Suggested
The Window Table
A board for two by the long windows, a lamp between you, and the tide going out while you think.
A resort in development · Lofoten, Norway
A Casino Hotel in Norway, Planned Around a Games Room
Tafløy is a resort in development: red rorbu on timber piles between the sea and the mountains, with a room for wooden board games at its heart. Opening date to be announced.
Artist's impressions. Layouts, areas and finishes may change during construction.
The idea
What casino resorts today could learn from a wooden board
Tafløy is planned as a casino hotel in Norway unlike the ones people picture: a small island in Lofoten, a row of red rorbu standing on timber piles over the water, white sand on one side and grey peaks rising straight out of the sea on the other. It is being developed as a five-star hotel in Norway's far north, with rooms, two restaurants, a spa by the water and, subject to licensing, a discreet entertainment and gaming lounge in its own wing.
Most resorts put a lobby at their centre, or a gaming floor. Tafløy puts a room of wooden boards there instead. The Games Room is planned as the long building every path leads back to: oak tables, low lamps, a library of board games and a workshop where boards and pieces will be cut by hand from local wood and stone. It is where guests are meant to spend the dark afternoons of winter and the light nights of summer.
The reason is simple. A board game asks people to sit at the same table, look at the same squares and take their time. That is how we would like the whole island to feel, from the quay to the sauna: unhurried, tactile and shared. The name says as much. Tafl is the old Norse board game; øy means island.
- Planned 44 rooms, suites & cabins
- Planned 2 restaurants
- Planned 1 100m² spa
- Planned 120 boards in the Games Room
The room the resort is named for
A room of wooden boards, and a workshop behind it
The plan is to gather a library of board games that have lasted for centuries, from the old Scandinavian game of tafl to chess and backgammon, with dice cups and hand-cut pieces for all of them. Next door, in the workshop, boards and pieces will be carved from local wood and stone, and guests will be able to play, watch the maker at the bench, and try a few cuts themselves. Tafl is an old Norse board game; øy means island. Nothing here will be played for money: the board game room is for the pleasure of a good move, a long evening and the sound of pieces on oak.
Plan a games evening
Two questions, and the room will suggest where you might sit.
Choose one answer to each question.
Suggested
The Tafl Table
The old Norse game for two: one side guards the king, the other closes in, and every move is felt.
Suggested
The Library Corner
Armchairs by the shelves and a slow game that leaves plenty of room for conversation.
Suggested
The Long Table
A long oak table with room for everyone, dice and chess sets within reach, and the evening at your own pace.
Suggested
The Workshop Bench
A seat beside the workshop, where the maker will show how the pieces are cut and teach you the rules as you play.
Suggested
The Big Board
A floor-sized tafl board for a whole group, with someone from the room to explain the rules and keep the game moving.
| Place | How many | Evening | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Window Table | 2 | Quiet | A board for two by the long windows, a lamp between you, and the tide going out while you think. |
| The Tafl Table | 2 | Competitive | The old Norse game for two: one side guards the king, the other closes in, and every move is felt. |
| The Library Corner | 3–5 | Quiet | Armchairs by the shelves and a slow game that leaves plenty of room for conversation. |
| The Long Table | 3–5 · 6+ | Competitive · Quiet | A long oak table with room for everyone, dice and chess sets within reach, and the evening at your own pace. |
| The Workshop Bench | 2 · 3–5 | Learning something new | A seat beside the workshop, where the maker will show how the pieces are cut and teach you the rules as you play. |
| The Big Board | 6+ | Competitive · Learning something new | A floor-sized tafl board for a whole group, with someone from the room to explain the rules and keep the game moving. |
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Played for fun, never for money
No stakes, no money and no prizes. A game in this room is won or lost at the table, and that is where it ends.
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Boards made here, never sold
Everything the workshop makes stays in the room. The boards are made for guests to play on, not to take home.
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Open to all guests, at any hour
The room itself is planned to stay open day and night. Hosts and workshop sessions will keep their own times.
Artist's impressions. Layouts, areas and finishes may change during construction.
Stay
Planned rooms, suites and cabins
Six kinds of room for a small luxury resort in Norway, all planned as sea view rooms: from a single rorbu over the water to a house of its own on the rock. Choose a square to read about each one.
Rorbu Room
Planned area 30 m²
Designed for 2 guests
Beach Room
Planned area 34 m²
Designed for 2 guests
Board Loft
Planned area 58 m²
Designed for 4 guests
Maker's Suite
Planned area 66 m²
Designed for 3 guests
Boathouse Suite
Planned area 82 m²
Designed for 4 guests
Island House
Planned area 175 m²
Designed for 6 guests
Rorbu Room
The simplest room at Tafløy is planned inside one of the red rorbu that stand on timber piles over the water. Whitewashed pine, a bed facing a low window and the sea moving under the floorboards. The bathroom is oiled wood and grey stone, and a small terrace hangs over the water, where the tide sets the view. It is designed for two guests who want the resort's most traditional room: the kind of cabin fishermen once used in the winter season, rebuilt for quiet nights and early light.
