Radisson Blu Plaza Oslo – Norwegian Hospitality

Oslo Radisson Blu Scandinavian

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel – Oslo

The Radisson Blu Plaza is located in the heart of Oslo City Centre and, being the tallest building in Norway, offers guests some of the most incredible views of Oslo and the Oslo Fjord. The hotel is 117 meters (384 ft) tall, has 37 floors and was completed in 1989. It has 37 floors, over 600 rooms, and a rooftop bar and restaurant that can also be accessed by a glass enclosed external elevator. The hotel also offers free wireless internet access.

Arriving at the bus station, a short walk through the station and a ride up a huge people mover brought me right to the hotel. After a short walk down the ramp, I was soon inside reception.  Check in was efficient and the staff were friendly and quite helpful. Honestly, from the front desk staff to concierge to cleaning, every request was met with a smile and an ‘I can help you with that’ attitude.

Reception

Although in many European hotels, rooms seem to be much smaller than American standards, I was given a Business Class room on a higher floor in part due to my Gold status with Club Carlson. The room had a window which actually opened and which afforded some incredible views of the city! I found the room size (approximately 26 square meters) to be more than adequately sized. My first assigned room was a handicap access room with only a shower (I guess because I requested to be close to the elevator) but a quick trip back to reception and I was moved to a different room on the same floor.

Bedroom

The room was nicely decorated and contained a small seating area with a club chair and table, a desk, and flat screen TV with satellite television access.  There was also a mini-bar and a Nespresso coffee maker which was great for a quick cup of espresso in the morning.

Desk Area

The marble tiled bathroom was beautiful with a large soaker tub, a’ rain’ shower head, and a handheld shower attachment.  The amenities provided are from the Anne Sémonin line and included shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, and bath salts which were pleasantly presented on a chic oak amenity tray. A nice touch was the towel warming rack and the heated floor. A bathrobe and slippers are offered to guests in Business Class rooms.

Bath

Towel Warming Rack

Anne Sémonin Bath Amenities

The hotel boasts three restaurants – the Gaio Restaurant on the second floor offers an incredible breakfast buffet which I enjoyed for the three mornings I was there; 34 Restaurant, at the top of the hotel; and the Galway Bay Pub located at the lobby level. While I would have loved to have dined in the rooftop restaurant for the views alone, a quick look showed a very limited menu with prices that were just too high for the offering.  Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit and I found the Galway Bay menu to be more than adequate for a delicious, reasonably priced meal. In fact, I liked the fish and chips so much that I actually enjoyed it on two separate nights! Paired with a pint of Guinness, I couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Galway Bay Pub – Radisson – Oslo

Guinness at Galway Bay

There are also three bar locations at the hotel – the Lobby Bar which is convenient for meeting up with friends; the rooftop 34 SkyBar which, in addition to incredible views, also has an extensive drinks list; and lastly, the Galway Bay Pub bar which is more of a casual sports bar.

34 Sky Bar – Radisson – Oslo

Although I did not have time to visit either, the hotel also has a fitness center/health club and an indoor pool located on the 34th and 35th floor of the hotel.

Swimming Pool

I really enjoyed my stay at this Radisson property in Oslo.  The location is perfect for walking to the many interesting sites in Oslo as well as being convenient to public transport.

This property is a Category 6 in the Club Carlson program, which means 50,000 points a night for award night redemptions.

Radisson Business Class Amenities include: 

• Nespresso machine with a selection of coffees
• Free high-speed Internet access
• Daily newspaper
• Lifestyle magazines
• Pay-TV movies
• Breakfast with room service option