourful rooms and interior, crafted with meticulous care, has been launched as a contrast to the clinical white rooms that many 106 | Issue 103 | August 2017
hotels offer – and has been received as a welcome addition to the coastal city.
Handpicked details “Øvre Ole Bulls Plass, where we are located, is named after Ole Bull. The reason we’re called Hotel Oleana is because Oleana was the plot of land he bought in America, where he wanted to build a colony for Norwegians, called New Bergen/ Norway,” explains Trøstaker. “His legacy runs throughout the whole street, and
especially our rooms. Villa Lysøen, where he lived, was filled with handpicked things that he liked from all over Europe, which is what we’ve done at our hotel. We have furniture from Spain, the paint technique used on our walls is Italian; we’ve picked exclusive furniture from all over Europe, which is very in line with Ole Bull.” Two of the bath tubs at Hotel Oleana are made from limestone and can almost be displayed as works of art in their own right, along with the rainfall showers. Owner Ole Jan Strønen and his wife designed each individual room, with a couple of common denominators, including the colour purple. Although some of its art work can be seen as eccentric or perhaps