Revier Hotel: Oslo's slickest aparthotel

There is no front desk. No receptionist. No human being to greet you when you walk in. Everything at Revier runs through your phone, from check-in to room access. If that sounds liberating, you'll love it here. If your phone battery dies in the taxi from the airport, you have a problem.

The building sits in Kvadraturen, Oslo's oldest neighborhood, wedged between Akershus Fortress and the waterfront. Oslo Central Station is a short walk. The Opera House is close. You're in the thick of it without being on Karl Johan's tourist conveyor belt.

Rooms are sharp. Scandi-cool done right, with warm earth tones, Egyptian cotton bedding, and big flat-screens with streaming built in. Cleanliness is immaculate. Some units have small kitchenettes, which saves real money in a city where a lunch plate costs 250 NOK. No fridge in the standard rooms, though, which is annoying.

The food situation is the standout. Savage, the on-site restaurant, holds a Michelin star. Null Null does solid pasta for quicker meals. The rooftop bar, Revier Taket, has an enclosed orangery that works year-round. Breakfast, on the other hand, is underwhelming, a basic continental spread that doesn't match the rest of the building's ambition.

Lower floors and street-facing rooms catch weekend noise from the bars and rooftop crowd. No gym anywhere in the building. Book a table at Savage the second you confirm your room, not after you arrive.