Fru Haugans Hotel was constructed amid the European embrace of art that championed emotion, individualism, and nature during the first half of the 19th century.

On December 13, 1794, sloop skipper Erik Sjursen was granted a royal license to run an inn by King Christian VII od Denmark. Leasing a stretch of land on the Vefsna River, Sjursen built a flourishing trading center. In 1823, Sjursen’s clerk, Peter J. Heitmann, took over the enterprise until his death in 1827. Heitmann's wife Anne Christine Clausdotter remarried to sloop skipper O. H. Schrøder, who took over management of the inn. The couple added a general store to the location.

Falling in love with the property after a visit, Ellen Schistad Haugan purchased the building and land in 1885 for 2 million NKR, registering it as Fru Haugans Hotel. The hotel was in a poor condition when she bought the it, but with hard work and persistence, Fru Haugans Hotel soon became a respected holiday destination. After Ellen's passing in 1914, her youngest daughter Eli took over the business. She added a new modern concrete wing, adjacent to the traditional wooden site, with 40 spacious guestrooms. In 1962, Eli’s niece, Eli Marie Jürgensen, then took control, becoming the third generation of women to maintain the Fru Haugans Hotel. Professionally trained in hospitality, Jürgensen was an extremely successful manager and created a sound financial foundation for the business.

Eli’s niece, Bjørg Jürgensen Johannessen came from Kristiansund with her family in 1991 to run the hotel, and took over the hotel permanently in 1997. She renovated the entire location two years kater, adding conference rooms, two restaurants, a bar, elevator, and an additional floor with 17 guestrooms. For the improvements, Johannessen was awarded the Local Council’s Building Tradition Award and the Business Award. Unfortunately, after a short illness, she pass away in in 2004. Today, the Fru Haugans Hotel is managed by a fifth generation of women—Bjørg's children Ellen and Alf. Together with Ellen’s husband, Alf Gilroy, the family continues to provide an amazing guest experience at the historic Fru Haugans Hotel.