I stayed at the hotel Skogstad with my wife and children for a skiing holiday over half term. We arrived there pretty late on the sunday night and were given a different room to the one we had paid for. I complained at the time but the guy on reception said they were full and to sort it out in morning.

Following morning I tried to sort out the room problems but again was told it couldn't be done. We had paid for a family room with a Mezzanine level - a double and two twin beds for the kids. But this is not what got.

We ended up being stuck with a small room with my kids sleeping on camp beds all week - not brilliant I have to say.

The room was basic to say the least, and bathroom very dark and dingy.

Some of the other reviewers have mentioned the nightclub noise, however, no-one has mentioned the racket that comes from the games room on 1st floor - maybe it was because it was half term, but there seemed to be an attitude amongst a lot of the northern European parents to just dump their kids in this room all night and let them run riot. Most nights it didn't calm down until 11pm with kids running amock all over the hotel and through the bar downstairs.

And yes, when the nightclub is open you can hear every badly sung word of every song lyric - The Lady in Red was a particular favourite of mine as i tried to get some sleep.

On the positive side, the food is excellent - couldn't fault it. Also, they have free wi fi in the bar downstairs and big TV screen.

There was a lot of refurbishemnet work going on while we were there, so couldn't comment on spa and pool as they were closed at the time.

Ski bus to the slopes isn't that frequent which can be a pain, and hardly any service at all in mid afternoon. You can walk back along the river (30 mins) which we did a few times and is very pleasant and traffic free.

In summary, if a friend asked me to recommend somewhere, I couldn't recommend Skogstad - just not good enough for the prices you pay.

We decided to go away skiing for New Year and due to the lack of snow in europe(!) thought we would try out Norway. .and how impressed we were!!

We booked the flights(BA), car hire (avis)and hotel all separately as it was difficult to get a 4 day package to suit our requirements. However, It couldn't have been easier, the flight was on time, the drive took just 3 hours and the the hotel was lovely - a great start to a relaxing new year!

The hotel is rated as 4 star but is more like a good 3 star standard. The lobby is warm and inviting, the staff friendly and the food, albeit buffet style is nice and plentiful. The bedrooms were a little disappointing in size but nonetheless had been newly refurbished and were very clean. Our rooms were on the 3rd floor and despite asking for a room away from the nightclub (thanks for the tip!) we could still hear every note! My advice: take your earplugs or if you can't beat them join them, the noise certainly didn't spoil our trip!

The hotel is currently undergoing some refurbishment with changes to the bar and nightclub and the development of a spa, which is due to open in the summer. So it sounds like the property will get even better.

Hiring a car is the best option as the drive from Oslo airport was easy and there is ample parking at the skisenter, just a few minutes drive from the hotel. There is a ski shuttle bus which seemed very efficient but as another reader has stated it doesn't run between 12-3ish so is a little restrictive.

The resort of Hemsedal itself is nice but small! Its literally just one street and there are a couple of shops, bars, restaurants and supermarket but thats about it. Food and drink is also expensive - soft drinks seemed to be £2-3 , beers £4-5 and then the cheapest wine in the hotel was £30.

The skiing however is fantastic! There are good ski hire shops at the skisentre and you can also hire lockers there to save carrying skis and boots back to the hotel at night.

The 42 runs are ample for a long weekend and cover a good range of abilities, although advanced skiers may get alittle bored after a few days. If you get there in the week, try out the night skiing 6-9pm, as 7 of the pistes are floodlit and this is a great way to try out the slopes. In general the pistes are wide and long, great for cruising and picking up some speed! There are also green runs at the bottom and top (!) of the slopes for beginners so they too can experience the great scenery and buzz of the mountain!

NB: All Norwegians seem to be very good skiers and they get up early..so be warned there will be a queue for the first chairlift!!

Being there for New year was also just a bonus..watching the fireworks in the street in the snow (it started to snow at 11.30pm!) , what a way to see in the New year!!!

All in all, we had a great trip and are definitely thinking about returning for next new year!

We arrived at the hotel about 11pm and were very tired from the coach journey. When we arrived we fell in love with the place! it was so warm, cosy and welcoming. We sat by the big windows drinking hot chocolate and watched it snow outside. The room was on the corner of the hotel and we had the perfect view of the slopes and the frozen lake! It was also very cosy and clean. The food was fantastic. Breakfast was set up in the morning and lunch which we could take with us onto the slopes. There was a nightclub and jacuzzis. Recommended for a christmas holiday. Was the best christmas ive ever had.

We booked the Skogstad Hotel (of the Norlandia chain of hotels) with Crystal Ski, and arrived there on 2nd April 2006, staying for one week.
Having read the reviews of others before we went, we were prepared for some drawbacks, but overall we liked it so much that we hope to go again next year.
The hotel is comfortable. Everything is very clean. The brochures (it features in Neilson as well) give the impression that it is quite a lively hotel, with a lot going on. We found the hotel to be very quiet during the week. On the Sunday night, we had to wait about three quarters of an hour after dinner, for someone to come and serve at the very small bar. The hotel comes to life on Friday and Saturday nights, as the Norwegian skiers arrive for the weekend. There is a disco and live music (only at the weekends) and the bar opens properly. Having read the reviews on Tripadvisor, we had asked for a room as far away as possible from the disco. They put us in Room 411, under the eaves, on the top floor, at the back of the hotel, but every note was clearly audible (it was live music, and the male vocalist was truly appalling!).
As for booze, yes it is expensive! The cheapest bottle of wine in the hotel is £30, and a glass of beer is £5.40. You can buy bottles of beer in the supermarkets (there are 3 supermarkets in Hemsedal), for about £1 each, but apparently (according to the Crystal reps) Norwegian supermarkets don't sell wine because of Norwegian law.
We took our own gin and vodka, and kept it in the fridge in the room!
The food at the Skogstad is exceptional. There is a buffet every night, with a wide selection of meats and salads, and always two choices for the hot main course.
At breakfast, they give you bags so that you can make yourself a packed lunch to take skiing.
At the ski slopes there are 2 good eating places, and we were told that they are quite happy for you to eat your own food on their premises if you are buying a drink there for example.
There is not a lot in Hemsedal. 3 Supermarkets, a few bars (very quiet during the week), a pizzeria, a big Intersport shop. There is a very small 'souvenir' shop, a bank, a tourist info centre, and a shell garage.
You really have to take a bus to the slopes (free). They are very reliable, but not really frequent.
For example, in the morning, the buses leave from near the hotel at 800, 840, 920, 940, 1040, 1150, then the next one is at 1510.
It's a similar situation coming back.
You can walk to the ski slopes. There is a special footpath, which is a lovely walk, but you have to walk on the road for the last kilometre.
There is a boot and ski store room at the hotel, but my advice would be to hire a locker at the slopes. This costs only £1.90 for the week, and the room is heated. It means that you don't have to walk anywhere with your boots and skis, and when you arrive in the morning, skis and boots are dry and warm and ready for use.