Stayed in the main hotel in the centre of the resort, with two other couples and 2 teenagers for Christmas 2011. Very friendly and helpful.
Hotel food pretty good with good selection at breakfast and interesting evening meals. The Christmas buffet was really excellent. Rooms sometimes too hot (!) but comfortable, all with family sofa bed as well as twin beds that could be pushed together. Big lounge area, free but slow internet (like almost everywhere in Norway). For a 3* it was pretty good overall.
Hotel is very family friendly, although there weren't many guests, most were Norwegians celebrating Christmas.
For adults, not a lot provided in the evenings, which are long in December, and not much to do in the village, so travel prepared (we didn't!)
Hotel is about 700 m from lifts, easy walk along the road and lockers available at the ski station (book at the ticket office and add to your liftpass). Shuttle bus runs from Christmas onwards.
Skibua provided quality equipment and very friendly.
Woody's bar is the local English apres ski bar, with the cheapest beer we found in Norway, only Kr65 (Kr74-79 seems about average for 0.5 l!).
Hafjell is a friendly, small resort, with good if limited skiing, good snow, if a little thin this year, and we enjoyed mainly sunny weather with temps between -10 and 0 C. The liftpass gives you access to 4 other ski areas, so use the shuttle busses to get some extra variety.
Plenty of cross country skiiing, opportunity to learn telemark, compete on slalom courses with the local kids and experience low altitude skiing on very different snow to what you will find in the Alps.
If you think you are fearless, then try the olympic taxi bob or skeleton at the nearby olympic run. Undoubtedly the scariest thing I have done for many years, but wow what a memory!
We travelled independently, and the train service from Oslo Airport was excellent, as were the local busses and taxis.
Overall, if you don't drink alcohol, a skiing holiday here is probably about the same price as an Alpine ski resort.
- Hafjell Hotel Apartments
