niksal

I guess it's a matter of taste. Based on my experiences I would choose Plaza over Scandinavia, but it seems I have had better experiences than most others at Plaza and worse experiences at Scandinavia.

WoodyWindy

I've logged enough nights at the Scandinavia to earn CC Gold, and the only real issues I have with it are:

1. They won't deliver English-language newspapers to the rooms, just locals.
2. They use these silly 4/5 scale duvets (what I would call twin sized) even on the queen beds.

travelkid

A few factors to consider are also; travelling solo, with kids etc, lots of luggage? What season, status, revenue/points stay?

Forget Nydalen. You cant walk anywhere, and taxis are very expensive. Likely 50$ from downtown at night. Its within a new suburb with businesses and an University+ plenty of new residential buildings. Almost next to a huge shopping centre though.

Also forget PI, unless really trying to save on the budget. Quite central, but definately a few blocks too shady area.

Id say Scandianvia clearly, but Plaza aint too far behind. I recently booked both hotels for one night, and on day of arrival I visisted both hotels to check for best upgrade. Got junior suite at Plaza as CC gold sweet talking the right people, then cancelled Scandinavia. Nice CX policies with CC.

Tram line right outside both hotels. Some aspects of Plaza surroundings are shady for sure, but it has better access to metro and trains. For walking though Id say Scandi is better. WAlk to the center/upper Karl Johan, harbour/castle/fortress, and national museum. Walk to park ares like Frognerparken, Slottsparken and St Hans Haugen. You can easily walk in direction of Grunerløkka, passing the river. And of course upwards Majorstua with Bogstadveien/Hegdehaugsveien.

You can take the airport express bus to the hotel. Slower but cheaper than train. And door to door. Meaning often quicker depending on departure times for trains/bus.

Both hotels have top floor bars with nice view. Actually went to Scandi yesterday.

For a short stay however with lots to do, Plazas metro access might be the deciding factor.

PaxCGN

- the Nydalen for me, like for many here would not be an obvious choice due to it's distance from sightseeing, shopping and the main train station (even with good public transport).
- The Park Inn is a small hotel (with only one, constantly busy elevator) with small, non-exciting rooms. The breakfast was disappointing. But the hotel is clean, value for money is acceptable and the location most central, close to shopping, also close for all sightseeing, in walking distance from the main station and although not on a main street I wouldn't call the surroundings "shady".
- the Scandinavia might be ideal for some sightseeing areas and is also in walking dzastance for shopping (although considerably further than the other two city hotels) and admittedly is in the most comforting area of the three if you are travelling with children. But I found the rooms small and dull and in no way justifying a higher rate than the Parl Inn.
- my hope was on the Plaza, due to it's nicer lobby and exterior. I have never stayed there so far due to the higher rate and it's location (in spite of close location for train station and shopping) and what I have read here confirms my expectations about the surroundings.
If I'd return (which is likely since Hilton retreated from Oslo) I think the best compromise for me would be the Park Inn again.

skrosvik

As a tourist - I would go for the Park Inn. It have the best location of the options above. But as some say - it have some drawbacks: annoying elevator, chaotic breakfast, horrible bar...But it is located in centre of town.

The Plaza is nice, but it is located in a very sad and depressing part of the city. This hotel can be very crowded as well...make it feel like a resort hotel.

The Scandinavia is the more cozier hotel among these, the location is okey, but it is slightly outside the centre IMO, and rooms can be VERY dumpy and tatty! First Radisson in Oslo btw.

Just forget about Nydalen. Far from everything (even though it is located on top of a metro station).

So if you stay at the Park Inn you will have everything right outside your doorstep

Guy Betsy

I've never stayed anywhere else except the Plaza on all my Oslo trips. Next visit will be tricky though as the Plaza is sold out on the dates that I want nd my choices are Nydalen or the airport locations!

skrosvik

Well, if you have to be close to downtown then I would definately go with Nydalen. It is just 12 min from downtown by metro, 20 min from downtown by bus (either bus 37 or bus 30). Bus 37 operate around the clock, so it is handy if you are going out. The bus terminate (last stop) right outside the hotel.

Guy Betsy

Thank you ... but now that I looked at the dates again, the Nydalen is not available but the Radisson Blu Park Hotel at Fornebuveien 80, Lysaker, 1325 is !

So how do I get there from Oslo S?

Thx

skrosvik

Well, lucky you, hehe...IMO the Radisson Fornebu is very old and tired, but it is clean and you have the nature and the sea at your doorsteps - it is located at Fornebu, which used to be Oslo's main airport. The airport is demolished, and is now home to a concert venue, Telenor Arena, and some conference hotels.

The best way to get there from Oslo S. is to take BUS 31 to Fornebu/Snarøya, disembark at FORNEBUPARKEN station (all stops are announced on buses in Oslo). Bus 31 operate around the clock as well, every 3-5 minute during rush hour, every 10 minute rest of the day, and every 30-60 minute during the night. I suppose this will take you around 20 minutes from Oslo S.

You can also take the Airport Express train from the airport to LYSAKER station. Lysaker station is located 1,5 km from the hotel, you can take bus 31 the few stops from Lysaker station to Fornebuparken station.

RealBud

Park Fornebu must be the worst of not only the three Radissons I have stayed in in Oslo (the other two are Plaza and Scandinavia) but probably of all the CC properties I've been to so far.

