We stayed at the Grand Fjord for four nights in mid-July, and can't say enough about the property. The ONLY down-side is that it is a good two km from the center of Geiranger. We had a car, so it was easy to deal with the distance, and it helped insulate us from the daytime hordes.
The fjord-view room was perfectly adequate...there were occasions where we could smell smoke from other patios and from the campground below, but generally hand no problems with noise or smoke odor. An EXCELLENT location to watch the cruise ships come and go.
The breakfast buffet was amongst the best we encountered...a bit repetitive, but generally very high quality and quite varied. The only challenge was wrestling other guests for seats up against the windows.
We did choose to dine at the hotel one night -- given the very limited options in Geiranger, this was almost a necessity -- and did not regret the choice. It was a very good meal, moderately priced (again, for Norway), and helpful to have as a relaxing night.
We were at the Grande during the Oslo bombings, and I would be remiss not to acknowledge the community that formed in the (tiny) pub on the top floor that night. We sat over very good (and pricey) beers with a Norwegian translating for his non-Norge-speaking girlfriend (and thus the rest of us) as news reports poured in. The pub is clearly a bit of an afterthought, but in the context of the national crisis it functioned in an exemplary manner as a gather spot for those of us grieving the tragedy that July.
The Grande is certainly not a luxury spa hotel, but for a relatively inexpensive stay in one of the most amazing places on earth, it was a terrific find that we would not have considered if not for TripAdvisor. Thanks to those who reviewed it before us!
