Rica Victoria Lillehammer

I stayed in Rica Victoria for couple of nights and found it really good in accordance with the star level. The location is one of best among the other resort's hotels: just few steps (literally) from the central pedestrian street. The room is pretty cozy and neat. The staff is truly responsive: my request for an extra blanket and heater was fulfilled in five minutes. Good breakfast, very comfortable Lounge and reception area.

I actually stayed overnight here and found the location excellent and the breakfast great; but it has lost its glory since the Olympics when it housed celebrities and was fixed up quite a bit. There is a need for general mainenance and upkeep, and during very cold winter days some of the older hotel rooms can actually get quite cold.
Functional rooms and facilities, no luxury.

Unique Quality: Right on Storgaten at Lilletorget, the beginning of the pedestrian zone.
Old facade towards Svingen and Storgaten streets, a historic building. But the innards are less impressive and carry few traces of its past.
It is a party and organisation meetings and small conferences' favourite place in town. Lots of small meeting rooms. In this way it is a true Lillehammerian hotel with roots and a life beyond the chain hotel.
People in the reception are very knowledgeable about the town and surroundings.
Walking distance from the railway and bus station.
A dance bar in the basement (side door ffrom the reception) which is a good place to meet locals. This was a hot place to hang out during my own youth days.
Old Victoria Corner has turend into a Dolly Dimple's pizza restaurant. still, integrated into the hotel, it adds to the reasons for staying at the hotel.

Directions: Central Lillehammer, at the northern end of Storgaten pedestrian zone.