Black timber walls, grass on the roof, fireplaces crackling in the lounges. Lysebu looks like something a Norwegian architect dreamed up in 1916, because that's exactly what happened. Magnus Poulsson designed it, and the building still feels like a grand mountain cabin. Danish and Norwegian art lines the corridors. The whole place smells like wood and quiet.
The restaurant is expensive, even by Oslo standards, but the monthly rotating five-course menu uses seasonal ingredients and the wine cellar holds over 5,000 bottles. Don't plan to eat dinner anywhere else, though. There's nothing within walking distance. The breakfast spread is in a different league, one of the best in Oslo, and worth lingering over.
Standard rooms run about 20 square meters, standard for Oslo. Ask specifically for a room facing Sørkedalen Valley when you book, or you'll end up staring into dark forest. The pool is 16 meters, small but the windows look straight into the trees, which makes it better than it sounds.
The location is the thing you need to think hardest about. You're 30 to 40 minutes from central Oslo by metro, and the nearest station, Voksenkollen, is a 10 to 15 minute uphill walk from the hotel. In winter that path gets icy. The tradeoff is Nordmarka forest right outside, with ski trails and hiking from the door.
What to do nearby
Other hotels nearby
