Since the age of twelve, Arnt R Mikalsen
has known that he wanted to own and
run a hotel. As an adult, he now not only
runs a hotel but offers his guests an entire
destination which includes Vinger Hotell
& Spa, Skangården Manor and the hotel
and conference facilities at Kongsvinger
Fortress. He has made a conscious decision
not to belong to any of the hotel chains.
He wants to put his own mark on the
business and everything that he offers his
guests.
– We’re exactly the right distance from
the metropolitan area of Oslo and the
airport in Gardemoen, he says. Courses
and conferences with tailor-made programs
make up our main focus today. All three
parts of the destination are also popular
for private parties, the holidays and other
special occasions.
– Vinger is a spa hotel with excellent
cuisine. We have live music in the bar six
days a week. We’ve been praised for our
high level of service and for allowing the
soul of the hotel to emerge through our
renovation projects.
He speaks warmly
about giving his
conference guests more than they were
expecting.
– An efficient and successful meeting
has to be about more than someone from
management presenting facts and figures,
he says. When a group of colleagues
gather and talk around the camp fire they
suddenly allow their shoulders to loosen
and put prestige aside. They see each other
as fellow beings – in a new way and will
take that new relationship with them when
they leave.
– I’ve also noticed a trend where more
and more companies extend the conference
into three days and two nights. You see,
time is a very important factor in getting
the results you want. Time to reflect.
Finnskogen is mostly
made up of
untouched wilderness. Vinger Hotell &
Spa work closely with a number of partners
so that they can offer all the activities
which are expected when the woods, the
mountains and the lakes are just around the
corner.
The menu also bears traces of the
immediate surroundings, with plenty of
game and fish caught nearby. Restaurant
Grillhaven serves breakfast, light dishes,
lunch and à la carte. Generalen Pianobar &
Restaurant is a smaller, more intimate à la
carte restaurant.
– Everything is cooked from scratch
using top-quality produce.
It is not hard to find a moment to
yourself in the spa with Hudpleieklinikken.
There are several treatment rooms for those
who would like a massage, facial treatment
or body wrap. There is also a pool area
with lounge chairs.
–You can come here for a day spa, or
make room for a few hours of free time
during the conference where people can
choose to come down here, says Arnt.
Vinger Hotell & Spa
Vinger Hotell & Spa:
160 beds in single and
double rooms, most
of them refurbished
in recent years with a
contemporary interior.
Eight conference and
meeting rooms,
maximum capacity
of up to 250 people.
Two restaurants and a
banquet hall for up to
140 people. Bar with live
music six nights a week.
Spa with Hudpleieklinik-
ken, sauna and pool
area. Many partners
to tailor packages
for conferences and
courses with events and
activities. Vinger Gal-
lery with the permanent
exhibition by the artist
Wolfgang Ellermann,
both paintings and
sculptures.
5
Vinger
Hotell & Spa,
Kongsvinger
25
