The Hostelz.com Review
The reasonably-priced HI - Bergen Montana Hostel is perched on the side of Mt. Ulriken. It is quiet, clean, well-maintained, and friendly and offers stunning views of the city of Bergen and the surrounding fjords and mountains. The free Norwegian breakfast buffet is healthy, plentiful, and delicious, with lots of variety. The staff are friendly and helpful, even at 5 a.m.!
The Location
This hostel is in a beautiful location on the side of Mt. Ulriken, with great western-facing views overlooking the city of Bergen. It is right on the walking path for Mt. Ulriken, near the cable cars, and not far from the Montana bus stop. One can take bus #31 (a stop is located a few minutes' walk from the central train station, and there are several stops in the city centre as well). The bus takes about twelve minutes to arrive at the Montana stop (ask the bus driver when getting on so as not to miss it) and runs frequently, even during the weekends (we were able to catch our 7 a.m. train with no problem -- and they even packed a take-along breakfast for us since we had to leave earlier than the free sit-down buffet breakfast started).
There is also a small supermarket just across the street. You can also walk to the city centre in under forty-five minutes, following the cable car path. It is easy to find, if you follow the directions on the website. There is a large parking lot beside the hostel, so if traveling by car, you need not worry about parking. There are also many maps and excursions available in the lobby or by asking the staff for assistance.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Most of the rooms in the hostel (which looks like a motel on the outside and a really nice, newly-decorated hostel on the inside) are four-person, single-sex dorms, with additional larger mixed dorms and one- or two-person private rooms with en-suite bath available as well. The four-person dorms fill by twos, until they book all the rooms in the hostel, and then they add more people to each room as needed. So, if you have two in your party and it's not on a weekend or holiday, you'll likely have the four-person dorm to yourselves. If you have three in your party, you're guaranteed to have the four-person dorm to yourselves.
There are no lockers in the four-person dorm room, so if you're sharing with others, you might want to leave valuables at the front desk (you can also leave bags with them before and after check-in/out). The rooms lock with an electronic keycard system (as do the hallways). The rooms each have a sink and mirror. They also have a small open closet, couch, and side tables, as well as some chairs. The rooms are spacious enough for four people to be able to lounge and not have to sit on the beds. The beds are very comfortable and sturdy.
The bathrooms and showers were very clean, with showers separate from the toilet area. The toilet area has five stalls, and we never had to wait for a toilet. The spacious private shower stalls are located in the corridor, next to the toilets, and have a place to put soap and shampoo in the shower itself, as well as plenty of room to change in complete privacy (each even has a chair). The only thing lacking is some hooks to hang things on instead of putting them on the chair. There is plenty of hot water and good water pressure each time you use the showers, even during peak times. The thick doors on the corridor and rooms keep noise to a minimum.
Common Spaces
There are several large common spaces available -- a front sitting area with several comfortable couches; a huge library/lounge room with lots of tables and chairs and couches and TV; a kitchen and eating area (which has several places for cooking and preparing food); as well as a very large dining room, where they serve the free breakfast. There are vending machines offering snacks and drinks available in the hallway and kitchen area. There's also the option of ordering pizza (which is delicious) for a price lower than you'll find in the city.
There are also several nice outdoor spaces, with many picnic tables; a grill/outdoor fireplace; and a lovely, large rock outcropping with stunning views of the city, fjords, and surrounding mountains. The sunsets are well-worth watching from there! We didn't use the computers, but they are available with internet for a small fee. Overall, it seems to be a subdued, but a friendly and social hostel. It is very family-friendly and has adequate amenities and transport nearby.
Summary
Overall, this hostel has much to recommend to a traveler looking for a clean, quiet, beautiful place to sleep in Bergen. It is not in the city centre, but it's only a short bus ride away and has great access to hiking trails and Mt. Ulriken. This hostel allows you to really enjoy Norway's natural beauty, even from its backyard as well as to meet fellow travelers in one of the many spacious common areas. It is a very well-run, well-maintained hostel worth visiting, whether traveling alone, in a group, or as a family with children.
The Location
This hostel is in a beautiful location on the side of Mt. Ulriken, with great western-facing views overlooking the city of Bergen. It is right on the walking path for Mt. Ulriken, near the cable cars, and not far from the Montana bus stop. One can take bus #31 (a stop is located a few minutes' walk from the central train station, and there are several stops in the city centre as well). The bus takes about twelve minutes to arrive at the Montana stop (ask the bus driver when getting on so as not to miss it) and runs frequently, even during the weekends (we were able to catch our 7 a.m. train with no problem -- and they even packed a take-along breakfast for us since we had to leave earlier than the free sit-down buffet breakfast started).
There is also a small supermarket just across the street. You can also walk to the city centre in under forty-five minutes, following the cable car path. It is easy to find, if you follow the directions on the website. There is a large parking lot beside the hostel, so if traveling by car, you need not worry about parking. There are also many maps and excursions available in the lobby or by asking the staff for assistance.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Most of the rooms in the hostel (which looks like a motel on the outside and a really nice, newly-decorated hostel on the inside) are four-person, single-sex dorms, with additional larger mixed dorms and one- or two-person private rooms with en-suite bath available as well. The four-person dorms fill by twos, until they book all the rooms in the hostel, and then they add more people to each room as needed. So, if you have two in your party and it's not on a weekend or holiday, you'll likely have the four-person dorm to yourselves. If you have three in your party, you're guaranteed to have the four-person dorm to yourselves.
There are no lockers in the four-person dorm room, so if you're sharing with others, you might want to leave valuables at the front desk (you can also leave bags with them before and after check-in/out). The rooms lock with an electronic keycard system (as do the hallways). The rooms each have a sink and mirror. They also have a small open closet, couch, and side tables, as well as some chairs. The rooms are spacious enough for four people to be able to lounge and not have to sit on the beds. The beds are very comfortable and sturdy.
