A LEGEND REBORN
Opened in the late 1800s as a haven for well-heeled Brits, following a $160 million renovation, the historic Britannia Hotel in Trondheim, Norway is poised to define Norwegian hospitality for luxury travelers well into the next century. Written by Bridget Williams Warm and fuzzy feelings distilled from childhood memories can sometimes percolate in the subconscious and impact our lives years later, as the re-opening of the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim, Norway attests. At the tender age of 14, Trondheim native Odd Reitan, now a self-made billionaire, resolved to one day own the world's most northerly "palace" hotel, first opened in 1870. Reitan has remarked fondly of being warmly welcomed into the grand confines of the hotel's glass-domed Palmehaven dining hall on special occasions as a young boy. As a present-day visitor, it is easy to imagine Reitan as a wide-eyed boy surveying the voluminous space, first unveiled in 1918 as a magical touch of the tropics in this most non-tropical of places. After acquiring the Britannia, Reitan knew that too much nostalgia could be stifling. The multi-year, $160 million renovation he orchestrated preserved the hotel's most significant historical attributes while adding amenities to lure the next generation of tastemakers with an eye for luxury. Commanding a city block in the center of this pristine city, located just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the juxtaposition
of old and new is apparent as soon as you enter the Britannia's lobby. Awash in Italian marble, dotted with gleaming crystal chandeliers, and featuring art by contemporary Scandinavian artists, the dÊcor strikes just the right balance between masculine and feminine. It reminded me of a finely tailored gray pinstriped suit dressed with a pink silk pocket square. Just past a dramatically scaled staircase that conjures many a moment of grand arrival over the years is a bank of high-tech elevators that transport guests quickly and quietly between floors. Colors of the carpet runners that line corridor on each floor dissolve from grey to blush and cream, reminding me of the way the sun gradually dissipates the marine layer. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, each of the 257 rooms and suites boast Carrara marble bathrooms and handmade beds by renowned Swedish company Hästens, the latter of which speaks to the hotel's no-expense-spared attention to detail. The bed in my two-floor suite provided a sleep so deep I awoke with the folds of my luxurious pillowcase imprinted upon my cheek.
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