The Best Hotels and Resorts in Europe and the UK: The Gold List 2024

"“It’s like something from a Scandinavian fairy tale,” I heard a guest saying on arriving at Hotel Union Øye in Norway’s Sunnmøre Alps. They had a point. The red and cream half-timbered exterior, with its decorative fish-scale roof and ornate lattice work, does conjure a storybook fantasy. Numerous writers thought so too. Karen Blixen, Henrik Ibsen, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all loved this spot, as did other illustrious guests, from Queen Maud of Norway and composer Edvard Grieg to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who liked to turn up with his own bath in tow. So there’s history to the place, a sense of which oozes through its paneled interiors, up the sturdy pine staircase to the 24 bedrooms where flouncy wallpapers, heavy brocade, and damask are blended with antique furniture and twinkling chandeliers to bring a museum-like quality. Old-world Edwardian glamor you might call it, though it’s a tad spooky too: lovelorn Linda, the resident ghost, has been known to make her presence felt. Fast forward to the 21st century and in come the Flakk family, keen environmentalists and pioneers of sophisticated travel experiences in Norway under their 62º Nord brand. They’ve awakened this sleeping beauty from her slumbers and given her a serious overhaul, adding a cluster of new-build, old-style farmhouses with 14 further rooms, and a new conservatory restaurant and Palm bar. Hotel Union Øye now feels altogether younger and fresher, ready for the next generation of inspirationalists to explore the fjords and high mountains right on its doorstep. From $302. —Pamela Goodman" - CNT Editors