Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels

About

After a complete restoration and refurbishment,  Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels has been transformed into one of the worlds most unusual hotels! Staying at Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels , you are surrounded by the mill's original architecture and machinery - along with photographs and memorabilia from the 1994 Winter Olympics.

An unforgettable experience! Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels  is located in the heart of Lillehammer, just steps away from Lillehammer's lively shopping street, "Gågata", and not far from Maihaugen and Sigrid Undset's home, Bjerkebæk. Skiing and family fun can be found only 15 km away at Hafjell Alpine Center  and Hunderfossen Adventure Park/Hunderfossen Winter Park. 

Ingeniously designed from a grits-mill with silos used for grain storage, the Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels  is located right in the city centre of Lillehammer, The mill’s transformation into a hotel was rapid, taking place over a twelve-month period, to open in time for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. The rooms are constructed from either one, two or three silos.

The Egon Restaurant is located in what was the old grinding house, which dates back to 1863, and serves food throughout the day. The outside seating area overlooks the Mesna River, which runs beside the hotel, its banks once home to many mills.

The Toppen Bar, situated on the top of the hotel, is appropriately ski jump-themed and proudly displays the skis used back in 2005 by Bjorn Einar Romoren, the renowned Norwegian ski jumper, when he secured the world record. As you would expect, the views from here are vast and panoramic, looking right around the city, valleys and hills.

History – from mill and granary to one of the world's most unusual hotels.

In the early 1990s, Lillehammer Aktiemølle was the only remaining mill left in the region. After 130 years, modern-day demands for more effective systems caught up with the operation, and the production closed down in summer 1991.

Mølla Hotell is the brainchild of architects Halvorsen and Reine who worked on other assignments in the region when they spotted Lillehammer Aktiemølle standing there as a withered straw.

This is the architects' story: During our work on other hotels in Lillehammer, we visited the area regularly. On our travels, we spotted Felleskjøpet's milling facilities. Town-centre location, close to river Mesna, a stone's throw from Lillehammer town centre and its pedestrian precinct –

what architect could resist? We couldn't. One day we stopped and paid the miller a visit. He was as millers should be – friendly and obliging. Together we crawled into, and up and down, a piece of Lillehammer's history, and later wriggled our way out in a completely different place to where we had entered – with cobwebs in our hair and stars in our eyes.  This definitely had the potential to become something special – particularly as we were in the heart of the town which was to host the 1994 Olympics. There were 2-metre-thick stone walls, blocked alcoves and windows, secret rooms, narrow passages, mysterious transport chutes, strange machinery and installations – and grain, flour dust and chaff everywhere.

We were told that the milling operation was closing down, and that the property was for sale. In other words, a potential assignment for the architects – and a very interesting one too. Investors and banks were enthusiastic; this was a product they believed in. The aim was to reflect the character of the operation for which this building had served for generations – in details as well as overall.  Its name became Mølla Hotell, and following 1 ½ years of conversion work, the hotel was ready to receive guests for the Olympic Games 1994.

In the heyday of milling, Lillehammer was renowned for its many water posts, and today you will find the highest one in town, Toppen Bar, underneath the glass dome of the silo. Water posts were places where people met, and this is exactly what we would like it to be – an informal meeting point.  But rest assured – at Mølla, we serve more than water to get the wheel turning.

Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels forms part of Lillehammer and Gudbrandsdalen’s cultural concept "Into Norway - Home of Culture". Are you looking to experience and learn more about Norwegian culture, history, and food traditions on your journey? Maybe in combination with activities in beautiful surroundings? Would you like to stay in unique, historical settings at their most authentic, leaving you with lifelong memories? Find more inspiration at intonorway.com.