Rundhaug Gjestegård is a magnificent historic hotel with a unique atmosphere. The hotel was opened in 1905 by Amanda Sandmo. At that point she was 29 years old and married to Jonas Sandmo, the shop keeper at the local store on Rundhaug. In its first decades, the hotel was a popular location for the rich and elite, and the old guest books flourish with names of ambassadors, lords and ministers.
During world war two the King of Norway Haakon VII, crown prince Olav and the government fled to Troms county. The King, the Crown Prince and the government was accommodated at Rundhaug Gjestegård for several nights during the German occupation of Norway in the end of May 1940. In June 1940 the hotel was occupied by the Germans. Amanda’s family was forced to leave, and the whole area of Rundhaug was transformed into a military base filled with barracks. Rundhaug Hotel was used as headquarters, with a direct line to Berlin. The Germans also built the extension on the hotel’s east wing. All buildings were poorly treated during the war, and when Amanda finally could return to Rundhaug Hotel, extensive restoration was needed.
After the war Rundhaug Hotel had more guests from the surrounding areas, especially from Tromsø, but was still very popular amongst the elite and had regular guests from Canada, England and Germany. The hotel had good occupancy, and the café was familiar amongst the locals. Amanda’s descendants ran the hotel after the war, and it stayed within the Sandmo/Kvammen family up until the year of 2003. At that point the hotel went through a comprehensive restoration, and Rundhaug Hotel changed it’s name to Rundhaug Gjestegård, translated to Rundhaug Guest House. Today’s owners took over the business in 2012. It has been a clear goal for the owners in recent times to preserve the historic character of the hotel, and there are a lot of great stories hidden in the timber walls and creaky wooden floors!
Rundhaug Gjestegård is located on the banks of the Målselva River. Since the hotel opened in 1905 it has been a cherished destination for anglers from all around the world. The hotel has its own fishing beats situated just outside the front doors. Målselva River has since the settlers came in the end of the 18th century been a very important salmon river, both for anglers and the locals. 2018 was a peak year, with almost 9,000 salmon registered in the fish ladder.
The summer season on Rundhaug Gjestegård is strongly characterized by salmon tourism, and the hotel has a lounge area dedicated to anglers! The hotel has through the years been mentioned in several large fishing magazines, and the famous hotelier Charles Ritz wrote about his enthusiasm for Rundhaug Hotel in his famous salmon book.
Historic Rundhaug Gjestegård has 22 unique bedchambers with a total of 42 beds. Most of the rooms has en suite bathrooms, whilst some of the rooms share bathrooms and toilet facilities in the corridor. This was normal practice in Amanda’s time, and most guests find in fun and exiting to wander through the hotel corridors in their bathrobes! The rooms vary in size, and several of the rooms are named after the hotels famous guests.
If you wish to watch TV whilst staying at Rundhaug Gjestegård, you need to find your way down to the TV lounge on the ground floor. None of the bedrooms have private TVs! This has been a conscious choice to preserve the historic atmosphere in the bedrooms, and to conserve the historic, social experience of watching TV together.
Rundhaug Gjestegård has a café, a large dining hall and a pub. The café is connected to the reseption, and here you may be served coffee and cakes during the day. The dining hall has room for approximately 100 guests, and is well suited for confirmation parties, weddings and other large events. The restaurant’s main focus is traditional and local dishes from the region, made with ingredients from the region. Amanda Pub is located in the basement, and is a lovely and spacious pub with a stage.
Afternoon tea at Rundhaug Gjestegård is based on the old english tradition. The experience is linked to the british upper class which the hotel has accommodated for a century. Afternoon tea consist of bountiful plates of sandwiches, pastries and cakes, accompanied with a pot of our finest tea. The historic atmosphere of Rundhaug Gjestegård is well suited for this luxurious experience – for any occasion!
Rundhaug Gjestegård
Øverbygdveien 9, 9336 Rundhaug
Phone: +47 77830570
E-mail: post@rundhauggjestegard.no
Webpage: rundhauggjestegard.no
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