Editor Pick
Nordic Home Away from Home
- July 19, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ChocolateLady from Jerusalem, Israel
The Bristol in Oslo is very well known and my husband stayed there on business and I thought you'd like to hear what he thought of it.
Firstly, the rooms are a good size with plenty of storage. Since he was there for a couple of weeks he needed a good deal of storage and found he didn't lack places to put his things. Cleanliness doesn't seem to be a problem but it wasn't spotless either. There was good enough room to move around, an armchair to relax in, a desk to work at, Internet connection, a TV with a fair amount of stations including pay-TV and interactive channels. One might expect stark Norwegian furniture but it was more a mixture between classical and functional which was pleasant on the eye. The bed was really comfortable and they gave him a comforter so he didn't get cold at night. Being there in winter one might expect a chill here or there, but that wasn't the case at all, including the bathroom which was practically toasty! (Ah, the joys of underfloor heating - nothing like it! But the heating in general in the older rooms isn't as good, so if you go in winter, make sure you get one of those.)
The biggest drawback here was that there was no coffee/tea making facilities which I'm sure he felt more because he was there for several weeks. This might not bother the shorter-term visitors, however, since getting room service isn't problem and now you've forewarned and can bring a fork or kettle yourselves. Also, be careful about the mini-bar since if you move anything inside it to put your own things (like a friend who put his milk in it for his morning coffee), you will be wrongly charged for consuming something you didn't take.
The bathrooms here were actually quite small but not really cramped. There's no tub in the newer rooms - just a shower stall, but some of the older rooms still have baths. Perhaps they're making the rooms larger and cutting down the bathrooms to do so. Still, there was enough room for all my toiletries so no major complaints there.
Most of the rooms have some sort of a view - with some that face another building - but the rest face either the street or beyond. On his last long stay he had a great view of the Norwegian Parliament.
He didn't use the business area since he had his own laptop and Internet access - and the while they charge for broadband, if you sign up (for free) to join their club, then broadband becomes free. The bar there (for those interested) is usually jumping and seems friendly, but not overly noisy - and my husband was only disturbed by them one night in all the times he stayed there. He used the gym quite a bit while there and found the facilities well equipped and pleasant but wished they had a pool. On the other hand, they do have a sauna (I guess the Finns influenced them here) and that's great after a long day at work.
My husband had breakfast here and found that they give lots and lots of food, and a good range of items as well. The quality seemed really good and with the amount of time spent there, had anything been off, he would have noticed! Everything is laid out nicely enough and its all buffet style including the hot food. The wait staff brings you your first coffee but when the restaurant is full, they have a hard time keeping up with the crowds and so will allow you to take your own - the pots are on the burners in full view and access. As for the crowds, certain hours can get very busy and while they do their best to find places for everyone (even if that means opening up the ballroom upstairs), they can't always be as quick to fill your cuppa, but that's to be expected for the most part. All in all, its very nice and with that same old-world atmosphere as the lobby has which makes dining even a simple breakfast feel on the elegant side.
By the way, while there are tons of restaurants around the area at any price range, the lobby boasts a snack service which is surprisingly fairly priced for Norway. Room service is also available and it won't break the bank either, which isn't usual for a hotel of this standard in general. Plus, this is about as centrally located as possible with it being smack dab in the middle of town. Mind you, you do have a bit of a distance between this hotel and the train station but there's a taxi stand and trams right outside the door and the metro is a short 50-60 metres away, so no major problems with that. As for the shopping, if you can afford Norwegian prices, all power to you, and this hotel is right in the way of some major bank balance emptying spots - like that Norwegian goods shop across the street where a jumper could cost you up to a weeks earnings! There are lots of things to do in the area and while the Opera has moved away from here, that's a problem for me but not the larger non-opera loving population. Lots of theatres, concert halls, cinemas, restaurants, and even jazz clubs - so something for everyone nearby. Even so, my husband hardly had much of a problem with noise here and that's to its advantage - only one night and he blamed having a low floor room, right above the bar. Still if it was only one night, of all the nights he was there, it can't be all that bad.
My husband also found the staff to be very friendly, and with a very welcoming lobby. The rooms are gradually all being renovated and the newer ones are lovely. Some of the older ones were not quite as nice and a little on the frayed side. This is excellently located right in the middle of town, a bit removed from the central station but very easy to reach from the next stop. He recommends this to everyone with his only problem being that there are no coffee/tea facilities and only have mini-bars and if you put your own stuff in it, risk being charged for removing items at Norwegian (i.e., extremely high) prices. This is better for short-term visitors who want to be catered to and not do their own thing. For them, this hotel is just right, but families might not find it as accommodating. Let's give this four out of five stars and recommend it.