Let’s just upfront be clear that the hotel is perfectly located, has a beautiful facade and an impressive lobby. The breakfast is good too but unfortunately that’s where the positives end. My first night was interrupted not once nor twice but three times by trucks emptying trash bins of glass in the street below. It seems like the hotel never even considered sound proof glass. The first truck started at 1am the second at 3am and the third at 5am was so loud and the vibrations of its engine caused the entire third floor room to vibrate, the bathroom glassware rattling. Given they skimped on the sound proof glass you’d think they’d provide earplugs in the room facing this truck mecca in downtown Oslo but no. In fact, no toiletries at all are provided: no cotton buds, no nail file, no nothing. I only found this out after rummaging dearly thru my room at 3am. There’s also no way to keep the bedside lamp on without the overhead lights blasting you. You’re either bathed in light or in complete darkness save for the ice blue LED reading light. Great. I’d consigned myself to all this but when I came back after a full day of meetings and braved the miles of grey carpeted seemingly endless corridors, imagine my disappointment - nay, fury - when I entered my room to find they hadn’t cleaned it, hadn’t changed the towels on the floor of the bathroom, hadn’t emptied the bins, hadn’t even made the bed!!! I called reception who were non-plussed, explaining there naturally was no way the cleaning staff could make up all the rooms of the hotel. Now I’ve stayed in hotels all over the world - great ones and lesser ones - but not once has the staff failed to make the bed and change the towels. The receptionist kindly offered to have the room made up tomorrow after I checked out!? If this was a lower priced hotel, I probably wouldn’t be so disappointed but it’s pricey and a bit full of itself. So save your money, save your sanity, save your night’s rest and book another Oslo hotel. I hear there are some good ones, equally central. I know I will. (Post script: I know there are some crabby reviewers on TripAdvisor so check my profile and scroll thru scores of my 4- and 5-star reviews dating back 20 years. I say that so you’ll appreciate just how terrible the Grand Hotel Oslo is.)

I don'y usually leave negative reviews, but it had to be done. I wanted to do a load of laundry and was quoted a price of 2,165 NOK, or $206 USD. Note that this is not dry cleaning, but a single load of machine-washed clothes with no special treatment 😂😂😂

If you are an American traveler who thinks that this five star hotel will be like a Ritz Carlton, this is not it. I was excited to stay at this storied historic hotel, but it did not meet expectations for the star level or the price point. I think a Fairfield Inn or Hampton Inn in the U.S. generally offer a higher level of service and accommodations in the U.S. There is no door or luggage service that you would expect at a luxury property. The front desk staff is not particularly friendly or welcoming. Not their fault, but apparently the desk staff will not notify you if a room is available before 3 p.m. — a typical courtesy at any level hotel in my experience. When we finally got up to our floor, there were so many unmanned laundry and cleaning carts, that I thought we were in a service hallway. Finally, the room and the furnishings in our Superior Plus room were very underwhelming. The bathroom is pretty nice. The view is one I usually request a room change for, but it seems par for the course here. On the other hand, location is hard to beat. I’m a frequent traveler (both business and pleasure), and spend about a quarter of my life on the road. I stay at historic properties with some frequency, so I don’t think my expectations are unreasonable. My husband is definitely making fun of me for booking this place… it was very much not worth the $450/night. I feel like I stayed in a different hotel from the majority of the reviewers.

The Grand Hotel is a perfect hotel while visiting Oslo. It is in the middle of the city with a beautiful old world lobby with a very friendly staff of people willing to help with everything you might need ! We had an amazing junior suite with chandeliers on the ceiling and two TV’s. The bathroom was well appointed as well! When visiting Oslo, this is the place to stay

The Grand Hotel is a majestic landmark in the heart of Oslo. The hotel oozes refinement and with first class service at a reasonable price. The restaurants offer fine dining and rooms are spacious and comfortable. The breakfast buffet in the Cafe provided a vast array of breakfast options. The location is close to the harbor, art and Norwegian culture museums, historical buildings, and government centers. Within a 10 minute walk, there were many ethnic and seafood restaurants. When traveling to Oslo, why not go in style by staying at the Grand Hotel.