Scan Magazine – August 2018

68 | Issue 115 | August 2018

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Spotlight on Greenland

Hotel Seamen’s Home, Nuuk (Nuuk Sømandshjem), is a hotel nestled by the sea,
with a view of the mountains in Greenland’s capital. It was originally set up as a safe
haven for seamen, who otherwise had to endure tough conditions on board their
ships. Today, it is both a hotel for visitors and a place where the whole community
can enjoy a meal, a good chat or simply relax.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Sømandshjemmet Nuuk

In the 1950s, the Danish Seaman’s Mis-
sion was invited to create a seamen’s
home in Greenland, as they had done in
harbours throughout Denmark. In 1969,
the Seamen’s Home opened in Nuuk, and
others in Sisimut and Aasiaat opened
soon after. Today, the need for a ‘home’
for seamen is not so great, thanks to
greatly improved working conditions, so
the Seamen’s Home is instead open to
the rest of the community, particularly to
the homeless and the vulnerable.

“The hotel is a not-for-profit hotel.
Everything we earn from people staying
here goes straight back into the commu-

nity,” explains Allan F. B. Majholm, who

runs the hotel, together with his wife.

There are 43 rooms, in three different

price categories, to suit most budgets,

and what makes the hotel stand out is

how visitors immediately feel at home

when they step through the door.

A home for everyone

Every morning, there is a smell of freshly

baked bread wafting from the kitchen. As

you come down the stairs, some of the

locals are already telling some of the

infamous stories about Nuuk, and there

is a friendliness that will make every-

one feel at home in no time. “We always

Where the locals go

aim to be as open as possible. We’re on

hand to answer questions about what to

see and do in Nuuk and throughout any

travels in the rest of Greenland, but we’re

also always happy to sit down with a cup

of coffee and have a chat,” Majholm says.

He adds: “Every Thursday, we host a

breakfast for some of the city’s homeless.

It’s a space where they can get a good

meal and have a good natter. Most week-

day mornings we have locals coming in to

have some breakfast, so there’s always a

good atmosphere and the feeling of be-

ing a part of the local community.”

Café Tamanut

The hotel’s café is where many of the so-

cial gatherings happen. Open every day

from 5.30am until 9pm, it serves good

food in a price range which means every-

one can enjoy it. “Nuuk can be an expen-

sive place to visit and we especially find

that people travelling for business simply