Think twice before booking I would only recommend that hotel if it's an absolute must or if staying near the big ICT companies headquartered in Fornebu/Lysaker is an advantage (Telenor is a stonethrow away and others in Lysaker are not very far either).

thegrailer

I am in for 4 nights over Thanksgiving week at the Plaza on points (thanks CC promos). I will report back with details in a few weeks.

Cheers -

Guy Betsy

Ok.

Decided to bite the bullet and redeem 50K points for one night on the 24 Nov at the Plaza. I usually stay there on the Friends&Family rate, but this time, no can do.

I have to go to Unity Senter at : Møllergata 23 0179 Oslo, and its the only hotel within walking distance.

thegrailer

I just finished 4 nights at the Plaza and can provide some info.

The Good:
Great location: I am unsure why others have declared this a "bad" area of town??? It's fine. Maybe it's a bit rough for a Norwegian but there was never any feeling of danger or of being a the "hood." There are malls across the street and loads of people walking around. Further, the area around the back of the hotel - construction ongoing at the moment - is loaded with ethnic food shops and a fun place to walk around and eat (especially if you like shawarma). I didn't notice any of the squatters mentioned above. And most of the 3-4 beggars that I saw were at the tram stops near the front of the train station rather than near the hotel. Maybe I am missing something here? I walked to the Radisson Blu Scandinavia and it wasn't much of a different neighborhood than the Plaza other than the volume of people.

Transportation: For transportation to and from OSL, the Plaza is great. The hotel is right next door to the train station and the SAS flybussen is across the street (a bus to the airport) making transportation a non-issue. Lastly, for those that live in bigger cities, the hotel is 10-15 minutes walking distance to most things in the city. It's almost a waste of money to take the tram/city bus/T - all of which are a block away.

Breakfast: FREE which one will shortly find out is great in OSL because the cost of everything else. The food wasn't bad either, nothing outstanding but a good decent breakfast.

Room: I was apparently upgraded as a Gold but I couldn't figure out if I really was upgraded? I was on a business class floor but the room matched the photos of a regular room. Nonetheless, it was fine.

English: For an English speaker, it was great being in a hotel where everyone spoke English - good English with what seemed like complete comprehension. There was no nodding or the "yes" of no understanding that is common elsewhere. Chalk one up for the Norwegian educational system.

Some Service: Internet issues where one staff member addressed it and made things right (i.e., free phone calls in light of the outage).

The Bad:
Most Services: Internet connections were horrible and the desk staff was pretty clueless. By that I mean the whole hotel was without internet service one night and the front desk sends up a technician (the one staff member in the Good above) to show me how to use my phone. Why send a technician to show me how to use my phone to connect to the internet when you know that no place in the hotel has service? It wasted my time and the time of the technician - The technician explained that he was being sent all over the hotel because lots of folks were complaining about the lack of internet service. Even on the days when I had internet service, it was poor at best. Housekeeping wasn't all that good either. One day there was no service at all but since I was leaving the next morning, I simply called down for towels and coffee pods. And speaking of coffee pods, I had to make daily calls to the front desk to ask for refills. I also called and asked for ice (no machines that I saw). The response time averaged an hour plus for each of these requests. Housekeeping also didn't clean all that well either. There was garbage (wrappers and such) from the previous guest still in the room and while out in the open, over the course of 4 nights, these wrappers were never cleaned up (a sort of controlled hotel service experiment).

Concierge: None. For most of my 4 nights, instead of a concierge, there was a sign stating that this type of service was unavailable or go to the front desk. There was a concierge manning his position once during my first day in Oslo, but he didn't provide much assistance. I asked this concierge where I could purchase a 72 hour Oslo Pass and the concierge stated that I should walk to the 7/Eleven a block away and purchase it there. I walked to the 7/Eleven and asked for a Oslo Pass - no deal, 7/Eleven doesn't sell them. I headed back to the hotel and asked the same concierge where I should go next. The concierge didn't know and stated that he would ask his colleagues. Apparently no one at the hotel knows where to purchase an Oslo Pass and I am directed to the information center down the street. I ask for directions to the information center but the concierge doesn't know where it is. I set off on my own knowing that it is near the train station (via Rick Steves book) The info center is about 2 blocks away in front of the train station's main entrance (how could the concierge not know this?). If this was a bigger city or a place where everyone didn't speak English, concierge service like this could ruin a trip (better: make it much more difficult).

I note that every hotel service member, from the waitresses at breakfast to the front desk clerk, were really nice and professional, it was simply an overall lack of service that was the problem. A second note is that many of the hotel employees were trainees as per their name tags, e.g., the concierge. I understand via Norwegian friends that there is a salary benefit to hiring trainees, i.e., lower pay, leading to more turnover and this may be the problem with service at the Plaza(?)

Final note: If you can live with the service issues, then stay here. I stayed on points so I think it was a deal and could put up with the other issues. If I was paying $400+ per night, it would be a lot less acceptable. (although the service should be good no matter how one gets the room)

Cheers

SanDiego1K

Is there a hop on hop off sightseeing bus in Oslo in the summer? If so, how close does it stop to the Plaza? the Scandinavia?

chrisljo

Yes, there is a bus and it stops somewhere on Jernbanetorget outside Plaza. Not sure about the Scandinavia.