Property
Steps from Bergen’s famed UNESCO-recognized harbor, the First Hotel Marin is a great place for families to stay when checking out the town. The hotel’s lovely rooms, decorated in the local style, make sure you know you aren’t in Kansas anymore.

Location
Walk out the front door, turn right, and you are right in the thick of this UNESCO heritage city.   A 5-minute walk takes you to the funicular up to Mount Floyen.  And the nearby harbor offers all manner of fjord and local wildlife cruises.

Sleeps
Up to 4.  But the hotel, being an old hotel, has all kind of funky rooms.   Call ahead to see what is possible.

Highlights
When we visited, Chet was in his I-won’t-sit-in-the-stroller phase. I can’t tell you how great it was to have a hotel that was really centrally located. It meant only a short walk once he crashed and demanded to be carried. But the best part of the visit was getting behind the picturesque facade of the old wharf. Exploring the nooks and crannies of the old wood buildings was an adventure for us all.

Good to know
Prepare for a lot of fish-related items at the breakfast buffet. Probably best to explain to your child before heading down that it is not polite to publicly retch when getting a plate.

Contact
http://www.firsthotels.com/marin

November 3rd, 2008 | by Kayt Sukel