Which hotel in Oslo?
Jun 15, 2014, 5:19 pm
#46
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
Any thoughts? We would also consider a hostel but even they seem quite pricey.
Jun 16, 2014, 6:21 am
#47
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,979
All hotels in Oslo are quite pricy... what is your acceptable upper limit and what is the desired rate?
Do you want one room for 4 or two for 2 or some other configuration?
Are you fixed on Radisson Blu or Park Inn? Often the First Hotels and Scandics (e.g. Scandic Solli at 639NOK for a 2 bed room) are cheaper.
Do you want one room for 4 or two for 2 or some other configuration?
Are you fixed on Radisson Blu or Park Inn? Often the First Hotels and Scandics (e.g. Scandic Solli at 639NOK for a 2 bed room) are cheaper.
Nov 16, 2015, 12:05 pm
#49
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
Programs: SAS EBG, IHG Spire Amb, CCG
Posts: 591
Jan 20, 2016, 3:26 am
#50
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Brisbane Australia
Programs: BA Gold QFF WP AA EXP Marriott PPE HH Diam
Posts: 99
For anyone interested, I would not recommend the Park Inn. To start with, connected to the airport is a stretch. In summer, maybe, but in winter, a 600m walk along a covered walkway in -17 degree celcius (1F) with kids and luggage is not fun. We were wearing our ski gear and it was still freezing. Whilst 2/3 of the walkway is clear, when you get to the Park Inn, they don't bother to clear it. The ramp was an ice slide, dangerous as hell, and the stairs were only marginally better, but at least you could get up them. And thats the high point.
This hotel works on a minimalist approach. Minimal service, minimal space, minimal furniture, minimal extras, absolutely minimal of everything to achieve 4 stars while charging top 4 star prices and really delivering 2 star quality. More expensive per sq feet than new york. Despite all the Club Carlson signs around the place, they take a minimal approach to it, ie as far as they are concerned, it doesn't exist. The only thing they were begrudgingly willing to give (as a Gold) was 15% discount in their ridiculously expensive restaurant. The guy had no idea how to use the eftpos machine and had to keep trying to get it to work.
The beds have a mattress which is about an inch thick. You get a sheet over it, one pillow and one doona or on queen/king, 2 individual doonas and 2 pillows. They have a movable plastic wall between the shower and toilet because there is not enough room for both. You have to request any toiletries you want. They don't even bother with minibar.
In the restaurant, they didn't have enough waiters so you have to wait for someone to leave, despite all the empty tables. The waiters move so slowly it is amazing. The food is bland and double the price of a St Regis or the like. They serve chips in a basket with grease paper to make it look like the 8 or so chips are overflowing and you are so lucky to get something. Everything was luke warm.
And it gets worse. We kept ringing about the air-conditioning not working properly, it was colder than a fridge and we had to wear all our ski gear in the room. Eventually a person came up with a heater and said they had forgotten to tell us when we checked in that the heating wasn't working and they didn't know how many rooms were affected because no-one had organised someone to come and look at the problem, but it seemed to be most of the place, so there was no place to move us too. The heater didn't actually heat up the room at all, but it did make us feel like throwing up.
When we were trying to leave, it turned out the idiot had only charged one room, and the girl was not sure how to get the eftpos working so she could charge the other. I had to send them my details when someone who knew how to use the machine came in.
This hotel works on a minimalist approach. Minimal service, minimal space, minimal furniture, minimal extras, absolutely minimal of everything to achieve 4 stars while charging top 4 star prices and really delivering 2 star quality. More expensive per sq feet than new york. Despite all the Club Carlson signs around the place, they take a minimal approach to it, ie as far as they are concerned, it doesn't exist. The only thing they were begrudgingly willing to give (as a Gold) was 15% discount in their ridiculously expensive restaurant. The guy had no idea how to use the eftpos machine and had to keep trying to get it to work.
The beds have a mattress which is about an inch thick. You get a sheet over it, one pillow and one doona or on queen/king, 2 individual doonas and 2 pillows. They have a movable plastic wall between the shower and toilet because there is not enough room for both. You have to request any toiletries you want. They don't even bother with minibar.
