Scandic Hamar offers 302 rooms and 1,000 beds. And soon they are going to open a bistro.
– We’re lucky here at Scandic Hamar; We have a steady and good activity and host many events. We have a good sales organization and skilled reservation staff whom we thank for. In addition, the hotel has a good reputation. “We deliver,” says hotel manager Frode Uckerland, 44.
Hotellmagasinet.no meets the cheerful sign over a cup of coffee at the hotel, which is just a stone’s throw from Briskeby Stadium. Here – with two shopping malls on either side – is one of Inlandet’s largest hotels.
It extends with a bistro
At Christmas 2020 Scandic Hamar kicks off the latest of its many developments, and in April 2021 the hotel could have 63 new hotel rooms, new meeting rooms upstairs, a restaurant and more. Cost: NOK 200 million. It was paid for by the farm owner Utstillingsplassen Eiendom AS, owned by businessman Terje Haugan.
– We have received very good feedback from the guests. Hamar has become a popular holiday destination. More and more families come here for vacation. Mjøsa’s visit did a good job of putting Hamar on the map, says Åkerland.
The meeting rooms on the 8th floor with an area of 200 square meters and a common area of 200 square meters with a view of the city and Musa were very well received. In the spring the hotel will open a bistro with 200 seats.
– With the Bistro, we get another leg to stand on and hope the locals will visit us for a good meal. “I have great faith in the project,” Ockerland says.
Two hotels manager
The 44-year-old has worked his way up the system and as a hotel manager, and has been with the Scandic system since 1996. He started as a cook and waiter before ending up in the hotel’s tournament and conference department and technical director at Scandic Hamar, and has been the hotel’s manager since 2015.
He is also CEO of the 176-room Scandic Ringsaker, which is located a 10-minute drive from the center of Hamar in the direction of Brumunddal.
– There is no objection to serving two hotels. He modestly says: I have very good management teams who run the hotels on a day to day basis.
– I had a desire and ambition early on to climb the system, and I was told early on that I must learn. For four years I was in different hotels to absorb lessons. He adds that driving in different ways is exciting.
Known for many years as the ‘Sports Hotel’, Scandic Hamar has hosted many snowboarders for a number of years. In addition, the nachspiel Sports Gala has been posted here several times.
The hotel has a huge space for large events: Vis a vis is Hamarhallen, which is frequently used for exhibitions and concerts. In addition, the hotel has a Scandic theater with a capacity of 1,100 people.
– This makes us unique. We can arrange several large events at the same time because we have the facilities and staff to carry them out. We have a lot of courses and conferences with us. Just before Christmas, we had 900 guests at Christmas dinner, of whom 600 were dinner-goers. And a concert in the second part was attended by several hundred spectators. “We did it brilliantly,” says Frode Uckerland.
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