Introduction

In Trondheim I’m staying at the Radisson Blu hotel, which sits right next to the airport terminal. The only other hotel around the airport is the rather unfortunately named Scandic Hell Hotel. Hell is, in fact, a municipality on the outskirts of the airport.

Access to the Radisson Blu is straightforward and clearly signposted. After you exit the terminal through arrivals, make a right turn and follow the signs to the hotel/railway station.

Check-In

By the time I reach the hotel, it’s gone 23h. Reception is quiet and the friendly receptionist quickly gets the administration and paperwork done. The hotel lobby is quite nice. In one corner there’s even an open gas fire which gives the place a nice, warm glow in the evenings.

Corner Room

I’ve booked one of the larger corner rooms, mainly because of the outside views. The room is large and spacious. There is an open wardrobe where you can hang things like jackets, but there is no place to put undergarments like sock, so I end up just leaving those on the desk.

The bed is a large and comfortable King. More importantly, if I sit up in bed with my head against the headboard, I can actually look outside and watch the movements on the ramp.

I think my only complaint about the room is the carpet, which looks a bit grubby and worn. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a big deal if there were complimentary slippers or if I’d remembered to bring my own.

The bathroom is clean. There is a bathtub with moderately good water pressure, and with a bit of effort it is perfectly possible to shower without flooding the whole bathroom.

Amenities

In terms of amenities, there is a bathrobe but no slippers. The minibar is fully stocked and there’s also a kettle and a Nespresso machine. The capsules are replenished daily. However, there is no milk or cream, and instead the hotel provides sachets of creamer.

The View from the Room

The view from my room is simply brilliant and overlooks the domestic ramp where all the turboprops park. It’s mostly Wideroe traffic. Still, from my room I can also see the runway and the threshold in the distance. Despite the proximity to the ramp, the hotel is quiet. The occasional freight train passing through the airport’s railway station in the basement is probably more noticeable.

Dining

Breakfast is served in the restaurant on the ground floor, and it’s rather a nice spread they have of hot and cold dishes, including a slabb of that brown stuff that is supposedly cheese and that the Norwegians refer to as Brunost. It’s an acquited taste…

Being out at the airport means that there aren’t many food options. There is only a kiosk selling Frankfurter sausages that look like plastic and have a seriously unnatural and unhealthy looking pink colour. The hotel restaurant has a fairly limited menu with exactly two options with no meat. It’s also quite pricey and not really good. For example, I order a salad on the side which is served with zero condiments – no dressing, no oil and vinegar.

Conclusion

The Radisson Blu is convenient if you have business to attend to at the airport or if you have a very late arrival/very early departure. Other than that, though, it’s quite far from the city. By either train or bus it will take you around forty minutes to get into town.

However, I will say that the views from the room and the location of the hotel adjacent to the terminal really are great. The photo below was taken from the control tower and shows the hotel with the ramp and runway behind it.