In the restaurant, they didn't have enough waiters so you have to wait for someone to leave, despite all the empty tables. The waiters move so slowly it is amazing. The food is bland and double the price of a St Regis or the like. They serve chips in a basket with grease paper to make it look like the 8 or so chips are overflowing and you are so lucky to get something. Everything was luke warm.
And it gets worse. We kept ringing about the air-conditioning not working properly, it was colder than a fridge and we had to wear all our ski gear in the room. Eventually a person came up with a heater and said they had forgotten to tell us when we checked in that the heating wasn't working and they didn't know how many rooms were affected because no-one had organised someone to come and look at the problem, but it seemed to be most of the place, so there was no place to move us too. The heater didn't actually heat up the room at all, but it did make us feel like throwing up.
When we were trying to leave, it turned out the idiot had only charged one room, and the girl was not sure how to get the eftpos working so she could charge the other. I had to send them my details when someone who knew how to use the machine came in.
Jul 12, 2016, 12:18 am
#51
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Need a room for 1 night in Oslo. After reading this thread I can honestly say I dont know where to turn. Was thinking the PI to save on the pts but after reading several posts KOed it. So its The Plaza or Scandinavian
Flying into OSL arriving 9AMish and doing the NIAN the next day and sleeping in BGO for that night. Plan is to hopefully drop my bag and carry-on at the PI OSL since I will be there for my 3rd night and arriving late evening and have a 6:45am flight out (so all I want is a bed and shower no need for the Blu).
So for my 1 day in OSL I simply want to walk around and knock off the main tourist places, arriving early morn I will save the $ and take the bus so that I dont show up too early for wanting to check-in
I will be using pts is the PI in town really that bad?
Flying into OSL arriving 9AMish and doing the NIAN the next day and sleeping in BGO for that night. Plan is to hopefully drop my bag and carry-on at the PI OSL since I will be there for my 3rd night and arriving late evening and have a 6:45am flight out (so all I want is a bed and shower no need for the Blu).
So for my 1 day in OSL I simply want to walk around and knock off the main tourist places, arriving early morn I will save the $ and take the bus so that I dont show up too early for wanting to check-in
I will be using pts is the PI in town really that bad?
Last edited by craz; Jul 12, 2016 at 12:24 am
Jul 12, 2016, 3:49 am
#52
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
Programs: SAS EBG, IHG Spire Amb, CCG
Posts: 591
Not sure where the bad reviews came from but in it's category I couldn't find any flaws in the hotel. The bed is your typical 3,5 star quality, and the breakfast is decent.
The neighborhood isn't beautiful, but it is very central and with the standard caveats for a mid sized city a safe area.
Only stayed one night though (I live in Oslo).
The neighborhood isn't beautiful, but it is very central and with the standard caveats for a mid sized city a safe area.
Only stayed one night though (I live in Oslo).
Jul 12, 2016, 5:50 am
#53
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Not sure where the bad reviews came from but in it's category I couldn't find any flaws in the hotel. The bed is your typical 3,5 star quality, and the breakfast is decent.
The neighborhood isn't beautiful, but it is very central and with the standard caveats for a mid sized city a safe area.
Only stayed one night though (I live in Oslo).
The neighborhood isn't beautiful, but it is very central and with the standard caveats for a mid sized city a safe area.
Only stayed one night though (I live in Oslo).
I havent done my homework yet on what there is to see but I usually walk around a city , especially if theres an Old City part to it, or like CPH & AMS jump on a canal tour. So to do the basic tourist stuff which CC Hotel would you suggest bearing in mind Im doing the NIAN the following day so want to be walkable to the train. No plans to get a transport tkt will walk it all while in Oslo. Havent yet jumped onto a Hop On and Off tour ever and not looking to start with Oslo
Jul 12, 2016, 2:10 pm
#54
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
Programs: SAS EBG, IHG Spire Amb, CCG
Posts: 591
Thx, is there a bus that stops near the PI like it does to the 2 Blu's?
