Hotel Continental Oslo

For me the Continental is the best choice in Oslo. First of all, I prefer classic style and the hotel is exactly in this style. Second, the hotel is well situated, close to the center, the museums and other attractions, but still away from the hectic and crowded area around central station. And the service is very good, staff members are very friendly and helpful. The breakfast is very good with a lot of choices. I recommend the junior suites as the normal rooms tend to be a bit small. As mentioned above, for me the best option in Oslo. I will definitely come back when in town.

Why is this a five star hotel? We stayed for 3 nights in August, and compared to other five star properties, found it lacking. In fact we had just come from the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, which was grand in every sense of the word. A major red flag, there is no concierge; the front desk staff is pleasant, but do not know when the museum opens…. There is no lobby. While waiting for a friend to arrive, or for a room to be ready, one is obliged to sit in a cafe area with diners. The gym is marginal at best. Our room was small, and the bathroom spartan with few products; and unusual in Europe, no tub. As members of The Leading Hotels of the World we are always greeted as such, and welcomed. They had advance notice that it was our anniversary….no mention. One day housekeeping forgot our room; a maid came by late in the afternoon to apologize and ask if we wanted fresh towels. Oslo was awash in blooms, not one live flower in the entire hotel which gives it a bleak look. And finally, the morning of our check out a Mr. Asbjorn Solem was on duty. I had planned to raise these issues, but as the trains were on strike and there were no taxis he was under duress. His curt “I don’t control the taxis” was not helpful. Patrons trying to get to the airport were under duress as well. Our advice is to stay elsewhere when in Oslo!

We used our Amex card to book our stay at the Continental. Immediately upon arrival we were advised of a room upgrade. Lovely. The check in process was so easy, the concierge and desk staff so friendly and willing to provide any support we might need. The room was comfortable and graciously appointed, with bottles of water and a delicious Lakris Bulow candy treat. Turn down service completed our luxury experience. We were made to feel like important guests.t

First class room. Excellent service. We were told of a way to get some of our luggage to Bergen while we took a tour of the fjords. Good not having to take all of our out with us every day. Hotel staff informed us of the service. Hotel management reimbursed us for 2 day when the telephone and television did not work due to IT issues hotel wide.

The hotel is very nice and located in a central area. The rooms aren’t particularly large, but they are beautiful, clean, and well-maintained. The woman at housekeeping staff were incredibly kind, and the ladies at the breakfast buffet were also friendly and attentive. The same goes for the women at reception during check-in, they were extremely welcoming and polite. Unfortunately, my experience at check-out was disappointing. If it weren’t for this, I would have rated my stay 5 stars. At check-out, I was attended to by a man at the reception who was very rude and dismissive. He appeared irritated and disinterested, which made me feel uncomfortable. He charged the full room bill to the card I’d left on file without my authorization. When I mentioned that I wanted to pay with a different card, he sighed and began making excuses to justify his actions. Then, he called over another young man with blond hair who was equally rude, did not apologize, and treated me poorly. While my overall stay was enjoyable, this unpleasant experience at check-out alone warrants a 1 star rating