Review of Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel Oslo is located in the city centre of Oslo with the Royal Palace, Oslo Harbour, Akershus Fortress, Parliament, the Norwegian Opera and museums all within walking distance of the hotel.

Close by are all the luxury shopping brands including Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Hermès as well as four exclusive shopping centres with department stores: Eger Karl Johan, Paleet, Steen & Strøm and GlasMagasinet. It is about a ten-minute walk to the Oslofjord and the city’s many waterfront restaurants and bars. Also within easy reach is the Nobel Peace Centre Museum, the National Gallery, the National Theatre and the Oslo Opera House.

The National Theatre Train station is a five-minute stroll – the high-speed Airport Express is the fastest way to transfer from Oslo Airport (Gardermoen) to the centre of town – a 25-minute journey time and a short walk to the Grand Hotel Oslo. Alternatively, a limousine transfer takes around 50 minutes for the 50-kilometre drive.

For arrivals flying into Sandefjord Airport Torp, served by KLM, Widerøe, Ryanair and Wizz Air, there is a Torp Expressen bus service which departs roughly 30 minutes after each arrival, terminating at the Oslo Bus Terminal – a journey time of around one hour and 45 minutes.

The Grand Hotel Oslo offers indoor parking for resident guests with a car wash facility and electric charging points.

There are 283 rooms, including 54 suites at the Grand Hotel Oslo with some of the suites offering breathtaking views over the city of Oslo. The rooms have either a calming contemporary style with neutral tones with touches of colour or enjoy a more traditional feel.

The entry level Grand Petit rooms offer a King or Queen double bed, a desk and chair, a marble bathroom, a Nespresso coffee maker and a kettle for tea. The rooms look out over a side street or the courtyard with the Superior rooms offering a similar view but with far more space and can be upgraded to views over Karl Johans gate. Again, the deluxe rooms offer similar views of a side street or internal courtyard but are larger again with a separate seating area with a sofa or armchairs. The Superior Plus rooms enjoy an abundance of space with a sofa bed option.

The Junior Suites look out over the Palmen courtyard and include a large lounge area to relax and prepare for Oslo adventures. The Junior Suites with a view however, overlook Karl Johans gate and most boast a French balcony.

There are nine memorable suites at the Grand Hotel Oslo. The two-bedroom Grand Penthouse Terrace Suite for example is located on the top floor of the property and features a unique panoramic view of the city, the Royal Palace and the Oslofjord from its spacious private roof terrace. This beautiful contemporary space has been enhanced by the recent installation of an oil painting “Anna in the water where destiny takes place” by the acclaimed Norwegian artist, Ulf Nilsen. There is a spacious living room with fireplace and custom furnishings, a dining room for 20 guests, a private kitchen upon request, a Jensen bed with exact comfort adjustment and a Sonos sound system. An extra guest bedroom can be connected upon request.

The Ibsen Suite has a more traditional feel as one might expect and is named for the legendary playwright, Henrik Ibsen. With lovely French windows overlooking Oslo’s main street, this one-bedroom suite features a large living room with dining space. Ibsen used to dine twice a day at the Grand, sometimes with his friend, Edvard Munch and his usual order was an open sandwich, a beer and a schnapps.

Another traditional and regal space, the Grand Royal Suite sits on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Oslo with exceptional views of Oslo from its private wraparound balcony. The spacious lounge features a stunning marble fireplace with ample sofa seating and a wall of bookcases. The dining area can seat up to 18 guests whilst the master bedroom features two queen sized beds, a walk-in closet and a marble bathroom which includes a sauna, double vanities and stairs up to the raised bathtub.

The one-bedroom Boheme Suite can be joined with a Junior Suite to create a two-bedroomed space and features a corner position with French balconies overlooking Oslo. The three-floor Tower Suite is located, as the name suggests, in the Grand Hotel Oslo’s tower and features a 360-degree view of the city. One of the hotel’s newest suites, this classically contemporary space is a perfect retreat for a short stay or a romantic getaway.

Arguably the most famous in Norway is The Nobel Suite for it is here that the winner stays once picking up the iconic award, receiving felicitations from the balcony from where they deliver a speech to the crowds below, as President Barack Obama once did. With a calming décor of greys, blues and mauves, The Nobel Suite features a balcony facing the Parliament and the main street of Oslo – Karl Johans gate.

The classically styled Rignes Suite is another that can be enlarged to a two-bedroom suite by interconnecting with a junior suite whilst the Mikado Suite is decorated with fresh and vibrant colours and is the most contemporary of all the hotel’s corner suites. Again, it can be enlarged by linking to a Junior Suite and has a definite funky vibe. The Sundt Suite is an elegant and spacious two-bedroom suite and overlooks Rosenkrantz gate. With French balconies and a living area with dining space, this suite is perfect for a relaxing Oslo sojourn.

There are three specially adapted rooms available for those with disabilities.