I havent done my homework yet on what there is to see but I usually walk around a city , especially if theres an Old City part to it, or like CPH & AMS jump on a canal tour. So to do the basic tourist stuff which CC Hotel would you suggest bearing in mind Im doing the NIAN the following day so want to be walkable to the train. No plans to get a transport tkt will walk it all while in Oslo. Havent yet jumped onto a Hop On and Off tour ever and not looking to start with Oslo
I havent done my homework yet on what there is to see but I usually walk around a city , especially if theres an Old City part to it, or like CPH & AMS jump on a canal tour. So to do the basic tourist stuff which CC Hotel would you suggest bearing in mind Im doing the NIAN the following day so want to be walkable to the train. No plans to get a transport tkt will walk it all while in Oslo. Havent yet jumped onto a Hop On and Off tour ever and not looking to start with Oslo
For a day of sightseeing I recommend supplementing walking with using the trams. Most of them go interesting places.
I would stay at the Plaza because it's very close to the train station and you might get a room with a view. The room/bed is better than the Park Inn. Scandinavia is only best if you plan to spend of your on the west side of the city.
Jul 12, 2016, 7:48 pm
#55
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
There's a tram stop nearby, and it is less than 10 minutes to Jernbanetorget/Central station where you can on any train/bus/tram/subway there is.
For a day of sightseeing I recommend supplementing walking with using the trams. Most of them go interesting places.
I would stay at the Plaza because it's very close to the train station and you might get a room with a view. The room/bed is better than the Park Inn. Scandinavia is only best if you plan to spend of your on the west side of the city.
For a day of sightseeing I recommend supplementing walking with using the trams. Most of them go interesting places.
I would stay at the Plaza because it's very close to the train station and you might get a room with a view. The room/bed is better than the Park Inn. Scandinavia is only best if you plan to spend of your on the west side of the city.
May 16, 2017, 12:14 pm
#57
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
Programs: SAS EBG, IHG Spire Amb, CCG
Posts: 591
Jul 8, 2017, 9:53 am
#58
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
This was the most recent thread i could find. Stayed at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia last week. Hotel is a bit of a mess. For some reason , they've decided that the best time to renovate the entire ground floor is peak season June to September. The main restaurant and lobby bar are closed and the street in front of the hotel is all construction dumpsters. The lobby itself has been shrunk to 4 small tables packed with waiting guests.
Every staff member I interacted with was a trainee. There was a mix up with my room and I got changed to a room on the 22nd floor. It's a "club" floor, but don't take it. My room was actually smaller than the standard room, and to get to the 22nd floor, you have to ride up to 21, swipe your key for a separate stairwell, and then lug your stuff up 2 flights. (This wasn't explained so I was just confused why the elevators go to 21.) While some rooms have great views of the harbor, I imagine they're just as good on floors 18-21. My room was facing the other way anyway.
The room itself was nice though so small you have to move the shower door to sit on the toilet.
Breakfast varied from day to day, some days resembled war torn Mogadishu.
Every staff member I interacted with was a trainee. There was a mix up with my room and I got changed to a room on the 22nd floor. It's a "club" floor, but don't take it. My room was actually smaller than the standard room, and to get to the 22nd floor, you have to ride up to 21, swipe your key for a separate stairwell, and then lug your stuff up 2 flights. (This wasn't explained so I was just confused why the elevators go to 21.) While some rooms have great views of the harbor, I imagine they're just as good on floors 18-21. My room was facing the other way anyway.
The room itself was nice though so small you have to move the shower door to sit on the toilet.
Breakfast varied from day to day, some days resembled war torn Mogadishu.
Jul 10, 2017, 12:28 am
#59
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This was the most recent thread i could find. Stayed at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia last week. Hotel is a bit of a mess. For some reason , they've decided that the best time to renovate the entire ground floor is peak season June to September. The main restaurant and lobby bar are closed and the street in front of the hotel is all construction dumpsters. The lobby itself has been shrunk to 4 small tables packed with waiting guests.
Every staff member I interacted with was a trainee. There was a mix up with my room and I got changed to a room on the 22nd floor. It's a "club" floor, but don't take it. My room was actually smaller than the standard room, and to get to the 22nd floor, you have to ride up to 21, swipe your key for a separate stairwell, and then lug your stuff up 2 flights. (This wasn't explained so I was just confused why the elevators go to 21.) While some rooms have great views of the harbor, I imagine they're just as good on floors 18-21. My room was facing the other way anyway.