- Bed and window facing the water
- Bathroom in oiled wood and grey stone
- Private terrace over the sea
- A two-player board and a set of pieces
Beach Room
Set back from the white sand behind low dunes, the Beach Room is planned around one long window. A deep window seat with a wool throw, a shower of pale stone and a door onto a path through the marram grass to the water. On clear days the shallows turn turquoise over the sand; on grey days the light goes silver and the room turns inward. It is designed for two guests who would rather hear the surf than the harbour, and who like to walk barefoot before breakfast.
- Window seat looking over the beach
- Walk-in shower in pale stone
- A path straight to the dunes
- Wool and linen throughout
Board Loft
Under the roof of the Games Room building, the Board Loft is planned for friends who like to play late. At its centre stands a large oak table with a hand-made board set into the top and a lamp hanging low above it. The bedrooms sit beneath the rafters, and the bath is placed under a window that looks along the coast. It is a loft for long evenings, designed for four guests, with the Games Room itself just one staircase down whenever the table upstairs is not enough.
- Large games table with a board set into it
- Two bedrooms under the rafters
- Bath beneath a window onto the coast
- A stair straight down to the Games Room
Maker's Suite
The Maker's Suite is planned next to the workshop, for guests who want to watch boards take shape. A proper workbench stands by the window with a shelf of pieces in progress, and a session at the maker's bench next door can be arranged. Beyond it lie a calm bedroom in pale oak and a bathroom in local stone. The suite is designed for up to three guests, and it is the room for people who like to know how things are made and to leave with a steadier hand.
- Private workbench and a shelf of pieces
- Bedroom in pale oak
- Bathroom in local stone
- Sessions with the maker, on request
Boathouse Suite
Set in a boathouse at the water's edge, this suite is planned with its living room almost level with the sea and a private quay outside, where a wooden boat lies moored. A small sauna faces the bay, so a cold dip can follow a warm hour when the weather and the sea allow. Designed for four guests, it is the closest Tafløy will come to a boutique luxury stay: few neighbours, the sound of rope against timber, and the mountains across the water.
- Living room at the level of the water
- Private quay with a moored wooden boat
- Own sauna facing the bay
- Two bedrooms
Island House
The Island House is planned as the most private luxury accommodation at Tafløy: a separate house on the rock above the bay, a short walk from the rest of the resort. It has a large hall with an open fireplace, a dining table for six and a terrace hanging over the water. It is designed for up to six guests travelling together: a group of friends, a family of adults, or a small gathering that wants a roof of its own. Meals can come up from the resort's kitchen, and the Games Room will always be open at the end of the path.
- Hall with an open fireplace
- Dining table for six
- Terrace over the water
- Three bedrooms
Dining
A quayside kitchen to rival the top casino resorts in Scandinavia
Two restaurants are planned, both close enough to the water to hear it. The cooking will follow what the boats and the season bring in, not a menu written a year in advance.
The restaurant over the water
The main restaurant is planned on piles above the bay, in pale wood, with long windows that frame the peaks across the water. In the dark months the room will feel like a lantern; in summer the light will stay on the tables late into the night.
Cod when the winter fishery comes, shellfish from cold water, lamb from the islands and berries from the hillsides in late summer. The plates and bowls are planned to come from ceramicists in northern Norway.
The kitchen on the quay
The second, smaller kitchen will sit on the quay itself. Here the day will start when the boats come in: fish goes from the crate to the pan in a few steps, and what is on the table depends on what came out of the sea that morning.
A handful of tables inside and a long bench outside on calmer days. It is the place for a simple lunch in a wool jumper, with gulls arguing over the rope and the smell of salt and woodsmoke.
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Cod, potatoes and dill
The winter fish, cooked simply.
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Mussels in herb broth
From cold water, with bread for the broth.
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Cloudberries and cream
The short, golden taste of late summer.
In a separate wing
The entertainment and gaming lounge
Subject to licensing
Land-based casinos are not currently licensed in Norway. Casino games and gaming machines are offered only by Norsk Tipping, which holds the exclusive right, and betting on horse racing is run by the foundation Norsk Rikstoto. Tafløy's gaming lounge is therefore planned, not promised: it will open only if the law allows it and the necessary permission is granted. If it does, it is meant to feel like the lounge of a top casino resort, with dark wood, green baize and windows onto the night, while staying what the rest of the project is: a hotel casino kept small, calm and discreet.
Two different rooms. The Games Room and this lounge are separate spaces in separate wings of the resort. In the Games Room, board games are played without money and without any age limit. The gaming lounge would be for adults aged 18 and over only, and only under a licence.
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Poker Room
A single table under a low lamp, planned for quiet, unhurried play.
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Roulette
One wheel and a wooden rail, in a room set apart from the rest.
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Gaming Salon
A few machines set into wooden alcoves, with soft light and no noise spilling into the hall.
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Private Salon
A fireplace, armchairs and one table, for small parties by arrangement.
House rules
- Adults aged 18 and over only
- Valid photo ID checked at the entrance
- A smart dress code
- Opening subject to licensing
18+
Gambling should stay entertainment. If it stops being fun for you or someone close to you, free and confidential help is available from Hjelpelinjen.