The Grand Hotel Oslo features a spa and an exercise space with a view, equally popular with the locals and with hotel guests due to its serene, welcoming and friendly approach. The award-winning Artesia Spa features seven treatment rooms including a couple’s retreat, a stunning heated indoor swimming pool decorated with a spectacular nature theme and atmospheric mood lighting, a steam room and a sauna. The Spa offers a wide range of treatments and massages.

Adjacent to the spa on the seventh floor is the Gym featuring a wide range of Techno Gym equipment and free weights with stunning views over the city.

A unique hotel with an impressive 145-year history which opened its doors when Oslo was Kristiania, the Grand Hotel Oslo is arguably Norway’s most famous hotel and the annual host of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize banquet. As with all acclaimed Grande Dame hotels, walking through the property is like walking in the footsteps of history for it was here that playwright Henrik Ibsen dined every day sometimes joined by his friend, artist Edvard Munch and where Roald Amundsen celebrated his successful expedition to the South Pole in 1912. More recently, David Bowie graced the hotel, as has Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, The Rolling Stones and former US President, Barack Obama with his wife Michelle. Madonna apparently wanted to purchase one of the hotel’s chandeliers and when her offer was politely declined, rumour has it she hired someone to make an exact replica.

With a barrage of newer, more contemporary custom-built hotels opening up, it can sometimes be difficult for an old lady like this to keep up – particularly as the hotel is composed of not one but three separate interconnecting buildings. But the Grand Hotel Oslo is doing its best to move with the times.

The star restaurant at the Grand Hotel Oslo is the Palmen Restaurant offering a continental menu with an exquisite Nordic twist. Palm trees, chandeliers and elegant traditional velvet furnishings in a Winter Garden setting, the restaurant is part of the original structure of the hotel and is famous for its British-style Afternoon Tea with beverages supplied by the Palais des Thés. The restaurant exhibits various art works, some commissioned by the hotel, some borrowed by the hotel’s owner, Christian Ringnes, such as the stunning chandelier by British artist Cerith Wyn Evans made at Venice’s Murano workshops. It also features a “wall of fame” where well-known faces peer out of the frames including Chuck Norris, the Spice Girls and varied heads of states, royalty, and presidents. Nearby is a striking golden sculpture called Boy on a Rocking Horse by the Danish-Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset. 

The Lobby Bar is named Othilia after Othilia Lasson Engelhart, more commonly known as Oda, who was a bohemian princess as well as an artist and wife to Christian Krogh. When the Grand Café was a venue reserved exclusively for men, Oda regularly took part in gatherings there, smoking cigarettes and sipping cocktails. The bar is enlivened with a neon artwork called “Neon Works: The Scream” by British artist Tracey Emin, which was of course inspired by Edward Munch’s famous work, The Scream. Warm and welcoming, Othilia is the perfect place for daytime coffees, Afternoon Tea, evening cocktails and wine or for light meals – served in a Wedgewood service.

The Grand Café was first opened in 1874 and both Ibsen and Munch were frequent visitors. While it is no longer managed by the hotel, The Grand Café serves an extensive buffet breakfast for the Grand's guests every morning. The Café also creates lunch and early supper and is a popular stop on the Oslo culinary tourist trail. It does boast a 16,000 bottle wine cellar - one of the biggest collections in Oslo. 

At the very top of the hotel, Eight Rooftop Bar reigns supreme with stunning views over Oslo. With mixologists creating innovative cocktails, with a large selection of beers and an extensive wine list, this is the perfect place to relax over some light finger food at day’s end.

The Grand Hotel Oslo is operated by Scandic Hotels whose ambition is to lead sustainability action within their industry, with their vision to be a world-class Nordic hotel experience where Scandic is the most sustainable place to meet, eat and sleep away from home.

Scandic’s ambition is to be the most inclusive company for the people who work for them and to engage with their local communities to make a positive impact.

They are leading the way to better food and beverage with less impact by reducing waste both from food and packaging. They will offer sustainable alternatives, by offering more plant based and locally sourced foods. They are sourcing sustainably by optimising ordering and delivery and choosing certified and seasonal products. Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges which is why they decided to remove all plastic straws and cocktail sticks from their hotels. 

They offer their guests the most sustainable room experience by using less chemicals and sustainable materials. They will reduce, reuse and recycle materials whilst engaging their guests in sustainable behaviours. They do a great deal to conserve and avoid the unnecessary contamination of water with low flush toilets; special shower heads; sinks with sensors on the taps; efficient washing machines and dishwashers; automatic dispensing of cleaning chemicals; 90% of the cleaning, dishwashing and washing chemicals are eco-labelled and using completely chemical-free cleaning methods using steam and microfibre cloths. They now offer water from taps that cool, carbonate and filter so the valuable minerals and salts remain. This in itself has reduced fossil carbon-dioxide emissions by 160 tons per year, based on their previous sales. Even the water bottles are made from hand-blown recycled glass with the corks made from recycled materials.