phone09d76dc83f22018
January 24, 2024
We were recommended to Vestlia Resort by a local & had a good stay, it holds the accolade of being Norway’s best ski hotel 2023. It’s a sprawling property, the communal areas vast & open plan, though for the most part, nicely designed. Staff were all terrific, both at reception (pre-stay emails answered promptly) & in the bar/restaurant. Our room was a 2 bedroomed family suite, it had a kitchen & dining table for 6 but provisions were sparse, not even any tea or coffee. The size & layout of the suite was fine, but it was dark & gloomy, even during daylight, & to make things worse, the lighting was extremely poor…. no ceiling lights at all, just ambient table lamps. We could barely see our clothes in the wardrobe & the only area light enough to apply makeup was the bathroom. Other rooms/suites may have a brighter outlook, but I know from other guests that they were also disgruntled with the dire lighting. Perhaps it’s a ploy to drive you to the bar!! For sure, we didn’t want to spend any more time in our room than we needed to. Apart from that, the suite was satisfactory, with a pleasing aspect overlooking the slopes, a decent shower, comfy bed, & well insulated from noise. We booked on a HB package & food was pretty good. The bar is nice enough, but they don’t offer table service. I’m not into spa treatments but it looked like a lovely oasis & the gym was excellent too, with a large & up to date range of equipment (perhaps because it is also open to non-residents). The sizeable indoor pool is superb, & the full sized bowling alley a particularly great feature. The hotel has lots to commend - the aforementioned staff, excellent wifi, ample parking, & ski lift on the doorstep, so it feels unfair to mark down to a 3 star/average rating….. though the glum room meant I was tempted to. But - when judged on overall enjoyment of stay - Vestlia was ‘Very Good.’