Our history - from 1648

Sundvolden Hotel – a royal story:

It is impossible to know how long there has been a guest house at Sundvollen. The first time we know anything for sure is in 1648. Then Marte Kroksund was reported to the governor by the bailiff because she had scolded people she was rowing across the strait and that she had been drunk. She lived on a farm on the west side of Kroksundet, and ran an inn and was a canal man. She probably also had an accommodation offer.

In 1788, the owner's name was Gaute Sundvollen, and in that year the inn is recommended as accommodation for travellers. It is also stated in a list from the sheriff that he had a tavern and an inn, and sold beer and spirits. Not many years later, in 1805, the Bergen royal road opened up to Kroksund. In 1811, the owner of Sundvollen, Ole Blyberg, received royal permission to run an inn on the farm. In addition to the traffic along the royal road, he also attracted tourists to Sundvollen.

Queen Desideria visited the place in 1825, and in 1832 her husband Karl III Johan also came. His son Johan Blyberg took over in 1853, and further developed the hotel together with his wife Olava Madsdatter Bye. He too received a royal visit, when Karl IV visited Sundvolden in the 1860s. One of several porcelain dishes he gave to the staff is thankfully still in the hotel. In 1885, the English Crown Prince, later Edward VII of Great Britain, spent the night at Sundvolden. Then came Oscar II and Wilhelm II of Germany in 1891. In 1902, Sundvollen became a permanent shuttle station. Haakon VII, Queen Maud and Crown Prince Olav were responsible for the last royal visit in Johan Blyberg's time. The next generation, Ole Blyberg, took over in 1909. In the same year, he built a new wing with a dining hall from materials from Sundvollmølla, which had recently been demolished. In 1914 he also had a large and contemporary hotel building built on two floors on the south side of the old hotel. It later became known as "The Society". In his time, Haakon VII visited the hotel several times, including accompanied by Fridtjof Nansen.

The Lierbanen began with a boat route from Svangstrand near Sylling to Sundvollen wharf in 1904. In 1910, Bennett's Reisebureau also began with a fixed bus service between Kristiania and Sundvollen. This led to many traveling there to visit Kongens utsikt and Krokkleiva, and the Sundvolden Hotel was the natural place for accommodation. In 1922–1923, Ole Blyberg built a new farm yard and buildings at Kroksundet.

After Ole Blyberg, several owners followed who only had the hotel for a short time. In 1932, Martin Hansen then took over. He was the son of a farmer from Baskerud and a merchant. He ran it together with his wife Johanne Birgine Hurum until his death in 1955. Daughter Ruth Helgestad and her husband Alf Helgestad then took over. Alf Helgestad already died in 1959, and she then ran it alone from until 1963. Then Arne Bergendahl Laeskogen came in as a partner, and in 1965 he bought the hotel for NOK 500,000. The hotel business was about to end then, because Mobil Oil wanted to buy it to build a large road service facility with a petrol station on the property.

Arne Laeskogen married Bjørg Moe the following year, and they restored the then very run-down hotel. They managed to get, among other things, state authorities and Oslo municipality as regular customers, and in 1972 they decided to put in place conference facilities. During the 1970s, the hotel was modernized, and during the 1980s it became known as one of the country's leading conference hotels. Their son Tord Moe Laeskogen took over in 2000 together with his wife Cecilie Laeskogen.

In 2007, the hotel became a member of The historical hotels and restaurants. It won the Norwegian Working Environment Award in 2008. The hotel is the holder of the Olavsrosa and the Swan label. The hotel has a total of 273 rooms and 525 beds.

Sundvolden Hotel is located in historic Hole Municipality in Viken. Home municipality for the four kings:

Halfdan Black:  Halfdan Black lived in the 8th century. He was married to Ragnhild, who was Sigurd Hjort's daughter. Sigurd Hjort was then the owner of a stone farm. Berserker Håke killed Sigurd Hjort and then robbed his daughter. Halvdan saved her, and they settled on a stone farm. Snorri writes that Halvdan Svarte walked through the ice on the Randsfjorden after a visit to Hadeland. It is said that he was divided into 4 and placed around, his head should lie on the so-called Halvdan's mound you can see next to the Steinssletta. Investigations have been taken of the pile and it turns out that there is wood 3.80 to 4.1 m below the surface. It is now being analyzed to see if it consists of stable masses, which type of wood and dating.

Harald Hårfagre: A king from the district here. He lived from the year 860-933. He was the son of Halvdan Svarte and Tyrne Klakk-Haraldsdotter from Jutland. He inherited his kingship from his father when he was 10 years old. He systematically worked his way through our country and left part of the country under his control. He left earls behind him to rule. Took the odel from the guilty peasants and taxed each use as he arrived. He died of ringworm in Rogaland aged 83.

Sigurd Syr: He lived in the 11th century. He was the great-grandson of Harald Hårfagre. He enjoyed working the soil. Which was very different from kings at this time. He later married Åsta Gudbrandsdotter who was the mother of Olav the Holy.

Olav the Saint: Born in the late 9th century. The mother was Åsta and the father Harald. He was a petty king in Vestvold. He had the ability to manage, collect and organize. But also less valuable traits such as greed, savagery, cruelty, desire for revenge and light-hearted relationships with women. He grew up on Sigurd syr's large farm. He dozes off in the battle of Stikkelstad in 1030.