We have just come back from a Lofoten road trip, having stayed in 5 different, well-reviewed venues, the length of the islands. Ballstad is very centrally located in the islands and if you were choosing 1 place to stay then would be a reasonable choice as it offers day-trip opportunities to Svolvaer and Reine without being too onerous a drive. Right from the outset we were warmly greeted. The first thing you see in reception is the incredible view of the sea through the restaurant's full length windows. Our room wasn't ready so our Hosts offered us safe storage and spent a considerable amount of time giving us advice about our itinerary. It was incredibly helpful. On our return we were delighted to find that we had been upgraded to one of their seaside suites. Kristian took us there and showed us round. It was absolutely stunning and without a doubt the nicest place we stayed at throughout our trip. A beautiful lodge, with a boutique, rustic, feel, decorated to a very high standard and historically preserved from an old fishing hut. It even had its own hot tub (We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights from the hot tub that evening)! Full of nice touches, including a Bluetooth speaker, it would be almost impossible to come up with even a minor criticism. Dinner at Fangst restaurant is highly recommended. Billed as a "fine dining" experience, it certainly is that. A bit more pricey than the standard Lofoten meal, but you get what you pay for. We both had the sea(weed) menu, which was excellent. The courses are bought out to you by extremely knowledgeable staff who explain them, including a personal meet with the chef. The fish is delivered to the marina 100 yards from the Lodge and the menu adapted to the daily catch, so cannot be any fresher! One of waiters bought out the skin of the rare deep-sea fish that we were eating, which was really interesting.

Nothing

The Hillside lodge was brand new and super clean! Beds were super comfy! Breakfast was decent and included in the Hillside rate. Staff were also very friendly. I would stay here again for one night but not two in the summer because the view was disappointing after Reine. In winter, this place would be better since it would be dark and mask the lack of a beautiful view. On our trip, we stayed 2 nights in Svolvaer, 4 in Reine, and 2 in Hattvika.

My biggest complaint was the view from Hattvika. There is a massive fish refinery on the water right outside the place. I realized the website photos cleverly show night shots. I wasn't expecting such a let down. Reine is so much more beautiful. While the room was very clean and comfy, it was super hot with no a/c. We slept with the balcony door open all night to cool the room, which worked. The toasty room was not a deal breaker since Norway doesn't have a/c. It would be great to offer hot tub use to all guests.

A beautiful resort in a working Norwegian fishing village, so we were enmeshed in history. Great water and mountain views. Staff were amazing and made every effort to ensure you were looked after and given great information on the resort, sightseeing options (regardless of whether you booked a tour) and really gave the impression that you were their complete focus. The experience seemed very personalised. Our room was excellent and both cosy and spacious! Breakfasts are an absolute must here. Continental with a Norwegian twist. Hattvika is a perfect location for the central part of the Lofoten Islands. We had easy access to places like Uttakliev, Haukland and Unstad Beaches, as well Nusfjord, Henningvaer and Gimsoy areas.

We celebrated our honeymoon at Hattvika Lodge and we could not have picked a better place to go! The views from our cabin were incredible and the location was perfect. Close drive from the local airport - Leknes. Local grocery store is a few minutes' walk from the property. Fantastic food, both for dinner and the breakfast buffet that was available. The staff, as with all the locals were so kind, generous, friendly and helpful. Communication was fantastic for all our needs. Also, we highly recommend booking their sauna that is right on the edge of the pier. The view is out of a postcard! Thank you, Kristian and staff, for providing a truly magical property and experience!

Having flown and arrived in Svolvær at 6pm, it took us about 2hours to drive to Ballstad. Mária gladly made arrangements for us to check in between 8-9pm. While showing us to our cabin, Mária also pointed out a barely visible Aurora to us which taught us how to identify auroras when it’s weak. The cabin is warm, clean and quiet. We had a really comfortable stay. Book your dinner at Fangst early as it was full and we missed our chance to dine there.

Not sure why the bathroom window is kind of translucent. We had to hang a towel at the window to feel comfortable when using the bathroom.

This is a private resort located deep within Ballstad. Which was ok because once we arrived here, we did not want to leave. The grounds were private, our Rorbu was updated, modern and had beautiful views of the bay and mountains and the sauna was heavenly. In the mornings I would wake up, walk down to the dock and take a nice icy plunge into the water. The showers in our rooms had a double rain shower which was so nice. The dinner at Fangst is not to be missed. The restaurant has beautiful floor to ceiling views of the ocean with sea eagles perching on the rocks. The food was amazing and locally sourced. They also had an amazing wine selection.

The location was very private and was nicely situated amongst the nature around. The room was calming and restful with all the attention to reducing light for sleep. View was good and selfishly would have loved more of a sea view - and do understand that there are rooms that offer that. So appreciated the "self check in" provided due to our late arrival.

No dislikes - though as a couple - having the ability to both sit on balcony together was a tight go. Needed a 2nd nightstand for other side of bed but this is really of minor importance.

I loved the project of renovation of these old fishermen's huts. The lodges are super well designed and have a stunning view to the internal pond. The restaurant is for fine ding and allows you to taste some Scandinavian dishes and local delicacy. Every lodge has a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook your own meals and breakfast. The small behind the lodges allows you to do some northern lights hunting in the right time of the year.

I would have appreciated having the sauna included in the price as part of the facilities.

The hattvika Lodge is a magic place, the restaurant aerea is very well-kept and welcoming, the breakfast time is amazing and we had the pleasure of taste also the dinner once, so special. The room (Lodge) is amazing, the design, materials and furnishings are welcoming in true Norwegian style, we appreciate so much the velux window on the bed, unfortunately not the best view on the sea, but was ok as well. The view from the docks is unique and so relaxing. We will definitely return to this peaceful place

Very fancy authentic design, quite good kitchen equipment, very friendly staff.

Not possible to do a self-check in, therefore we had to alter our plans, which was a bit unconvenient. Also the check-in process took longer that expected, as there was the only one manager, who was doing check-in for other guests - as a result we had to wait like 15 min, which was annoying given the fact we had to change our plans already and were in a hurry. No oil to cook in the property itself, no proper knife to cut meat & vegetables (only one for bread).