Quality Hotel Saga - Tromso, Norway     

Stayed on the 5.th floor with view of the sea. The airport express bus stops just outside the hotel. It is located in the middle of the center in this little city, but so are also the rest of the hotels. Tried to book Clarion Collection located 400 meters North of this hotel (stayed at that hotel before, check my review), but it was full. Check in: smooth, was greated with a smile. Room: Tiny and very hostel like, but clean. Just one type of soap and two small towels, only shower. Bed was very small (single room) and not very confortable. Flat screen tv (witch today I guess is nothing special) with only 10 tv channels, pay tv. Free internet WLAN which I found to be of poor quality, the transmitter was probably too far away, kept logging me off all he time. Had no problem getting the access card from the hotel to log on internet (a problem that a previous guest had). Breakfast - small crowded area, small choice, sometimes no cheeze, forgot to keep refilling, no BACON 3/4 days (love bacon, the only time I eat it is when I stay at hotels) , and the one day they had bacon it looked like they had boiled it. You can buy evening supper for 95 kr (around 18 USD) - served between 18-21, first night they were out of warm food around 1930!, they said they couldn't make more (? no more food in the kitchen or lazy cook?) so guests that came after that only had cold food. Check out: smooth, no problem except that they tried to bill me for different snacks that I hadn't eaten. The hotel does not have a relax area, no gym, no sauna and no jacuzzi. Overall: Very expensiv hostel, stay away. For four nights I payed 4800 kr (960 USD) , really not worth it. Check out my reviews of other Choice hotels in Troms?.

Hotel Saga is, like most larger Tromsø hotels, situated right in the centre of town. Hotel Saga has a nice location across the road from Tromsø domkirke (the yellow/blue cathedral), a stone's throw from the main street, and a minute's walk from the quay (where Hurtigruten / the coastal voyager and the express boat docks). Everything in the town centre is within easy walking distance of the hotel, and the airport bus stops near the hotel. We had booked a standard twin room - and we got a corner room on one of the higher floors (bigger than other standard rooms), so we had nice views of both the cathedral and the sea. Our spotlessly clean room was spacious, light and airy and very tastefully decorated. Parquet floors, two very comfy beds, sofa / table, a decent-sized work desk, a nice flatscreen TV - and, unlike in many Norwegian hotels, even a bathtub. All rooms at Hotel Saga are non-smoking. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel, and the connection was fast and reliable - you have to pick up an access code (which only lasts 8 hours, one code per laptop) from the reception. I have stayed in quite a few hotels in this chain (Choice) in Scandinavia, they all have the same system when it comes to internet access - and this is the only time the hotel staff didn't want to give us more than one internet access code per day! (Which basically limits internet access to one laptop per room - and only for 8 hours per day). So, if you need internet access Hotel Saga might not be a great choice of hotel! The buffet breakfast was quite ok, as is to be expected in Scandinavian hotels in this price range. A good selection of breads and cereals, crispbread and crackers, yoghurt and fruit, eggs, cheese and cold meats. We paid 1000 NOK for our double room - Hotel Saga is usually a bit cheaper than hotels like Ishavshotellet, Bryggen, With, Radisson... I liked our room a lot, and if it hadn't been for the internet problem, Saga would be my hotel of choice in Tromsø.