Sea and heat
Steam, cold sea water and a long rest by the window
The spa is planned over about 1 100 m² at the water's edge, built around the oldest habit of any spa resort in Norway: get properly warm, meet the cold sea, then rest until the body goes quiet. A heated pool looks across the bay, a sauna stands on piles with one wide window onto the water, and a rest room is lined with wool and pale wood.
- Heat in the sauna on piles
- Sea down the ladder from the quay
- Rest under wool by the window
Sea bathing will only be offered under the resort's safety rules, with staff present, and when the weather and the sea allow.
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The pool
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The sauna
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The sea
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The rest room
Gatherings
Gatherings between the sea and the mountains
Weddings, celebrations, retreats and small conferences are planned around a long rorbu hall with timber beams and windows onto the peaks, with the quay and the beach close by.
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Receptions on the quay
Lanterns, boats at their moorings and the last light on the water. Quay receptions will be held in the warm season, and only when the weather allows.
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The Chart Room
A meeting room with one long table and the sea in every window, planned for small boards and working retreats.
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Ceremonies on the beach
Wooden chairs on white sand and a driftwood arch. Beach ceremonies will be possible in the warm season, and only when the weather allows.
| Space | Theatre | Banquet | Boardroom | Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Long Rorbu | 200 | 140 | — | 240 |
| The Games Room | 90 | 70 | — | 110 |
| The Chart Room | — | — | 18 | — |
Groups will also be able to take over the Games Room for an evening of board games, played purely for fun, with no stakes and no prizes.
Planning something for after the opening? Dates cannot be confirmed before the resort opens, but the events team will be glad to hear what you have in mind.
The island
Grey peaks, white sand and a harbour of red houses
Lofoten is a chain of islands north of the Arctic Circle, where mountains rise straight out of the sea. For an island hotel in Norway's north, storms and changing light are part of the place, and plans for the day will sometimes change with them.
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The peaks
Mountains that start at the waterline, with snow on the ridges well into spring.
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The villages
Red houses on the harbour and wooden racks where cod has dried in the wind for centuries.
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The beaches
White sand and turquoise shallows that look southern until you touch the water.
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The wildlife
White-tailed eagles hunt over the bays. With patience and a little luck, you may see one from the quay.
- The Atlantic
- Lofoten
- Project area — exact location to be announced
- Bodø
Getting here
The nearest airports are Bodø on the mainland and the local airports in Lofoten. From there, as with any Lofoten hotel, the island will be reached by ferry or by road across the bridges that link the islands.
Distances, journey times and transfers are to be announced.
Gallery
Salt, wood and northern light
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Pieces on an oak board -
Rorbu lights at blue hour -
A cup on the jetty -
Harbour under the peak -
A board being carved -
Footprints on white sand -
Rope and a glass float -
The Games Room at dusk
Artist's impressions. Layouts, areas and finishes may change during construction.
Questions
Straight answers about a resort still being planned
Anything else? Write to [email protected].
Not in the usual sense. Land-based casinos are not currently licensed in Norway: Norsk Tipping holds the exclusive right to casino games and gaming machines, and Norsk Rikstoto is the foundation that runs betting on horse racing. Tafløy is a project in development, and its entertainment and gaming lounge is planned subject to licensing, only if the law allows it.
No. The resort has not been built and reservations are not open. You can join the interest list, and we will write when there is real news, including when bookings open. If you change your mind, email [email protected] and your details will be removed.
Its centre. Instead of a gaming floor, the resort is planned around the Games Room: a long room of wooden boards, with a workshop where boards and pieces are made by hand. Around it lie an island in Lofoten, red rorbu over the water, a spa built on heat and cold sea, and a kitchen that follows the boats.
Only if the law allows it. Tafløy is planned as a hotel with a casino rather than a casino with rooms attached: a small entertainment and gaming lounge in its own wing, for adults aged 18 and over. It will open only if Norwegian law permits it and the required licence is granted. Until then, it remains a plan.
No. Board games in the Games Room are played for fun: no stakes, no money and no cash prizes. The room sits in a separate wing from the gaming lounge and is open to all guests. The gaming lounge is a different thing altogether, planned for adults aged 18 and over only, and subject to licensing.
No. The boards and pieces are made for the resort itself, for guests to play on in the Games Room, and nothing from the workshop is sold. You will, however, be welcome to watch the maker at the bench and to try carving a piece yourself during a workshop session.
The opening date is to be announced. The project is in development, and we would rather give a date we can keep than an early one. People on the interest list will be the first to hear once there is a confirmed timeline for construction and opening.
On an island in Lofoten, northern Norway. The exact location is to be announced while planning work continues. The map on this page is illustrative and not to scale: it shows only the general area of the project, not a site.
Very differently. Those are established destination properties built for another setting and another scale. Tafløy is planned to be small: a few dozen rooms on an island in the Norwegian Sea, with a room of wooden boards at its centre rather than a gaming floor, and the weather and the tides setting much of the pace.
Editorial comparison only; no connection with either property.
Interest list
Be first in line to book a casino hotel stay
Reservations are not open yet.
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