Where is it?
The Clarion Hotel Air is located on the grounds of Stavanger Sola airport, around 11 km south of downtown Stavanger. The hotel is fairly new and opened in November 2015.
The hotel is located around 7-8 minutes by foot from the airport terminal. There are frequent airport buses between the airport and downtown Stavanger, so although most hotel guests probably stay at the hotel in connection with a late flight arrival or an early flight departure, it is certainly possible to stay here during a visit to Stavanger.
The hotel is also located a few minutes walk from the coast and the beautiful Solastranden beach and there are several sites to visit in the Sola area. Especially during the summer months it is worth arriving a few hours early to see the beach and the surroundings.
The arrival experience
There were signs for the hotel already inside the terminal building and since I had looked up the hotel location on a map before my arrival I already had an idea where to go.
The hotel is not really located around the corner from the airport terminal but rather at the end of the access road to the airport, after passing the car parks and airport administration buildings. There is no need for a shuttle bus as there is a walking path all the way to the hotel, which is clearly signposted (and fairly quickly you see the hotel building in the distance). But hotel guests should allow up to ten minutes of walking.
Once at the hotel just after 11 pm I was immediately checked in at the reception by a friendly receptionist. I was informed about the facilities at the hotel and we also decided to sort out the payment already during the check-in process.
The room
I had booked a standard double room measuring 20 sqm. There are also smaller double rooms measuring 18 sqm which have a smaller bed, and which are obviously also somewhat cheaper, but they were all booked.
The room had a 180 cm double bed which was very comfortable. The room design was similar to other Clarion hotels I had tested with the interior and the furniture in grey, white, black and dark blue. It was stylish without being opulent.
The room also had a small work desk, a closet, a TV and an armchair.
The bathroom was small but in an excellent condition and had a shower rather than a bathtub. Soap and shampoo were available from large bottles mounted on the wall, rather than from small individual bottles.
Food and drinks
The hotel has a bar and a restaurant located on the ground floor called Kitchen & Table Restaurant and Kitchen & Table Bar. They follow the standard Clarion restaurant concept available at most Clarion hotels called ‘Fun Dining’ (rather than fine dining) developed by the Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson.
The restaurant had not surprisingly already closed when I arrived at 11 pm and the last restaurant guests were just about to leave, but the bar was still open, so I ordered a beer before going to bed.
Just like in most bars and pubs in Norway the beer was ridiculously expensive at over 100 NOK, but the service was friendly and attentive and the bar had a pleasant atmosphere.
There is also room service available around the clock.
Other facilities
There is a gym at the hotel which is open 24 hours. Hotel parking is available and there is a fairly large conference centre with both meeting rooms and conference rooms, 14 rooms in total.
Although the hotel is mainly an airport hotel it also has a lovely location just by the coast with a beautiful landscape and countryside surrounding it. Some the rooms and public areas offer a lovely sea view.
There is also an outdoor terrace with seating on the second floor and the conference and event area on the top floor offers a fantastic view of the scenery.
Service
The service was friendly throughout the hotel. Swift and efficient but friendly.
Breakfast
The breakfast was served in the restaurant on the ground floor, in a separate breakfast section which was roped off in the evening, so not in the same area as where lunch and dinner are served.
An early bird breakfast is offered between 4 am and 6 am and a full breakfast is offered later from 6/7 am until 10/11 am (depending on the day of the week). The breakfast seems to be included in all rates.
The breakfast buffet was fairly decent with a wide selection offering both hot and cold items.
Final impression
A new, modern, and well-maintained hotel a few minutes walk from Stavanger airport. Modern rooms, bar and restaurant and a wonderful view of the coastline and the beach from some of the rooms and public areas.
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