Background & Location
I’ve always wanted to stay at the THIEF Oslo ever since it opened in 2013, as it looked very sleek and luxurious, and quite the unique property for Oslo at the time. The THIEF Hotel in Oslo, Norway is located on the Tjuvholmen peninsula. The peninsula is car-free (but of course, an Uber still drops you off right in front of the hotel). The hotel is a short distance from the Astrup Fearnley Museet Art Gallery, which you get free access to as a hotel guest. Interestingly, the hotel’s name comes from the peninsula’s former use as a prison island, also known as Thief Island. It’s a very upscale area with many luxury apartment-style homes nearby. The Akker Brygge waterfront, with restaurants and bars, is just a short walk away and I loved the area. However, one thing to note is that you are a bit removed from the city center, and it is 2 km (or a 30-minute walk) to Oslo Central Station.
The hotel does a great job at branding, and their catchphrase is that the THIEF Oslo “steals you away from everyday life”. It gives off very “W” Hotel vibes, but a bit less party.
Takeoff Points
Date of Stay: August 2024
Room Type: Superior Room
Pros: Excellent location, sleek & modern design, solid breakfast offering.
Cons: Room fixtures are showing wear and tear, soft renovation to be completed in December 2024 would be good.
Booking
Since the THIEF Oslo is part of Strawberry Hotels and Choice Hotels has a master franchise agreement with them, the THIEF is part of Choice’s Ascend Hotel Collection and you can use Choice Privileges Points to book them. I was able to book the THIEF for 20,000 Choice Points per night, which I thought was a great deal. The original dates I wanted were sold out, so I had to be a bit flexible in my dates to book with points.
Fora Travel Agency Benefits
I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is part of the Preferred Platinum Program. These partnerships give you special perks when booking with me. The THIEF Oslo comes with:
- Daily breakfast for two (included in the rates already)
- Room upgrade upon availability
- Early check-in/late check-out upon availability
- $100 Hotel Credit per stay
Depending on your dates, cash rates at the THIEF Oslo start at around 3500 NOK (USD 340) a night. If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the THIEF Oslo, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel and I would be happy to help you plan your trip.
Arrival & Lobby
The lobby offers high ceilings, and there is both a reception desk to the left, as well as a concierge desk to the right. Further back to the right, there is more lobby seating as well as the lobby bar.
We were quickly checked in by a friendly associate and were given our keys to the 2 rooms I had reserved. We had booked the Standard Room and got upgraded to the Superior Room type.
The Room
Both of our rooms were located on the 6th floor, next to one another. As you enter the room, you will see a large full-length mirror to the left. Then, passing that, there are a few hooks located outside the closet and the luggage rack. It’s nice to be able to hang some clothes outside.
Additionally, there are two closets. One of these contains an iron and iron board with a few hangers and another closet that provides more hangers plus a laundry bag slippers, shoe shine, and polish. There is an extra pillow up there as well. I liked these closets as they had leather stitching and mirrors on the back of each of them.
As you proceed further, you’ll find cups and wine glasses, a coffee machine providing Caffitaly coffee, and some teabags from Palais de Thes. A hot water maker for tea is also provided.
Some items available for purchase include items like toothbrushes, underwear, masks, and socks. There’s a fully stocked alcoholic minibar, safe, and to the right of that there are some snacks like chips, chocolate bars, and fruits for purchase.
Then there is the TV console plus a special edition Bluetooth speaker that I did not know how to connect to.
King Beds Only
The hotel only offers rooms with King-sized beds. The beds and bedding were quite comfortable and up to par for a luxury property. There are two chairs near the window as well as a small table in between.
On each side of the bed, there are two nightstands. There are charging ports and one side has a USB port. You can also control the lights. There is a sun mode, a half sun mode, a sleep mode, and a nighttime mode overall is quite dark. The rooms have balconies and it’s nice to get some fresh air but the balconies are quite small.
Room service is available for 125 NOK per person or you can also order additional items like omelets Benedict fried eggs, and scrambled eggs. Included in the 125 NOK delivery fee are a Nordic set, Telemark, and Healthy Start. Otherwise, breakfast is included in the main restaurant.
Bathroom
The bathroom had a sink, separate shower, separate tub, and a separate water closet area. It was nice to have a separate shower and tub. However, the counter space was a little short and the sink was a bit on the small side. Additionally, in the water closet, the flush pressure was a bit too strong and aggressive, though that is better than it being weak.
In the shower, there is a wand and rainfall function, plus shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were provided in refillable bottles. Also, next to the sink was hand wash and body lotion. Toiletries were provided by Tue + Dam.
A vanity set and shaving cream were provided, but no shower cap. There are also heated towel racks in the bathroom, which could be helpful during cold weather.
One issue faced in the rooms is that in one of the rooms, the sliding door for the bathroom was pretty stuck and needed some WD-40 versus the other room. It made it hard to open and close the doors. This should hopefully be solved in the renovation that will be completed at the end of the year.
Other minor issues with the rooms were that one of the rooms had one of the lights out in the hallway making it extra dark and the other had the lights illuminating the coffee maker and the minibar was out. Also, one room had a lamp on the desk, the other was missing it. Plus in one room the hairdryer was so old that the word labels fell off.
A last pet peeve was that they put the bed’s decorative pillows on the floor during housekeeping service.
Suite Tour
During my visit, I was able to tour the top suite, the Oslo Suite! It’s amazing and features a rooftop private terrace.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the main restaurant and is included for hotel guests. It’s a buffet breakfast, followed by tea or coffee served at your table.
I found the selection to be quite good and they had many hot options as well as cold and bakery selections. I liked their smoothies!
One odd situation was that on the last day of breakfast, I saw that the grapefruit juice container had dozens of flies in it. Not sure if it was a weird one-off situation but it worried me a bit. Other than that, the hotel provided a solid breakfast!
Other Dining
There is a lobby bar on the ground floor, but it was under renovation during my visit. I was told it would be completed in the next few weeks after my visit.
The THIEF Restaurant where breakfast is served, also serves lunch and dinner.
And, the THIEF Rooftop is the social rooftop bar with a spectacular view of Oslofjorden and the city. It’s open during the summer season. On weekends, they have live DJs and other musical entertainment options.
Spa
The full-service THIEF Spa has an exterior entrance separate from the hotel or is connected via an underground tunnel from the hotel and there is a special spa elevator from the guest room floors.
Hours of operation for hotel guests and members are 10 am to 7 pm daily. External guests can only access the THIEF SPA from Monday to Wednesday. They limit capacity to ensure a calm and tranquil experience.
Spa facilities access is not included for hotel guests but rather costs 295 NOK for access without treatment and 195 NOK with a treatment.
I decided to visit right when they opened at 10 am and no one was there during my great visit! I didn’t get a treatment, but used the spa facilities.
There is an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hamam, and sensory showers. They also provided face masks and body scrubs. It was quite a nice setup and I had a great relaxing morning.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is located near the Spa and is open 24/7. It had a pretty solid selection of machines for a complete workout.
The Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed my stay at the THIEF Oslo, and I was very happy to check the hotel off my list. I would consider staying at the property again once the room renovations are completed because it is tired in its current state. Oslo is such a great city, and I also loved walking around the area near the THIEF. Excited to try the property again at some point!
Have you stayed at the THIEF Oslo before? How was your stay? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
looks like very nickle’n’diming fake luxury hotel