History

~Hospitality since 1905~

Skogstad Hotel has been run by 5 generations since 1905. The first building that is now the origin of the current Skogstad Hotel was completed in 1904.

Ola K. Kirkebøen started a general store and some hotel operations in 1905. Ola was a farmer in Kyrkjebøn. He was married to Margit Andersdotter Viljugrein. He was the first mayor of Hemsedal from 1897 to 1910 and was highly respected in the village, and was unanimously elected mayor.

When his son Knut took over the farm, they built down by the road and called the place Skogstad. Ola managed the store and the hotel together with his wife. She was also a midwife in the village, something she did for 40 years. This was often tiring, long distances, unbroken and at night.

Daughter Margit and son-in-law Østen A. Torset took over. They switched to hotel operations, and built the first building in 1934. Traffic increased gradually and around 1955 the next building was put into use.
Østen was a municipal councillor, judge and assessor, as well as district treasurer and social security treasurer.

His son Ola, married to Gudrun Olava Grøndalen, took over the business from 1950. He expanded the business with a larger brick building in several heights and built camping cabins on the other side of the highway, to meet the new era of tourism that came to Hemsedal with the new alpine facility.

Gudrun first came to the hotel as a maid from a large family in Grønndalen with 10 children. Gudrun was the hostess of the hotel until 1986. Gudrun and Ola also bought Langeset farm, and were more or less self-sufficient with chickens, pigs and cows.

Ola and Gudrun have given up on running the hotel, and their son Asle Øystein Torset took over the hotel, together with his wife Gro Steimler Torset. They started a new extension to the hotel. The hotel now has 83 rooms. During this period, a swimming pool was built and the hotel was large for courses & conferences, also with a large nightclub. Asle and Gro had two daughters, Marte and Mie, and the hotel was run as a family hotel.

In 2007, the eldest daughter Marte Torset took over the business and ran the hotel with her husband Lars Hansen. They have three children.

In 2024, Unike Hoteller took over and the hotel will continue with proud traditions at its core. Unike Hoteller wants to recreate the venerable hotel experience for you as a guest. Hotels with an exciting history, personal service and good, dedicated hospitality fill a sought-after alternative to ordinary chain hotels.