The highway
Already in year 1918 the Karmsundgaten was planned as the approach road from the north and south of Haugesund. However, for many years after that, the traffic went from the south of Salhusvegen, through Haraldsgata and further north through Haugeveien. Karmsundgaten was built in stages and in 1955 Karmsund Bridge was built. First when Karmsundgaten was opened through the Lothe park, at about the same time as the bus station was moved from the city center to Flotmyr, Karmsundgaten became a natural route to Haugesund.
The architecture
The architect of the hotel is Karl Magnus Lea. We are conscious of maintaining the architectural appearance. Amongst the cultural environments in Karmsundgaten that Haugesund municipality considers to be the most important, is our hotel building. Our building is Haugesund's most important example of brutalism.
Brutalism is characterized by using raw, untreated concrete, "real" materials and structural building units with simple geometric shapes. Chateau Neuf in Oslo (1963) is another example of the brutalism.
TOURING MOTOR HOTEL
opened in 1972
In the 70's
Before the opening of the Touring Motor Hotel there was no licensed premises for sale of alcohol in public areas in Haugesund - not even the city's major hotel, the ”Saga hotell” had other than beer and wine. The Touring Motor Hotel was built to satisfy the requirements of a tourist hotel and when it was completed in 1972, the city
council could not stop the liquor sales.
The application was processed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and not the municipality. And therefore the Touring Motor Hotel got liquoriced, though it was not allowed to be served to local guests.
The inhabitants at the municipality of Karmøy got strong liquor served by showing their passport. First, in 1977, we got a liquor store in Haugesund.
In the 70's, the hotel also had a gas station and a grocery store in the south end of the plot.
