Funken Lodge

Stayed at this hotel several times before. Still the same excellent hotel with comfortable rooms. Approximately 15 min walk to center of Longyearbyen. Very nice and helpful staff members, and excellent breakfast. I would warmly recommend this hotel.

There isn't masses of choice of places to stay in Svalbard but I definitely enjoyed my stay here. The hotel is relatively small but completely renovated in a really nice Scandinavian style. The rooms and all areas of the hotels actually felt quite small and compact, but I actually really liked this in winter as it always had quite a 'cosy' feel to it. The rooms are very comfortable, super modern and includes a The hotel is located slightly away from the 'centre' of the main town (if you can call it a centre at all!) but its a nice 10 - 20 minute walk so this wasn't a problem. Great breakfast in the morning which is always a plus. The restaurant for the evening is decent but quite expensive.

This is a true 5-star hotel in the far arctic, with excellent rooms and service. The restaurant was also of top class and especially the breakfast was commendable. It is owned by the Hurtigruten Company who also organise and run some of the best excursions and tours in Spitsbergen.

This well-designed hotel was a gorgeous retreat after our expedition cruise in Svalbard. Our room was well-appointed and very comfortable, with an excellent bed for us as well as a good extra bed for our teenage son. The property's Arctic-themed bath amenities are really nice and the special take-home jar of body cream that helps with the dry Arctic air. The room's black-out curtains make sure you can sleep despite the midnight sun. The lobby area, located on the second floor, is cozy, comfortable place to spend time at the bar or around the fire. Staff we helpful when we asked about same-day excursion options and pointed out some of the sites around town. Our dinner in the restaurant was part of our cruise and it was really delicious. A member of our family is allergic to nuts and he was fully catered for. Note: The hotel requests that you leave your dirty boots in the boot room on the ground (first) floor. The reception desk is on the second floor.

Overall impression as we was driving up to the hotel in the bus, is that it's a nice sized hotel with a very clean outside, with plenty of parking and space. Location is update a steep hill out of town which was a bit of a hassle as you couldn't just walk straight into town, it was about a 20 min walk. Layout of hotel inside is neat and easy to navigate. Floors are carpeted so nothing echoes. Colours are easy on the eye and not all white walls like some hotels. On the ground floor is a shoe storage room. To get up and down the three floors there is a lift or a stairs option. Floors located on the ground floor are given for anyone with disabilities. The Reception is located upstairs and is linked to the bar. You can book excursions here too. We checked into room 218 a standard double room (floor 2) which was a nice size room and had all the necessities (bathrobes, slippers, vanity kits, TV heating, tea/coffee machine, wardrobe, towels provided). Room was  Reception workers friendly. The restaurant Funktionærmessen on the second floor we didn't find good value for money (see other review). The Funken bar on the other hand was good for snacks and hot chocolate. Service was a bit touch and go depending on who you got..some friendly and some can't be bothered. Chef man was surly but more friendly with others. Don't think that the wine on top (outside) of the minibar is free or with compliments as when we got to the reception to check out we saw the price for wine on the bill - really bad and should say. Receptionist said sorry when I said it should be clear you pay for it. Whilst waiting for the taxi the receptionist actually came over after and said she felt bad about the misunderstanding and gave us chocolate and nuts from the bar for free, so that was a good gesture.