Location

It’s hardly surprising that there are several Radisson Blu Hotels littered around the city of Oslo. I picked the Radisson Blu Plaza because my flight from Amsterdam arrived rather late and the hotel is close to Oslo Central Station, where the train stops. The second reason is that I struggled to find any appealing alternatives: ahead of my visit, I researched hotels in Oslo quite thoroughly. However, nothing really caught my eye, so that eventually I settled on the Radisson Blu, figuring it was my safest bet to choose one of the big chain hotels.

Reception

The Radisson Blu Plaza Oslo is rather an old hotel that has been well maintained and regularly upgraded over the years, but it’s bones, so to speak, are getting on. This is most visible in the lobby, which is still in its original design and style from the late eighties/early nineties of the previous century.

One thing I really cannot understand about this hotel, though, is why the lobby is always busy with long queues backed up all the way to the main entrance. The check-in process itself is swift and efficient – once you manage to reach the head of the queue.

High Floor City View Room

The Radisson Blu Plaza Oslo is one of the taller buildings in the city, which is why I’ve booked a room on a high floor with city views. My room is on the 29th floor, and the view is indeed rather nice, overlooking the tracks of the railway station directly below, and the bay on which Oslo sits in the background.

Unlike the slightly dated looking public areas of the hotel, my room looks as though it was refurbished not too long ago. Apart from the fact that it has a more contemporary design, there are also hardly any signs of wear and tear.

The room is a good size. By the entrance is a large wardrobe and the safe. The bed is a wide and spacious King. It feels quite soft and has an interesting bounce. Nonetheless, it supports my back quite well, so that I manage to get a good night’s sleep.

There’s also a comfortable armchair and a table with a bench up against the wall. The latter is convenient if you need to work on a laptop – there are power plugs located at the foot of the bench.

Amenities

In terms of amenities, the room comes with bathrobes and soft slippers. There’s also a kettle and a Nespresso machine, although the capsules and tea are not replenished daily.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is spacious and features a walk-in shower, no bath. The water pressure is remarkably good, especially considering we’re on the 29th floor. However, I only give the hotel a solid pass on the Knight of Malta flood test. The floor in front of the shower is partially wet by the time I’m done, although it’s hardly enough to be considered flooding.

Dining

I only have breakfast at the hotel. I don’t take any pictures to avoid annoying the other guests. The breakfast is a complete and utter zoo! There are so many people that they’ve set up an additional buffet and tables in the foyer in front of the restaurant. It doesn‘t even seem to make a difference at what time you come down for breakfast, either. The place is permanently crowded.

Conclusion

The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel at Oslo Central Station sits in a good location, right next to the main railway station and close to the city centre. It’s not an extraordinary hotel, but it is comfortable and well managed, I think. For example, while having breakfast in the foyer may not exactly be cozy, every guest was seen to and assigned a table straight away – which is quite an achievement considering how busy it was.