Fru Haugans Hotel is located on the banks of the river Vefsna and surrounded by the spectacular nature of the Helgeland Coast. Photo: Morten Eriksen
Hotel of the Month, Norway
Rest up at northern Norway’s oldest hotel Looking for a Norwegian hotel with history and tradition on the Helgeland Coast? Fru Haugans Hotel is the oldest hotel in northern Norway and has been run by the same family for 130 years, leaving you in the most hospitable of hands. Take time to relax and reflect in the hotel’s shielded salons, have a drink by the river Vefsna, take a stroll in the picturesque town of Mosjøen or discover centuries of history in the unique hotel museum. By Eirik Elvevold | Photos: Jon Ongkiehong
In 1884, a young Norwegian woman named Ellen Haugan discovered an advert in the newspaper for an old hotel, dating back as far as 1794, in the town of Mosjøen. Haugan decided to rent the hotel unseen and left for Mosjøen with her three daughters. When she arrived, there was plenty of work to be done. The building had a dirt floor and an open fireplace, but Haugan was not planning to let that stop her. The following year, Haugan opened a hotel bearing her own name. Fru Haugans Hotel (Mrs. Haugan’s Hotel) quickly gained a reputation for its tasty food and 124 | Issue 94 | November 2016
warm atmosphere. Today, guests from all over the world, many of them arriving by car along the National Tourist Route on the Helgeland Coast, still visit northern Norway’s oldest hotel. “When tourists stop in Mosjøen, they see Fru Haugan’s Hotel right by the river, surrounded by picturesque wooden houses and spectacular mountains – quite an exotic experience for many visitors,” says hotel manager Ellen Løvold Strand, who is Ellen Haugan’s great-great-granddaughter. “Our family has been running the hotel for more than 130 years. I’m the fifth generation to
uphold Ellen’s legacy and spirit. I’m even named after her,” says Strand.
Best of both worlds Fru Haugans Hotel has naturally been renovated and modernised since Ellen Haugan arrived for the first time. New buildings in different architectural styles have been constructed, making room for 129 hotel rooms, two restaurants, two bars and an outdoor serving area with a magnificent view and a green garden. Even though the old dirt floors are long gone, history has been kept alive in the oldest buildings, while the most modern wing – finished in 2015 – has rooms and conference facilities that are completely up to date. “We have two luxurious suites that are particularly worth mentioning: one in the historical part, where we’ve kept the antique style and intimate atmosphere, and another one that is completely modern. That way, guests can pick and choose the