Sola Strand Hotel
Following the coast southwards, the Jæren landscape comes as a surprise after all the steep mountains, dark tunnels and narrow bridges. Suddenly the landscape opens up and sea and sky meet. This is where you will find Sola Strand Hotel, surrounded by sand dunes, fireweed and marram grass.
Text: Edda Espeland / Translation: Linda Vikaune / Photo: Dag Myrestrand, Bitmap
The sea breaks against Solastranden beach, 2300 metres long and voted one of the world’s most beautiful beaches by The Sunday Times. Here, in the middle of the beach, you find the hotel, a classic seaside hotel like the ones we find further down the European west coast. That unmistakable west coast feeling starts right here.
There might be one small difference though, because people don’t primarily come here to bathe in the North Sea – the water is usually too cold for that, and the sunny days too few. The weather is changeable here on the south-western coast of Norway, but Sola Strand Hotel is a place you can visit all year round. If you want to surf you can hardly find a better place, so there is no reason to travel the world looking for good surf. The colourful sails of the wind surfers and kiters are a regular sight on the beach.
Sola Strand Hotel was built in 1914 and is well known in the country for its unique and cosy feel. The heart of the hotel is the original fireplace welcoming guests with warmth and atmospheric crackling fire. Huge windows make the landscape outside seem very close; the beach with the sand dunes and the marram grass swaying gently in the ocean breeze, the sea glittering in the sun or pounding the beach with foam topped waves.
The hotel has 139 guest rooms steeped in tradition, and since it has been built in different stages and different ages, the rooms aren’t all the same size, but all are bright and charming. Many of them have a magnificent panoramic view of the beach and the North Sea.
Guest by the sea
Sola Strand Hotel lies in an idyllic location by the sand dunes at Sola beach, a 15 minute drive from Stavanger city centre and two minutes from Stavanger airport Sola. This location and the long history of the hotel creates a unique frame around holidays, celebrations, spa weekends, conferences and meetings. Sola Strand Hotel is a popular conference venue and offers three modern conference centres with 20 meeting rooms and can accommodate up to 300 people in one room.
The hotel has a first class kitchen which focuses on local seasonal produce and also offers a well stocked wine cellar. Every week they serve a large Sunday buffet with hot and cold dishes, homemade cakes and desserts. The beach bar and the outside area has access to the lawn leading out to the sand dunes and is a good place to read the paper while drinking a cup of coffee, or try the hotel’s popular fish soup or a nice drink. Many couples dream of a romantic wedding by the sea, and the hotel is experienced in organising weddings and celebrations for all of life’s big events.
The hotel also offers a tennis court and reception can lend cycles to guests who wish to explore the Jæren landscape on two wheels.
Nordsjøbadet Spa
Nordsjøbadet Spa offers eight treatment rooms, a pool with counter current, three saunas, a cold water pool and inviting relaxation areas. There is also an exercise room with a view of the sea, sand and sky. Just the place to spend the day when the autumn storms set in and the rain whips against the window.
Pure pleasure…