I was at the First Hotel Breiseth in Lillehammer on a stop-over. The journey on a Friday night at rush hour out of Oslo was twice as long and tiring as it should have been so I was glad to get to the hotel. I suppose Lillehammer is more of a winter town than a summer one so I was not seeing it at its best but the only thing really going for the First Hotel is its location just off the main autoroute and right in the centre of town. Parking is available and free at the back of the hotel. I did not eat at the hotel as there were 3 different bus tours in that night and everywhere was busy so I headed off to a nice restaurant along the road. The hotel is needing a serious makeover. The reception area is tired and poorly maintained. The main corridors all have threadbare carpets and the rooms looked like they had not been updated since the Winter Olympics had been in Lillehammer and that was back in the mid-90's. These rooms need some investment and bring them back up to any sort of quality. The hotel is listed as 3 star but it is nowhere near that. The breakfast buffet was a pretty sorry affair and like the hotel itself just needs a wee bit more care and attention. For a one night stopover on a long drive it served its purpose but I wouldn't have been too happy about having to stay here any more than one night even though its location is wonderful.
- First Hotel Lillehammer