The bathrooms and showers were very clean, with showers separate from the toilet area. The toilet area has five stalls, and we never had to wait for a toilet. The spacious private shower stalls are located in the corridor, next to the toilets, and have a place to put soap and shampoo in the shower itself, as well as plenty of room to change in complete privacy (each even has a chair). The only thing lacking is some hooks to hang things on instead of putting them on the chair. There is plenty of hot water and good water pressure each time you use the showers, even during peak times. The thick doors on the corridor and rooms keep noise to a minimum.
Common Spaces
There are several large common spaces available -- a front sitting area with several comfortable couches; a huge library/lounge room with lots of tables and chairs and couches and TV; a kitchen and eating area (which has several places for cooking and preparing food); as well as a very large dining room, where they serve the free breakfast. There are vending machines offering snacks and drinks available in the hallway and kitchen area. There's also the option of ordering pizza (which is delicious) for a price lower than you'll find in the city.
There are also several nice outdoor spaces, with many picnic tables; a grill/outdoor fireplace; and a lovely, large rock outcropping with stunning views of the city, fjords, and surrounding mountains. The sunsets are well-worth watching from there! We didn't use the computers, but they are available with internet for a small fee. Overall, it seems to be a subdued, but a friendly and social hostel. It is very family-friendly and has adequate amenities and transport nearby.
Summary
Overall, this hostel has much to recommend to a traveler looking for a clean, quiet, beautiful place to sleep in Bergen. It is not in the city centre, but it's only a short bus ride away and has great access to hiking trails and Mt. Ulriken. This hostel allows you to really enjoy Norway's natural beauty, even from its backyard as well as to meet fellow travelers in one of the many spacious common areas. It is a very well-run, well-maintained hostel worth visiting, whether traveling alone, in a group, or as a family with children.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2010
Their Description
HI - Bergen Montana Hostel Details
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HI - Bergen Montana Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Very clean, quiet, friendly, beautiful hostel! This is a beautiful, clean hostel on Mt. Ulriken. It is near to hiking trails and has gorgeous views of Bergen city and fjords and mountains. Everything was very clean and well-kept. The free breakfast food was excellent (many different kinds of food and not hungry after eating). The 4-person dorm room was very nice and clean and roomy. The toilets and showers were also very clean and there was always hot water and no line. The staff were friendly and helpful. The bus was often and easy to find. It is also not a long walk to city center (only 30 minutes by cable car line). There is a lot of space for relaxing or socializing, inside and outside. It is also a family friendly hostel. I highly recommend staying here, for everyone. It is one of the nicest hostels I have stayed in (and I have stayed in many, many different hostels). — Sveta , Ukraine (2010-12-22) Avoid at all costs! Of the four youth hostels I stayed at during my trip to Norway, this was by far the worst. It is all set up in a very hostile manner to its guests. You have to pay 10Kr for thirty minutes of cooking, which no other hostel does and is incredibly unreasonable. You have to pay 1Kr/minute for internet access, whereas everywhere else offers it free. I have also heard rumours of the hot water going off during peak periods. This hostel is a fifteen-minute bus trip from the city centre. The bus that serves the hostel is also infrequent (every thirty minutes or so), and costs 22Kr each way. Therefore, add 54Kr to the rate quoted as additional daily expenses. — Eric , United Kingdom (2009-07-02) Avoid at all cost! Hot water stopped after five minutes of using, which apparently the water heater was on for the whole day already. Manager told me to wait until the water boiled. I followed the instruction and waited for an hour to get another five minutes. Finally went to disabled toilet miles away. Obivously the manager has received such complains before. absolutely crazy! No apologies received except impassive "sorry." — Tong , China (2008-06-13) Nice place As it is some distance away from downtown Bergen you need to be prepared for a thirty- to forty-five-minute walk or take the Bus. The setting is excellent, you have a nice view over the city. If you are traveling by car you'll get free parking just in front of the hostel. The hostel has a nice kitchen and a social room with TV and books where you easily can meet fellow travelers. I have stayed in a mixed gender dorm room which might not be liked by everyone. Bathrooms and showers are clean. The breakfast is excellent! — Herbert , Switzerland (2007-08-24) A great view, and the morning breakfasts are handy. It's a fair walk from town, but doable without full luggage. Up or down the hill into town, take the number thirty-one bus. The four-bed dormitories are well-equipped and just the right size, the members kitchen is fair (for self-catering, there is a Spar shop fifty meters away), and the hostel is clean, with an internet connection available. You can get Bergen Cards for cheap access to most city attractions, and I'd recommend the kayaking day-trip, Go West!, both available from the helpful reception. The hostel is well situated to get up into the hills, either on foot, or by cable car. — Geoffrey Willoughby (2006-08-17) This place is absolutely too far away from the city center, so you can't walk here. At least I wouldn't walk here. That means you have to spend up to about 50 NOK in bus fees every day, which you can add to the price of the hostel. I relocated to a hostel in the center. This place was nice and clean, with a nice staff, but the water in the shower was too hot. — Kjetil (2004-10-20) This hostel was very bad because the doors of the barrier were defective, and on the bed was blood!!! The showers were dirty. All in all, I give it one star for the breakfast and two stars for the best view of Bergen. — Stefan Schweins (2004-09-15) This was a nice hostel. The dorm is large but of good quality. The place is cheap and a splendid breakfast is included in the price. Only the distance is a bit tricky... better take the bus. — Peter (2004-07-11) Very nice hostel and setting above the city. Generous breakfast. Take the bus if you aren't ready to climb. — Scott (2004-04-12)