Skåbu Fjellhotell is a living testimony of passion, community and love for nature. Here, history and sustainability meet in beautiful union, thanks to the drive of Jannicke and her partner Henrik, who together have breathed new life into the venerable place. 

A historical legacy with new life

Skåbu Fjellhotell has taken advantage of the old cooperative in the village. The cooperative has been a central part of the village's life for over a hundred years. The building housed everything from traveling merchants to local festivities, stood empty and quiet for a while. Now there is life in the walls and on the pastures again. Skåbu Fjellhotell took over the building and completely renovated, and since 2018 it has functioned as a small mountain hotel.

Although today it is Jannicke and Henrik who run this mountain hotel in Gudbrandsdalen with their hearts and hands, the story began with her parents.

"We both had good jobs in Oslo and lived a fairly normal city life," says Jannicke. It was my father Sigurd who in 2008 bought Lykkja Fjellgård, an old mountain farm in Skåbu. It was his retirement dream after he had sold his company – to become a farmer in his old age. The farm came up for sale, and he was successful. From there, things took off.

Jannicke says that her parents became full-time farmers. Her father attended the winter agricultural college as an adult, learned to drive a horse and sleigh at the age of 65, and started raising wild sheep.

The farm is a rare gem with 20 buildings from the 1500s to the 1800s, all full of rural history and authenticity. There is a separate house for everything: sauna, baking house, garden cottage and accommodation in Skåbu for about 30 people.

"We were just leisure residents back then, but it turned out to be the start of something much bigger.

A dream of sustainability and living close to nature

In 2017, a new era began when Jannicke and her partner Henrik took the chance to leave the big city life in the capital Oslo and pursue a dream in the mountains.

"Henrik is a contractor and trained carpenter, so he knew the building trade itself. We ended up doing a lot of the construction and interior design ourselves. In the evenings we sat and found light, googled carpets and had a small vision of how we could build it nicely.

When you first invest as much as we had to – everything had to be built from scratch – and every single room and wall had to be constructed to make a hotel, then you want it to be proper and of quality," says Jannicke.

It has always been important for the couple to be able to offer authentic, tasty food – Norwegian traditional food, but in a new and creative form.

"I love good food. So it had to be in place. We felt that we could handle the role of host. But we had to have a good chef. Quite by chance, we found a really good chef, who was only going to be there for a year. He had worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants, and was between jobs. He thought "I can probably spend a year in Skåbu and help you". That's how head chef Lukaz came into the picture.

So in 2019, we were three people who said: "Yes, what can we achieve in one year?" Now it's 2025, and all three of us are still here.

"First of all, we wanted to operate value-based"

"I think we have always chosen value-based rather than economic. It may not be the smartest thing financially, but there was simply no alternative. If this could not be done based on values, then I could just as easily have stayed in Oslo with a secure income.

Jannicke says that they had to go "all in", with passion and power.

"I'm passionate about animals – I've been a vegetarian for 25 years, and I'm very concerned about animal welfare. Henrik is interested in hunting and fishing – and even though he doesn't get to hunt much, he is in that environment when we live up here.

Skåbu Fjellhotell is more than an overnight stay

Skåbu Fjellhotell's owners Jannicke and Henrik have not only built a hotel – they have created a home, both for guests, animals and ideas. For the couple, the operation is not just about offering beds and meals, but about creating a whole experience – rooted in genuine love for Skåbu and all that it contains. From free-range animals to activities and courses that are unique to the site.

"I can play football with my pigs, not many people can say that," says Jannicke with a smile.

A clear sustainable vision  

Sustainability is the entire motivation for Skåbu Fjellhotell.

"We want guests to get to know traditional Norwegian culture, where we bring them close to the old way of life, with a touch of mountain luxury.

This is about everything from short-distance food and recycled furniture to collaboration with local farmers and craftsmen. Everything is done with a view to leaving the least possible footprint and the most value possible.

The interior of the hotel is a mix of reuse from Royal Christiania (now Clarion Hotel The Hub), built antiques and self-designed handicrafts in local materials.

"We picked up everything when the hotel was to be completely renovated – there was a shuttle service. All of the furniture you find at the hotel is actually reused.

"We always think: How can we take care of what's here, instead of picking up something new?" says Jannicke. "It's not just about the environment, but about respect for the place and its history.

First Nordic member of Regenerative Travel

"I'm very proud that we've managed to build our own concept, and we've stayed true to it all the way. We haven't copied anyone. We have chosen to do it our way, says Jannicke.

And that's exactly what the hotel has received awards for – both sustainability awards and guiding star awards, and we have 3 circles in the 360° Eat Guide, as one of three in Norway.

Skåbu Fjellhotell is a member of Regenerative Travel – as the very first and only hotel in Northern Europe. This exclusive membership unites sustainable properties around the world that not only want to reduce negative impact, but actively contribute to the restoration of nature, culture and local communities.

"I think it's incredibly fun that little Skåbu Fjellhotell has managed to make its mark and that we can meet other like-minded people in Regenerative Travel. I learn an incredible amount from how others work with sustainability.

The way forward – knowledge sharing, nature and community

Jannicke wants Skåbu to become an arena where people come to learn more about nature, self-sufficiency, emergency preparedness and harvesting.

"I really want to be able to create even better products for our guests. So that they can be more involved, a bit like with our cooking courses.

"I want to continue with and maybe increase with even more animals. And create a form of "food lab", a hub where you can share knowledge and invite chefs to come.

Good friendships are formed in the mountains

"We have made an incredible number of good friends in our guests. We meet so many great people.

The Bærum girl has always been a travel-loving soul, but with all the responsibility for the hotel, it is difficult to make many trips abroad.

Now I get other cultures to come here instead. So I get to meet all the nice people, get to hear all the exciting things – all the ways of thinking that I would have if I were out. They are now coming to us!

Jannicke is proud of the visits they receive from near and far.

"Imagine that they find their way to Skåbu – and that they want to visit us, from Australia or the USA. That you can take them out and go to a mountain top or eat a burger over a campfire ... And you know that you are giving them some incredibly valuable memories that they can take home with them all the way to the other side of the world.