I had to be in Halden for a week without own car, and therefore almost one choice left : Grand Hotel, exactly downtown right next to the rail station. I was very prepared for the worst, reading from many negative reviews on how terrible this place is.

Location is excellent, noisy of course from the railroad only next door (rail station is probably less than 100 meter away), apart from that it's okay. Stayed on 4th floor therefore noise is not a big issue. Check-in was swift and very friendly staff (most of people in Halden are friendly by the way), this hotel is VERY OLD, few hundred years probably and I could smell a lot of that. Some renovation has been taken from previous review and all walls were looking okay at the time of stay. Stained on carpet still clearly there, bathroom refurbished but overall I need to spray own perfume over the room to make it livable. Smell resurfaced after two nights so I re-sprayed...

Small room and even much smaller proportioned... more