When we realised the cheapest way back to Malaysia from Europe was to fly through Oslo, we were very happy. Who doesn’t want to visit Norway? So we broke up the journey and planned to spend two nights.
With such a short time frame, it was very important to us to stay in a central hotel. We did not want to be wasting any time getting around the city that could be filled with visiting one of the many interesting attractions in Oslo. Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania is not just as central as it comes, but is also family friendly with family rooms and a swimming pool.
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Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania Review
Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania from outside the train station
The first thing that drew our attention with this hotel is the location – it is opposite the main train station meaning that we were able to catch an express train here directly from the airport. We could see the hotel as we exited the station. After the long journey to get to Oslo, this was a very welcome sight!
It is not just convenient to the train. It is a short walk from many of the attractions we visited (we could also see the hotel from the Opera House for example) and it is surrounded by shopping centres which have many eating options and a supermarket.
Our room
Main bedroom
Our family room was just perfect for us. It had separate bedroom, living area and bathroom with a hallway area with plenty of cupboard space.
The living room was spacious with plenty of space for the kids to play and let off some steam. It came with a big TV, desk area, mini bar and a sofa bed. The sofa bed folded out to a bed plenty big enough for the kids to share. This was made up for us and ready to go when we arrived. The room has a window out to the atrium.
The living area when the sofa bed was set up
Looking from the main bedroom to the hall/cupboard area to the living room
The main bedroom had a TV and a queen size bed with fabulous pillows and good linen and was very comfortable. There was a window looking out to Oslo.
My favourite parts of the room, however, were good curtains and that it was so quiet! I never heard a sound from outside of our room. We slept very well in this hotel.
Facilities
Looking down into the atrium area at breakfast
After the location, the first thing that struck me about this hotel was the good music they had playing in the lobby. It helped me relax and put me in a good mood after a very stressful 24 hours getting to Oslo. Check in and out were very smooth and efficient.
The hotel has a very big atrium in the middle with the main dining area at the bottom and rooms arranged around it. This gave the hotel a very light and airy feel as we made our way to our room. There is also a TGI Fridays at the bottom of the hotel that you can order via room service and a bar in the lobby.
The facilities that appealed to us most, however, were the small swimming pool and sauna area. We have surprised ourselves by becoming fans of saunas on this trip so that was nice. There are also spa treatments available and a gym.
Breakfast
Part of the breakfast buffet
We were not at the hotel for long, so we only had an opportunity to try out breakfast. It was great!
Everything was fresh, delicious and a step above what we normally eat at hotel breakfasts. I especially appreciated the delicious bread after not having any good bread since France and the organic apple juice which was very good.
The other thing that stood out for me was that there was options for people with allergies. Z is dairy intolerant and hotels often have soy milk. However, this hotel has a range of different types of milk and he was also able to have soy yoghurt which made for one very happy boy,
Our verdict
Pool area
The Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania is a great place to stay in Oslo for families and it met our needs perfectly. It makes for a great base to explore Oslo and we appreciated being able to stay in a hotel with a pool and family rooms in the middle of the action.
My only real complaint is that when I sat on the kids’ sofa bed to read them a story, I sank down a long way. This didn’t happen to them and it seemed well suited to kids – I just wouldn’t want to sleep on it as an adult.
Otherwise, we were very happy and found the Clarion Hotel Royal Christiania a lovely, easy place to stay. Its location makes it perfect for getting around Oslo, and our room’s space made it perfect for hanging out when we weren’t sightseeing.
Read our full guide to Oslo here.
Find out more about this hotel on their website or click here to see the latest prices. We partnered with Visit Oslo during our time in Oslo to ensure that we had the best family friendly experiences to share with you.
Tags: Accommodation Norway Travel Blog
