Best Stabbestad Spa Hotels

Well, let's see. This would have been a very different review if we hadn't splurged on a room upgrade. The double room we originally booked was small, worn and facing a ditch. Arriving late after a two hour drive, my husband took one look at the room, then at me and said ”I'd rather go home.” So we called reception and were able to see the three available suites, and chose the one without stairs (because we had a baby with us). The rooms are already SO expensive, so it did pain us to spend even more (300 kr per person per night), but it made ALL the difference. Room 427 was close to perfect. A roomy suite with a kitchen, large living room, balcony, bedroom, and bathroom with a tub. And on top of that, a great view of the spa, restaurant and ocean. I have never advised anyone to do this before, but stay away from the double rooms and BOOK THE SUITE! I did not sleep well, unfortunately, because the bed was too soft. (Not normally a problem, but we're talking really soft.) Waking up early, we went down to the beautiful restaurant and had a fantastic breakfast. Then we had a lovely time at the spa with the baby, which is open from 7 am to 3 pm for children, and from 7 am to 10 pm for adults. We tried mini-golfing, for a ridiculous price of 280 kr, but again, decided to enjoy our break. We also went for a walk in the forest. We had dinner at the a la carte restaurant, which was fine. We didn't feel like splurging again on the buffet at 700 kr per person, and paid half this at the a la carte. The views from this hotel are absolutely stunning and the spring air was crisp and clean. In the end we had a very nice time. Pros: Amazing views; roomy suites; spa with warm indoor/outdoor pool, nice facilities and generous opening hours; two restaurants to choose from; good service everywhere we went on the resort Cons: Terribly expensive room rates, double rooms are lousy value for money, a bit far from Kragerø, not much to do in the area