Juvet Landscape Hotel
I DID IT. I stayed at the Ex Machina hotel. Staying at Juvet Landscape Hotel in Valldal, Norway was an absolute bucket list travel item for me ever since I first watched Ex Machina. I just needed my vacation time and wallet to align so that I could travel to a Norwegian fjord hotel for a reclusive, Scandinavian getaway. When Juvet showed up again in Succession, I knew the universe was telling me IT IS TIME.
So, in the absolute off-peak season, I found myself flying to Ålesund and driving the empty Norwegian roads to a town called Valldal so I could hang out in a little glass cube for a couple of days.
I booked two nights at Juvet in early November. The property is closed from mid-November to early March because of harsh weather and difficult road conditions. Pricing varies by season, but when I visited in the off-season, I found it to be great value for what was included.
Juvet attracts an eclectic mix of really solid people — a self-selected group of travelers from all over the world. During my stay, I met a couple solo adventurers like myself, couples (one with small children!), and a small group prepping for a yoga retreat.
My Room
Juvet offers three types of rooms:
Landscape Rooms (7 total)
Bird Houses (2 total)
The Writer’s Lodge (essentially a full house)
I chose to stay in a Landscape Room because if I’m traveling all the way to the middle of Norway, I might as well GO FOR IT.
The dimly lit, cube-shaped rooms have INCREDIBLE floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look out over the river and forest. There’s also a cozy seating area to really soak up all that nature. And the bed has a little cubby that you can open to hear the river on full-blast.
The rooms all face outward so you can’t see anyone else’s room from your room, however you can see inside some of the rooms as you walk around on the path, so be mindful! My room was totally private — good if you like privacy, and slightly terrifying for anyone still haunted by The Blair Witch Project (like me… at 37 years old…). I survived.
Dining
Meals at Juvet are served in The Barn (the main building). Breakfast & packed lunch are included in your stay and dinner is an optional add-on for 1,100 NOK per person (price accurate as of writing).
Breakfast (8:30-10 AM): Nice spread of fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, cereal, coffee, tea, and juice. The local apple juice is incredible and should not be missed!
Lunch: Not formally provided, but you can make sandwiches from the breakfast spread to take on hikes or wherever you choose to explore!
Dinner (7:30 PM): The highlight of my stay. A phenomenal three-course meal featuring seasonal and local ingredients, served at a communal table with assigned seating. I ate some excellent fish soup, fish and beef entrees, and a plum ice cream! (Sadly, I did not write down the menu because I was not planning on being a travel blogger when I stayed!)
You can absolutely keep to yourself if you’re not feeling social, but I found the dinner table vibe to be incredibly relaxed, with everyone chatting about our days, giving recommendations, and just generally having a pleasant time.
I had recently quit drinking and was nervous about the non-alcoholic options, but was delighted that they had local sparkling apple juice and other juices for me to try… served in a wine glass, of course, because we like to be extra fancy!
The Bath House (aka spa)
The spa has:
Outdoor hot tub
Sauna (formerly a lounge area)
Steam room
Showers
Lounge area
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river & mountains
Coffee & tea
The spa is open daily from 12-8pm, with one-hour time slots available for reservation at reception.
If you’re in search of a cold plunge, you could always jump in the river for a freezing cold experience. We all joked at dinner about meeting at the river at 6am the next morning for a cold plunge — and one couple actually did it!
Nearby Activities
While you could absolutely spend your entire time relaxing on the Juvet property, most folks left after breakfast for a daily adventure.
I had planned to do a few hikes but didn’t have room in my backpack for my hiking boots. Luckily, Eric from Juvet found me some boots in the lost & found and recommended the nearby Muldal hike which did not require fancy footwear.
Muldal hike - This easy, well-marked hike has 13 switchbacks and gorgeous views of a waterfall and the fjord below. The ascent took about an hour. At the top, you can walk between the two houses and down another path to a viewpoint, but that trail was a bit steep/ slipper so I got spooked and turned back. YMMV.
Gudbrandsjuvet - This waterfall is right across the road from Juvet and has a nice viewing deck. Worth a quick visit if you’re in the area.
Tafjord - Beautiful fjordside village. It was fun to drive here through the tunnels!
Devold Outlet - A wool shop with steep discounts on beautiful wool sweaters, socks, etc. I bought some wool socks here before my Muldal hike. Highly recommend if you have space in your suitcase!
Geiranger Fjord - This stunning fjord is a UNESCO world heritage site and just over an hour from Juvet (with a lil ferry trip).
Trollstigen - Famous mountain road with an epic viewpoint, only 25 minutes from Juvet. It’s closed in the winter so sadly I was not able to visit.
Other hikes near Juvet Landscape Hotel: Ruggå hike (~2 hour hike) and Steindalsstølen hike (~1 hour hike)
How To Get To Juvet
I flew from Oslo to Ålesund (blog coming soon), where I spent the night at the lovely Hotel 1904. The next morning, I rented a car from the nearby Avis and made the 1.5 hour drive to Juvet, stopping at Storfjord Hotel (another luxury boutique hotel in Norway) for lunch and visiting Old Stordal Church along the way. I absolutely recommend renting a car.
You could also hire a private car to drive you to and from Juvet, but it is very expensive.
Conclusion
I’m certain Juvet has to be one of the best hotels in Norway (though I might be biased because I love Scandinavian design). The emphasis on both nature and design makes it feel truly special. I hope to return in the summertime to get some more sunlight and see some more green on those trees!
