PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Opposite the main train station, this is one of the leading business and leisure hotels in Oslo, though not where we like to check in. In fairness, it is fine in every way -- very convenient -- and it certainly has its devotees. But because it's such a mammoth affair, it doesn't have the personalized service of the Grand or the Continental. This is the second-largest hotel in Norway, a soaring 14-story tower built to house athletes and administrators during the 1952 Winter Olympics. Extensively upgraded in the 1990s, with the addition of two nine-story wings, the luxury hotel is now comparable to the nearby Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel, but without so much drama. This modern hotel and the surrounding high-traffic neighborhood don't evoke old-fashioned Norway, but you will find comfort, efficiency, good design, and a hardworking staff. The medium-size guest rooms are as quiet, conservatively decorated, and blandly tasteful as you'd expect from an international chain. The well-maintained bathrooms have tub/shower combinations and heated towel racks. We like the way the hotel stays abreast of the times, even installing a first-rate Japanese restaurant, Fuji, though you can dine French as well.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Norway, 4th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»