Located a few hours west of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, the quaint village of Vrådal is in the county of Vestfold og Telemark—specifically its historic district, "Upper Telemark." (Telemark is named after the "Thelir," a North Germanic tribe that settled the area throughout the European Migration Period of the early Dark Ages.) The county itself resides on the western fringes of Eastern Norway, one of the country's most culturally vibrant areas today. Like the neighboring regions of Western and Southern Norway, Eastern Norway's most well-known historical era coincided with the rise of the Vikings—a seafaring people active across Europe during the Middle Ages. Technological innovations in Norway's western counties effectively increased local agricultural activity and, thus, the size of its population. New land to distribute became increasingly rare, forcing the inhabitants to look to the sea for opportunity. Using a uniquely slim, single-mast vessel now known as the "Scandinavian longship," hundreds of people subsequently departed Eastern Norway to distant destinations. One common practice of the Vikings was to raid the shoreline of Europe for resources. Some of those warriors succeeded in carving out feudal fiefdoms—including powerful kingdoms—within the areas they conquered. But many others peacefully interacted with different European societies, establishing trading posts throughout the continent. The Vikings were even known to harbor merchant colonies as far away as central Russia and the Middle East. Adventurous bands of Vikings also sailed for long distances to remote landmasses like Iceland and Greenland, which they settled starting in the 10th century. In fact, archeological evidence has revealed that the Vikings managed to colonize Newfoundland, calling the location "Vinland" in contemporary accounts.

While the age of the Vikings has long since ended, many sites around Eastern Norway still preserve the rich history they left behind. Several prominent attractions reside along the regional coastline near the mouth of the Oslofjord, such as the Kaupang Viking Town, the Slottsfjells Museum, and the Midgard Vikingsenter. But modern Eastern Norway is also a popular tourist attraction due to its wealth of natural wonders. Vrådal is even near two of the region's most renowned lakes, Vråvatn and Nisser. Numerous other lakes are located nearby, too, such as Bandak, Kviteseidvatn, and Flåvatn. Many travelers from across the world thoroughly enjoy visiting those lakes, which are all conveniently connected by way of the historic Telemark Canal. (Dating back to the late 19th century, the canal consists of 18 lock mechanisms, the most distinctive being the staircase lock "Vrangfoss.”) Perhaps the most popular method to navigate the 65-mile-long canal is on a couple of equally timeless boats known as the M/S Henrik Ibsen and the M/S Victoria. Even grander natural landmarks, such as the southeastern border of the famous Hardangervidda National Park, are situated a bit further away. The largest national park in all of Norway, this vast mountain plateau is a favorite site for cultural heritage travelers who adore hiking, cycling, and fishing. Eastern Norway's landscape has even become a prominent destination for extreme sports, most notably an activity called "Telemark skiing." Telemark skiing emerged when local alpinists began challenging one another to race down the area's mountainous terrain at the height of the Victorian era. Traversing the densely wooded paths took great skill, leading to the skiers inventing special maneuvers like the now-commonplace "free heel" turn. Many locations across Eastern Norway are now prime sites for this exciting form of skiing, with some practitioners even pushing for it to become a recognized Olympic event.

When the Straand family first debuted the hotel at the end of the 19th century, they specifically chose Norwegian vernacular architecture to help craft its appearance. Norwegian vernacular building themes—colloquially called "byggeskikk"—specifically drew inspiration from generational construction techniques that harkened back centuries. Until the onset of the 20th century, most structures throughout Norway were agricultural in nature. They typically resided deep in the wilderness and made use of whatever resources were available. Norwegian families thus developed hardy log cabins that were tightly latched together with corner notches to protect against the elements. Those houses also featured rustic architectural designs inside, including open-hearth fireplaces and stone chimneys. However, a few communal structures spawned more eloquent designs, such as the iconic medieval "stave church." Stave churches were typically designed using a type of wooden timber framing known as "post and lintel" construction, in which widely spaced vertical posts supported horizontal ones. Steeply pitched roofs reinforced by several intricately laid beams further characterized the overall design of the stave churches. Prominent dormers and steeple towers occasionally crowned the structures, too, in a manner reminiscent of more conventional Romanesque-style churches elsewhere in Europe. Great portals even guided visitors into the interior, which instilled a sense of awe with a variety of rich ornamentation connected to Norse iconography and the local alpine landscape. (Some of the symbols employed drew upon ancient motifs centered around dragons and serpents.)

However, the Straand family had also constructed the hotel to resemble aspects of a Swiss chalet. Swiss chalets were once rustic cottages that first emerged as seasonal farmhouses around the height of the Middle Ages. Indeed, the chalet was a refuge for Swiss cattle herders, who would bring their livestock up into the Alps during the warmer months. The house itself functioned as a secondary home, within which the farmers would create various dairy products for trade. But the chalets lost their original purpose as time passed, gradually turning into quaint seasonal vacation homes. The main reason behind the transformation was the emergence of the Alps as a popular tourist destination in the 19th century, specifically among the British and the French. They eventually discovered the many chalets scattered around the country and began buying them up in great numbers. The foreigners subsequently renovated the chalets to reflect their romanticized views of alpine life in Switzerland. Soon enough, the new iteration of the chalet had swept across the country. Many natives went as far as to alter their own homes to resemble the aesthetic, essentially making the architecture "Swiss" in the process. Many large-scale commercial buildings in Switzerland eventually showcased the style, too, including restaurants, storefronts, and hotels. A few Swiss construction companies even created premade chalets for people in other nations throughout Europe, especially in Scandinavian countries like Norway. The chalets—and their spinoffs—were typically very beautiful despite the rusticity of their layout. Set upon a rectangular foundation, the buildings were most easily recognized for their gabled roofs and facades of carved wooden details.