– says director Ole Henrik Nitter Walaker (52) We must provide a proper service.
Walker Hotell is located in the idyllic Solvorn district of Sogn, a stone’s throw from the sea and with wonderful nature on all sides. The hotel, Norway’s oldest hotel since 1640, is in its 384th season, and 52-year-old Ole Henrik Netter Walker is the hotel’s ninth generation. It has been in the family’s possession since 1690.
Hotel life is hard work, but I enjoy it wonderfully. It’s a great industry with good people and challenges to solve. What’s more, we have fun working with talented and good colleagues, Ole Henrik tells Hotellmagasinet.
Traffic calm in July
He started full-time in the family business in 1998, and now runs the hotel with his wife, while his son, Theodore, is working full-time this summer.
The 22-room hotel pearl is open six months out of the year.
– Unfortunately, it seems that July will be much quieter than this year too. We’re under a little less pressure than in previous years. In July we should have 100 per cent occupancy, but the way it looks now I would be almost satisfied if we could manage 82 per cent.
The cheerful and outgoing 52-year-old is a firework for her mate. He does not know the reason for the “poor” development this summer, and does not want to speculate too much.
– All the hotels we compare ourselves to say the same. So now there are fewer Norwegians than before, but there are more foreign tourists. My impression is that there is a bit more competition for guests than before. A room with breakfast costs us from NOK 5,000 to NOK 7,000 per night, and a four-course dinner 1,150 NOK. Then we have a rich wine cellar. Fortunately, there are many very satisfied guests.
Millions have been spent on renovations
Speaking of happiness: Last summer an American family came to visit the hotel…
– They came by private plane to Flesland and flew from there to here by helicopter. Here they were two days, and one evening they bought three bottles of wine for NOK 38,000, with the same ease rounded to NOK 100,000. You never know, but it goes to show that we always have to provide the right service. Incident is something we sometimes bring up and it is often internal to inspire and motivate employees. It’s important for employees to thrive and have fun at work, Ole Henrik says, and that affects guests.
The manager assures that the hotel is well maintained, and estimates that since 1998 some 125 million has been spent on maintenance and upgrades.
– Everything is well maintained, there are no corpses in the cargo, but the fresh wood and all the houses have been checked, says Ole Henrik Netter Walker.
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