Clarion Hotel Oslo: Munch museum at your doorstep

Andy Warhol's version of The Scream hangs in the lobby. The Munch Museum is a two-minute walk. The Opera House is right there. This hotel wears its art obsession on its sleeve, and the public spaces function as a small gallery worth wandering through. The Bjørvika district, with its striking 'Barcode' architecture and fjord promenade, is one of the more visually interesting neighborhoods in Oslo.

The breakfast buffet is exceptional. Omelet chef, organic spread, local fish, fresh breads, smoothies, the works. It's the kind of breakfast that makes you skip lunch. This is the hotel's strongest card, and it plays it well.

Standard rooms are a different story. Roughly 16 to 18 square meters. Clean Nordic lines, good beds, functional furniture, but tight on floor space. Open a large suitcase and you're climbing over it. Ask for a higher floor facing the fjord or the Munch Museum. Lower floors look onto office buildings and streets, which kills the mood.

Oslo Central Station is a five-minute walk, which makes getting around painless. The area feels modern and safe, removed from the scruffier blocks around the station itself.

No pool. No spa. If that matters, the sister property Clarion Hotel The Hub has both, or head to one of the floating saunas on the fjord. KOK and Oslo Badstuforening are a 5-minute walk and way more fun than a hotel sauna.