Hotels near Museo Mina nº3, Longyearbyen

Polarrigg is a funky hotel. From the outside it looks like it has been thrown together from driftwood, perched on a heap of gravel. And is surrounded by rusty artefacts from the mining age – appropriate since it is a converted miners’ hostel. There is a variety of accommodation offered, but I can only comment on the single rooms, organized in a long corridor with shared bathrooms dotted about. The rooms are small and basic, but well heated, with blackout curtains and comfy beds. Four negatives affected my stay, two of them really minor: first, the chair in my room collapsed on me. The staff were very helpful in replacing it immediately, but two of them said ‘oh, that chair’, indicating that it had happened before. Second, at breakfast, quite nice standard Scandinavian fare, the oat milk curdled in my coffee. The staff assured me that the milk was fresh, so it must have been the coffee they were using or over-brewing, that became too acidic. But in this case change the coffee or the milk, don’t blame the customer! Third, something inherent to the design of the place and not helped by the fact that flights to and from Oslo sometimes arrive or depart in the middle of the night, so that I was awoken most nights by the clatter of people operating the noisy door locking mechanisms in the corridor outside. Finally, and most alarming, there was a foul stench of sewage that, at various times, pervaded different parts of the building, but especially the area close to the restaurant. This is the kind of thing that would get the place closed down if inspected by the public health department, so the plumbing and waste disposal system absolutely needs to be fixed as soon as possible. I raised this at reception and was told ‘yes we know about it, it affects all of Longyearbyen’. Sorry but that really isn’t good enough. Polarrigg is half the price of a proper hotel, so one should expect what one pays for. But I really didn’t pay for the smell of sewage. I note that hardly any other reviewers have dared mention this, but it is unavoidable. On the plus side, the residents’ lounge with complimentary tea and coffee is spacious, comfortable and characterful, with an attached kitchen for those who prefer to self cater. And although it is located some way out of the centre, the path over the river is very convenient to get there in just 10 minutes.

Breakfast was rich! Choose a lot of these! This hotel is the only 4-star hotel in Svalbard! There are saunas and outdoor baths! It's warm inside the hotel! Also close to the local supermarket! Environmental facilities are really good, love his sauna! It's so comfortable!

Polfareren in Longyearbyen is a lovely hotel situated in the main town just off the shopping street. The staff were very friendly and the room the best we stayed in while being in Svalbard. The room was very clean and had sufficient storage. A delicious white chocolate on the bed for both of us which was a really nice touch. The amenities were very good. We had dinner at the hotel and that was not so good. We left hungry despite having had 2 courses each. The servings were much too small and I am even not a big eater. The breakfast was amazing. Nothing to fault. Polfareren was the best hotel we stayed in while in Svalbard. I can highly recommend the hotel including the breakfast but not to have dinner there.

The staff are well trained especially the reception/front desk and the Nansen wait and kitchen staff. The views are incredible and it is a central place at the bottom of the protected triangle. Well worth the time and expense to experience the northernmost civilization of the world before climate change melts all the glaciers and snow. I went on an electric catamaran tour and saw the fjord and the glaciers, calfing of the glacier (when a Crack and the glacier crashes into the sea) and a Minke whale. Saw the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis too.

Who would have expected a 5-star hotel in the remote arctic? This was one of the finest hotels I have ever visited. - staff was attentive, helpful. cheerful and discreet. Rooms were basic - this is Svalbard, not Paris - but very comfortable, well appointed and perfectly maintained. Every aspect of the room was perfect. Dinner was a world-class experience and morning breakfast is among the best anywhere. Cant say enough good about this place. Worth a trip across the world to get here

This is the best youth travel in this place, especially the breakfast is very good, if you want to live in the youth travel is the first choice. The location is too far from the city center, very test people

Gjestehuset is simple but it does the job. Shower and toilet is in the hall but that's no problem. The breakfast is very nice, especially the waffles. It is a bit of a walk to and from town but it is definitely doable. The place is very good value for money