Dr. Holms Hotel

“Dr. Holms Hotel: Norway’s Grand Dame in the Highlands””

There’s something faintly cinematic about rolling into Geilo. I’d been riding my motorcycle hard, carving my way north through Norway, when the weather turned foul. Storm clouds off Bergen had me veering east, and the road eventually landed me at Dr. Holms Hotel. From a distance, the place looms. … more

There’s something faintly cinematic about rolling into Geilo. I’d been riding my motorcycle hard, carving my way north through Norway, when the weather turned foul. Storm clouds off Bergen had me veering east, and the road eventually landed me at Dr. Holms Hotel. From a distance, the place looms. A hulking, century-old timbered lodge perched in the highlands, it carries a whiff of Stephen King’s The Shining. Long, echoing corridors, cavernous public spaces, a sense that you might get lost if you wander too far. It’s the kind of building that has stories in its bones. Geilo is a ski town, which means summer here is the quiet season. Without the whoosh of skis and the chaos of après-ski revelry, Dr. Holms feels a touch understaffed, the energy dialed down. The sports bar, stripped of snow-soaked tourists and clinking beer glasses, felt almost lonely. And yet: the staff, brisk but kind, never blinked when we ordered Irish coffee after Irish coffee, wet and chilled from the ride. The hotel wears its history in scuffs and scratches—the corridors marked by decades of ski boots, the carpets and corners showing the patina of heavy winters. The rooms, though, are more forgiving. Comfortable beds, warm enough against the mountain chill, bathrooms that get the job done even if they’re not spacious. The real star? Breakfast. And I don’t say that lightly. After three weeks on the road, this was, without question, the most generous and varied spread I’d seen anywhere in Norway. Fresh, abundant, thoughtful. You could eat like a king here—whether you wanted to or not. On our rest day, we rode out through the fjords, cutting through one of the longest road tunnels in the world, letting the scenery remind us why we came to Norway in the first place. Coming back, there were a handful of restaurants in town worth the walk, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Dr. Holms itself was the town’s anchor—its old grand dame, still holding court. No hotel is perfect, but for me? Dr. Holms was the right place at the right time. A warm bed, clean rooms, strong coffee, service with a smile, and a breakfast worth waking up for. In the highlands of Norway, sometimes that’s all you really need.

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“Pleasantly surprised”

I was a bit apprehensive about our stay after reading the reviews however I was pleasantly surprised with our stay. We had a superior room with balcony which was spacious and had an excellent view. Hotel is dated in parts but was perfectly clean and had everything you needed. Breakfast was a wi… more

I was a bit apprehensive about our stay after reading the reviews however I was pleasantly surprised with our stay. We had a superior room with balcony which was spacious and had an excellent view. Hotel is dated in parts but was perfectly clean and had everything you needed. Breakfast was a wide varied selection. Ample free parking. Friendly staff.

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“Nice but expensive”

Lovely hotel, well located for the centre of the town and great facilities on site. Somewhat disappointed to find that payment was requested to play the shuffleboard in the sports bar, I'm addition to the not cheap room charge. We've stayed at cheaper hotels during this trip offering better gam… more

Lovely hotel, well located for the centre of the town and great facilities on site. Somewhat disappointed to find that payment was requested to play the shuffleboard in the sports bar, I'm addition to the not cheap room charge. We've stayed at cheaper hotels during this trip offering better games facilities for free.

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“Could be better”

Our room was clean. I found the hotel charming. I like the furniture and old world charm. The food we had was good but often too cold. More attention to detail is required. No sink plug, I had to ask for an extra blanket (the room was warm enough but I can not sleep with stuffy heating on. Th… more

Our room was clean. I found the hotel charming. I like the furniture and old world charm. The food we had was good but often too cold. More attention to detail is required. No sink plug, I had to ask for an extra blanket (the room was warm enough but I can not sleep with stuffy heating on. The socket for the fridge was broken and they knew about this as it had been plugged into an alternative. It should have been fixed. Not enough sockets. A tile was hanging off the ceiling. My main gripes - only one course for a fixed evening meal - no vegetarian option either. Lack of vegetables. The front desk was not kept informed of the meal choice and didn't make any effort to find out. One evening we went to the bar for our meal but could only have two courses not three. Why?! The bar was freezing. Even the waiter said it was too cold. The meal of fish and chips was served cold. Poor information on bus timetables. The lock on the boot room was broken and their is no heat for the boots etc. Why can't you go in the swimming pool throughout the day?

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