Dr. Holms through art

Firstly, we have the bronze bust of Dr. Holm himself, who established Dr. Holms Sanatorium in 1909. Dr. Ingebrigt Christian Lund Holm was a doctor and believed that the mountain air at Geilo had healing benefits for those that suffered from lung and respiratory illnesses. In connection with his medical specialty, historical objects from the medical profession are now placed in the corridors.

The hotel opened on the same day as the Bergen Line (Bergensbanen). Historical object from the old railway station, that used to be called Gjeilo Railway Station (Gjeilo togstasjon), are today on display at the hotel. The bar in the lobby proudly exhibits objects from the grand opening day such as the old Gjeilo sign from the railway station, the pennant flag, and a selection of photographs.

The doctor took an interest in arts and crafts and bought expensive antique furniture and decorative items. Unfortunately, most of this was probably stolen during the war. Holms and his wife were also musically interested and brought liveliness into the hotel premises with live music. In 1930, the hotel buys a large electric gramophone to provide dance music when there is no live music.

Some of the art that stands out the most in the hotel are in the hotel conference rooms with portraits made by Håkon Gullvåg. His portraits not only reflect the object’s appearance, but also their personality. The idea behind this permanent exhibition is the desire to create personal inspiration in different directions where human development is in the centre.

Our famous ski bar has it´s very own history. In the ski bar the walls are
decorated with pre-war photographs and other historical objects related
to Geilo as a destination. Everything is from the Geilo district and
brought to the hotel by guests and acquaintances.

Paintings from the 18th Century to the 21st Century decorate the hotel´s inside walls. There are several landscape paintings from both Hallingdal, Norway and abroad. Especially, paintings depicting winter landscapes are to be found. Among the oldest paintings there are some Greek Orthodox artworks depicting saints, while some of the newer images are fun and creative paintings without specific time or place specifications.