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Oslo -- The Thief vs Hotel Christiana

Oslo -- The Thief vs Hotel Christiana

Old Dec 7, 2017, 1:11 pm
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Oslo -- The Thief vs Hotel Christiana

Hi all,

Another Nordic choice question. Both of these hotels are available at 20k points/night. The redemption looks more lucrative at the Thief, where rooms are 400-500 USD per night.. but it seems to be out of the way compared to the more centrally located Christiana, which might be a better base to explore Oslo.

Anyone have experience at either of these properties? They seem to be identically ranked on TA.
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Old Dec 7, 2017, 2:54 pm
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Finally something I can answer on this forum.

The thief is in a pretty good neighbourhood. Is the other hotel you're referring to Royal Christiania or Christiania Teater? The has been torn down recently to be rebuilt. The latter is at least in a slightly better neighborhood.

Other than that hotels in Oslo are dramatically overpriced. The only positive (for you) would be the weak NOK.

The best hotels in my view, in the center, is Continental (far and away the best) and the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotell. Both are in a good area.

You want to stay a bit away from the train station. Closer to the Royal palace is better.

But if you have to chose from the two you mentioned, go for The Thief. It's over priced, but not horrible.
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Old Dec 7, 2017, 3:00 pm
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I took a second look and now I realize which hotel the other one is (they are all named almost the same). It's in a great spot before Christmas. There's a big fair right in front. It's pretty great actually. I've heard good things about this hotel
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Old Dec 7, 2017, 5:31 pm
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Originally Posted by sverresverresverre
I took a second look and now I realize which hotel the other one is (they are all named almost the same). It's in a great spot before Christmas. There's a big fair right in front. It's pretty great actually. I've heard good things about this hotel
Yes, it's the Hotel Christiana Teater that I was referring to. Why don't I want to be close to the central station? I'll be coming in that way, and I figured the closer the better.
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Old Dec 10, 2017, 8:59 am
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Originally Posted by OhDoctor
Yes, it's the Hotel Christiana Teater that I was referring to. Why don't I want to be close to the central station? I'll be coming in that way, and I figured the closer the better.
The Oslo S (main rail) station has a lot of drug-related, prostitution-related and other criminal activity going on in the vicinity. It’s often considered one of the most unseemly parts of Oslo and gives off a sort of bad impression of the city.
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Old Dec 10, 2017, 5:05 pm
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I see. I'll probably go with the Christiana Teater then, since it seems to be separated from the main rail station by a bit, and is still centrally located.

But, if for some reason we end up changing our mind and staying at the Thief, is the Tjuvholmen area good for exploring Oslo on foot? It seems like it's a little island separated from the rest of the city center. I just can't get away from what a great redemption it would be (>2.5 cents/point) which for Choice is unreal.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 8:05 am
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The Thief is the flagship property of Nordic Choice Hotels. And hard to find award availability. Go for The Thief if available.
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 8:17 am
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Originally Posted by satori
The Thief is the flagship property of Nordic Choice Hotels.
Wow, I didn't realize that. But I thought it was a brand new hotel?

What did people previously consider to be the "flagship" property? It seems like there are a ton of nice Ascend hotels in Scandanavia.

Last edited by ftnoob; Jan 14, 2018 at 11:24 pm Reason: Fix markup
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Old Dec 12, 2017, 3:42 pm
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Originally Posted by OhDoctor
Originally Posted by satori
The Thief is the flagship property of Nordic Choice Hotels.
Wow, I didn't realize that. But I thought it was a brand new hotel?