The room itself was nice though so small you have to move the shower door to sit on the toilet.
Every staff member I interacted with was a trainee. There was a mix up with my room and I got changed to a room on the 22nd floor. It's a "club" floor, but don't take it. My room was actually smaller than the standard room, and to get to the 22nd floor, you have to ride up to 21, swipe your key for a separate stairwell, and then lug your stuff up 2 flights. (This wasn't explained so I was just confused why the elevators go to 21.) While some rooms have great views of the harbor, I imagine they're just as good on floors 18-21. My room was facing the other way anyway.
The room itself was nice though so small you have to move the shower door to sit on the toilet.
Summer time in Oslo is peak tourist class season rather than peak business class season. Once in a lifetime and other infrequent visitors to Oslo for leisure purposes during peak leisure tourism season being inconvenienced by renovations isn't as much of a problem for the Oslo hotels as disappointing the primary, higher-margin customer base during peak (non-leisure) business visitor seasons.
More experienced hotel staff tend to be on vacation for much of the summer in Oslo -- with schools and daycare schedules and their staffing schedules, more experienced staff tend to have to go on vacation or leave with their own children -- and so backfilling the work with less experienced staff is the norm in the summer when it comes to this industry in Oslo and elsewhere in Scandinavia. Also, there is more of a supply of relatively inexperienced labor available to work at lower prices in the summer time than there is a supply of very experienced labor at this time of the year. Another thing that has hit hotels in Oslo in particular is that a chunk of the relatively more experienced staff has been leaving Norway to go back to Sweden for more than seasonal reasons.
How did breakfast resemble war-torn Mogadishu?
Last edited by GUWonder; Jul 10, 2017 at 12:44 am
Jul 10, 2017, 4:01 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
Summer time in Oslo is peak tourist class season rather than peak business class season. Once in a lifetime and other infrequent visitors to Oslo for leisure purposes during peak leisure tourism season being inconvenienced by renovations isn't as much of a problem for the Oslo hotels as disappointing the primary, higher-margin customer base during peak (non-leisure) business visitor seasons.
More experienced hotel staff tend to be on vacation for much of the summer in Oslo -- with schools and daycare schedules and their staffing schedules, more experienced staff tend to have to go on vacation or leave with their own children -- and so backfilling the work with less experienced staff is the norm in the summer when it comes to this industry in Oslo and elsewhere in Scandinavia. Also, there is more of a supply of relatively inexperienced labor available to work at lower prices in the summer time than there is a supply of very experienced labor at this time of the year. Another thing that has hit hotels in Oslo in particular is that a chunk of the relatively more experienced staff has been leaving Norway to go back to Sweden for more than seasonal reasons.
How did breakfast resemble war-torn Mogadishu?
More experienced hotel staff tend to be on vacation for much of the summer in Oslo -- with schools and daycare schedules and their staffing schedules, more experienced staff tend to have to go on vacation or leave with their own children -- and so backfilling the work with less experienced staff is the norm in the summer when it comes to this industry in Oslo and elsewhere in Scandinavia. Also, there is more of a supply of relatively inexperienced labor available to work at lower prices in the summer time than there is a supply of very experienced labor at this time of the year. Another thing that has hit hotels in Oslo in particular is that a chunk of the relatively more experienced staff has been leaving Norway to go back to Sweden for more than seasonal reasons.
How did breakfast resemble war-torn Mogadishu?
I'm quite aware of how travel in Scandinavia works, and indeed formerly lived there. I know that workers take vacations, but i also know it remains unusual for a hotel to be fully staffed by trainees. And that this was not a Holiday week in Norway.
I also know most hotels don't shut their entire ground floor for 3 months in any season. If you think that's fine, good for you , but Flyertalkers may want to know that there are limited services at a hotel in a tourist location in the summer. (Of the 2 Radisson blu properties in Oslo , this one is less convenient for most business people.) The hotel was full.
One day, the buffet was empty with people fighting over scraps and pushing to get to the pastry station.
I provided what I think might be relevant facts for flyertalk members. The lecture doesn't change those facts.
Last edited by Adam1222; Jul 10, 2017 at 4:10 am