Tourists who want to feel closer to the local community when visiting the Faroese capital now have a new option — staying in a cosy cottage next to Hotel Hafnia in the center of Tórshavn while also enjoying access to the hotel’s services.
[Eir Nolsøe]
It’s not quite Airbnb and it’s not quite staying in a traditional hotel. Hotel Hafnia, which has recently undergone a major refurbishment, has built three small houses to expand it accommodation offerings. With Hotel Hafnia Cottages, travelers can choose to live door-to-door with locals in the old part of Tórshavn’s city center whilst enjoying all of the regular services from the hotel, located just a stone’s throw away.
Oddbjørg Højgaard, general manager of Hafnia, said: “Temporary local accommodation is a very big trend in the tourism industry currently. Our guests increasingly want to feel part of the local community, even if only for a short time, when they’re traveling.”
The small cottages—named Klávusarstova, Við Ánna, and Skálahús—have grass roofs and exposed wooden walls and window bars. They are built to resemble traditional Faroese architecture, which is characteristic for this historical part of the city center. Close-by one can see a cluster of small wooden houses with turf roofs, populated by locals, as well as the second oldest church in the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn Cathedral.
The cottages have room for four to eight people. Guests typically sleep in the attic, where the slanting wooden walls contribute to a narrow but cosy atmosphere. The ground floor contains a kitchenette, a dining area and sofas as well as additional beds. Wifi, access to Hotel Hafnia’s breakfast buffet and cleaning are included.
Despite of the traditional touch, the cottages are also popular with business travelers who want to host meetings in a more informal space.
Hotel Hafnia, which opened in 1951, offers typical conference facilities with state-of-the-art audio-visual and IT equipment. New tapas restaurant Katrina Christiansen, also owned by Hotel Hafnia and located next to the cottages, provides a slightly more old-fashioned approach to meetings: No projectors and screens, simply blackboards and chalk.
But according to Ms. Højgaard, some prefer to do their business over a chat by the kitchen table.
“You wouldn’t believe it but people are actually quite into mixing things up and trying alternative ways of holding meetings,” she said. “The cottages are very well suited for smaller groups.”
The three cottages are adjacent to Katrina Christiansen as well as being closely located to a wide range of restaurants and bars.
Hotel Hafnia, which is one of the largest hotels in the Faroe Islands, has undergone a thorough renovation over the past three years. In addition to opening new restaurant Katrina Christiansen and the cottages, more rooms have been added to meet the surging number of tourists.