What did people previously consider to be the "flagship" property? It seems like there are a ton of nice Ascend hotels in Scandanavia.
The Clarion Post in Gothenburg was the company head’s other major pet project. They’ve both been open for a few years, but the The Thief means a lot more for the Norwegian head. The Thief opened in 2013.
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Old Dec 21, 2017, 5:54 pm
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So, we're going to go with The Thief, along with the At Six in Stockholm, the F6 in Helsinki, the No.13 in Bergen, and the Skt. Petri in Copenhagen. We're going for the full-on Ascend experience.. and all on Choice points, of all things!
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Old Jan 13, 2018, 10:09 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder


The Oslo S (main rail) station has a lot of drug-related, prostitution-related and other criminal activity going on in the vicinity. It’s often considered one of the most unseemly parts of Oslo and gives off a sort of bad impression of the city.
I pass the station and Østbanehallen twice daily and haven't noticed any of the sort except the occasional druggie, but they're harmless.. Maybe I'm desensitized, but I wouldn't caution against staying in for instance Comfort Hotel Grand Central. However, all of the higher end hotels are located further to the west, so if one wants higher quality in the first place, that does solve the problem in itself. There are beggars, but they're everywhere in the vicinity of Karl Johan, including outside the Continental and Grand.
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Old Jan 13, 2018, 10:28 pm
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Originally Posted by OhDoctor
I see. I'll probably go with the Christiana Teater then, since it seems to be separated from the main rail station by a bit, and is still centrally located.

But, if for some reason we end up changing our mind and staying at the Thief, is the Tjuvholmen area good for exploring Oslo on foot? It seems like it's a little island separated from the rest of the city center. I just can't get away from what a great redemption it would be (>2.5 cents/point) which for Choice is unreal.
I hope I give my advice in time for your trip! I'd hope so as it's certainly more pleasant to visit our region closer to spring/summer!

Yes, Tjuvholmen and Aker Brygge is an excellent little area for foot exploration. It has nice architecture, waterfront views, lots of restaurants and a busy vibe and there are no cars there. Not to forget its Astrup Fearnley modern art museum, which you get free access to as a guest at The Thief. Distances are not very big in Oslo, so if you got a bit of oomph in you, you can easily walk to most of the central tourist destinations, even from the Thief. I'm then thinking of the Akershus fortress (the resistance museum is good), Karl Johan street and walking the roof of the Opera house as well as perhaps parts of the harbour promenade. In addition, I would also recommend checking out the Grünerløkka district ("hip") and its Mathallen (food court). This area is good for dining, shopping and if one is so inclined street art exploration. In the west end, I would visit the Frognerparken sculpture park and perhaps do a bit of foot exploration in the pretty and more affluent Frogner district.

Other recommendations:
Take the tram up the Ekeberg hill. Visit Ekebergparken sculpture park, enjoy the view and perhaps dine at Ekeberg Restaurant.
Take the ferry from Aker Brygge to Bygdøy ( very short trip), where there are a number of museums. I'd recommend the Fram Museum or the Folk museum.

Id be happy to give more detailed dining or shopping recommendations if desired!
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Old Jan 14, 2018, 8:58 pm
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Originally Posted by LangenOrme
I hope I give my advice in time for your trip! I'd hope so as it's certainly more pleasant to visit our region closer to spring/summer!

Yes, Tjuvholmen and Aker Brygge is an excellent little area for foot exploration. It has nice architecture, waterfront views, lots of restaurants and a busy vibe and there are no cars there. Not to forget its Astrup Fearnley modern art museum, which you get free access to as a guest at The Thief. Distances are not very big in Oslo, so if you got a bit of oomph in you, you can easily walk to most of the central tourist destinations, even from the Thief. I'm then thinking of the Akershus fortress (the resistance museum is good), Karl Johan street and walking the roof of the Opera house as well as perhaps parts of the harbour promenade. In addition, I would also recommend checking out the Grünerløkka district ("hip") and its Mathallen (food court). This area is good for dining, shopping and if one is so inclined street art exploration. In the west end, I would visit the Frognerparken sculpture park and perhaps do a bit of foot exploration in the pretty and more affluent Frogner district.

Other recommendations:
Take the tram up the Ekeberg hill. Visit Ekebergparken sculpture park, enjoy the view and perhaps dine at Ekeberg Restaurant.
Take the ferry from Aker Brygge to Bygdøy ( very short trip), where there are a number of museums. I'd recommend the Fram Museum or the Folk museum.

Id be happy to give more detailed dining or shopping recommendations if desired!
Wow, thank you for all those wonderful recommendations. Yes, the trip is not for another several months. We'll only be in Oslo for about 36 hours, so probably not even time for everything you mention here. Which of those would you say is "can't miss"?
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