Fossli Hotel opened in 1891 - 25 years before the road existed. Founder Ola Garen had all building materials carried up by horseback. The Art Nouveau building was designed by architect Fredrik Konow Lund. The Garen family still runs it, now in the fourth generation.
Composer Edvard Grieg stayed here in 1896 and wrote his Opus 66. His Zimmermann piano is still in the hotel.
It's old-fashioned - no elevator, the rooms won't win any modern design awards. But you feel the history. The real advantage: stay overnight and you can watch the falls in peace after all the tourist buses have left.