Yes, we stayed over the Christmas period last year. Highly annoying as bar not having normal hours, on Christmas Day only offered a meal at the bar with massively reduced offering - I am ok with hotels doing this but do not appreciate the lack of information in advance. Think a/c was temperamental. Service is very Nordic (ie sparse). For that reason I refuse to spend the money for The Thief, and whilst it has been a few years since I stayed at the Continental; I've always found the street facing rooms too noisy (from the trams) and thus prefer the Grand being somewhat cheaper as well. I am from Oslo originally, and I just wouldn't spend the money on hotels there; going home is always frustrating in that sense. That said, the Grand after refurbishment is charming again.