We booked a standard double through Hotels.com and received a harborview suite. It literally felt like we were in the water and there were only 5 rooms like this in the whole hotel. We don't know why we got the upgrade but we sure loved it. The room was well appointed and clean but could have used some updating. I am not a stickler for the most current in hotel furnishings but if that is important to you, then you will be dissapointed. For us it was a non-issue. Breakfast and location were great. A couple warnings, they put red wine and 2 wine glasses on a table without a price tag. We knew it wasn't free but many folks may not know this. Also, parking is not free and there may be cheaper places to park than where the hotel directs you. I still don't understand why hotels charge for parking but what do I know. Alesund is a lovely place to visit with a very interesting history. Take advantage of the walking tour of Alesund and bird tour of Runde Island. We really enjoyed both.

We stayed here for one night and dont think the hotel was that great to be no. 1 in Alesund. I think the hotel is too over-priced to what it has to offer. We had a room on the top floor, but very close to the elevator which made some noise. The view was not good. The room itself is very small and very dimly lit. I dont know how the lighting can suffice in winter when it gets dark early. The hotel was on the sea-side, however you experience it only in the breakfast room and nowhere else. The hotel seems to be very popular with large tourist groups. The hotel is a short walk to the town centre. One positive part of the hotel was the lavish breakfast they served. All in all, just about an average hotel, nothing spectacular.

My 5 star rating is in comparison to the competition in Alesund. So, she wouldn't get a 5 star if we were in Singapore, but hey, this is my review so it's my perogative :-) Anyway, I had a ground floor room with a poor view. Some rooms should have a good view of the harbour area and sea which would be beautiful. The bedroom itself was probably recently refurbished and featured a modern bathroom, excellent fittings etc. Plasma TV with only a few English channels. Two single beds. Breakfast buffet offered a great deal of choice and was busy. Staff were very helpful and the hotel itself and rooms are spotlessly clean. (They also have a very handy 24/7 shop with all the travelling essentials).

We visited the Scandic Alesund with our two kids (ages four and two). In general, the experience was a good one - the room was large, they were pretty well equipped for children (children's menu in the restaurant, balloons and crayons at reception). The breakfast buffet was fine, though crowded with tour groups. Location is good - along the waterfront across from the Hurtigruten and Color Line quays. The room did have a few oddities. The blackout curtains (a necessity in Norway in June) were missing a few hooks and would not completely cover the window. The cable to the television was loose along most of the baseboard (much to the joy of our two year old, who carried it around). The minibar refrigerator did not work. When the room was cleaned, apparently no one swept under the bed; we found credit card receipts from previous occupants. Service in the restaurant was a bit slow. We ordered a bottle of champagne (celebration for surviving another day traveling with little kids); apparently this doesn't happen very often, because it took the bartender a long time to find the bottle and glasses and open it, and there was no way to keep it cold once opened. (Fortunately, after a day on the Hurtigruten with little kids, we were of a mind to drink fast).