From a small guest-house in a remote landscape among the sand dunes, to a historic seaside hotel and now a 5-star hotel with Gourmet restaurant and Wellness area.

More than 100 years ago, Emma and Hans Chr. Ruth started their first year as owners of the seaside guest-house "Vesterhus".

Hans Chr. Ruth was the warden at the life saving station in Gl. Skagen and Emma was employed at Jeckel's seaside hotel. After disagreements with Mrs. Jeckel in connection with Emma's mother's illness and death in Copenhagen, the relationship came to an abrupt end. The Ruth family therefore took the first step in 1904 and opened "Badepensionatet Vesterhus" for summer guests. Later it came to be called Ruths Hotel.

In 1909, Hans Chr. Ruth participated in a major rescue operation off Gl. Skagen's coast. The Norwegian ship "Speed" from Sandefjord was wrecked and the only survivor, the Norwegian Johan Olaf Dahler, was brought to Ruths Hotel. Johan Olaf was lovingly cared for by the family's daughter, Dagmar, and sweet romance was the result. But at the time, Dagmar was only 16 years old and Johan Olaf went back to sea, after strong encouragement from Dagmar's father! He promised to return, however. He kept his promise to Dagmar and in 1912 Dagmar and Johan Olaf were married.

Johan Olaf now spent his days at Gl. Skagen's life saving station, where Hans Christian had become the general manager, and he also participated in the many tasks at Ruths Hotel, which had by now been expanded.

In 1917, Dagmar and Johan Olaf had the opportunity to become hoteliers themselves. They purchased the Strandhotel, adjacent to Ruths Hotel, which had been built by Mrs. Marie Schmidt Kristensen in 1910. Later they also took over the operation of Ruths Hotel. For more than 60 years, "Mama Dahler", as Dagmar was lovely called by the family, the locals and by retuning summer guests, had a central role in Gl. Skagen.

On her death in 1974, ownership of the hotels was divided up. Thanks to Jørgen Philip-Sørensen, the two hotels are today again under the same roof. The historic and charismatic Strandhotel Gl. Skagen is now called Ruths Strandhotel, where the romantic Suites and the café continue to provide a venue for a wonderfully romantic stay in Gl. Skagen.

Along with the environment and life in and around the seaside hotels in Gl. Skagen, there is a wide range of fun, exciting and amazing stories and anecdotes from the past, but also from the present, where the hotels are also visited by the locals, so-called "Skawboere". And if you sit in the café at Ruths Strandhotel, or at the Brasserie in Ruths Hotel, there is every chance that you will hear and experience them for yourself.