UK: The owners of the Hotel Ullesvang, a landmark Norwegian hospitality property, has announced plans to sell the business.
The hotel, located next to the famous Hardanger Fjord, attracts thousands of tourists from Asia, America and Europe each year.
The Utne family has been running the hotel for 174 years, having been founded by Hans Utne in 1846. The family is now looking for a non-family ownership plan for the business, and have connected with CBRE to find a buyer.
Fifth generation owner and CEO Hans Edmund Utne said: “After in-depth deliberations, we have concluded that better models than family ownership are available to secure further growth and development for the hotel in a long-term perspective. That is why we have decided to investigate whether there are new owners ready to take this beautiful property to the next stage.”
The hotel has grown from a rustic two bed to 168 high-quality rooms, a 500-seat restaurant, and a conference room with capacity for 350 people. Other amenities include the indoor activity centre, indoor and outdoor pools and wellness facilities.
The prime feature of the hotel is its landscape views of Hardangervidda mountain, known as the orchard of the Norwegian fjords. From the hotel, guests have views of the Folgefonna glacier, as well as the Hardanger fjord, with nearby activities that include skiing, sightseeing and spa trips.
The hotel has provided inspiration to many over the years, with such guests as Edvard Grieg, who wrote many works on the premises, and Queen Sonja of Norway, whose artworks house a permanent exhibition there. The prime location and guest list has made it a popular luxury tourist location.
Norway is seeing hotel expansion at the moment, with architect Hayri Atak planning a cliffside hotel and Moxy expanding their presence in the country.
