Eilert Smith Hotel

Boutique hotels are just about everywhere now, but it’s still a little bit of a surprise to see Stavanger, Norway represented here. The Eilert Smith Hotel, however, is nothing if not unique. It’s a converted 1930s warehouse by an architect of the same name, whose early-modernist Functionalist style now stands in stark contrast to the traditional wooden houses and contemporary glass buildings that make up the rest of the cityscape. What makes it a compelling destination, though, isn’t the building so much as what’s inside: 12 quietly stylish rooms, yes, but most importantly, RE-NAA, the only restaurant in all of Norway to be awarded two Michelin stars.

The location is central, walkably close to just about everything in central Stavanger. And the rooms are chic in an understated way that owes a debt not just to Functionalism but to the practical, modest modernism of Nordic design as a whole. Luxuries are useful, rather than ostentatious — high-tech spa-like bathrooms, heated floors, Malin+Goetz bath products, Nespresso machines — and the clean lines are warmed by wooden construction and live plants. Plan ahead a bit, make a dinner reservation in advance, and you’ve got the makings of an unforgettable stay.