Where to stay in Norway:
six of the best hotels

1] Grand Hotel, Oslo
One of the old guard, this famous hotel is located in the middle of the magnificent buildings on the city's main street. Ibsen used to visit the hotel's café (one of its six restaurants and bars) twice a day, and Elton John is now a fan. So there's culture and pop music, what more could you ask for? World peace? Well, as it happens, the Grand is the venue for the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
www.grand.no

2] Hotel Continental, Oslo
Despite its size and presence in the city, just across the road from the National Theatre, the Continental remains privately owned. The traditional reception areas and corridors don't prepare you for the groovy, witty and well-designed rooms and tasteful art collection. The buffet breakfast is one of the best in Norway. Make sure you also visit the Viennese-style café, the Theatercaféen: one of the most famous cafés in the world and a glorious location for people-watching. www.hotel-continental.com

3] Clarion Collection
Hotel Havnekontoret, Bergen
This may be one of the newest hotels in Bergen, but it is built into a 1920s building right next to the Bryggen wharf, one of Bergen's key attractions. From the jaw-dropping reception area onwards, the hotel has plenty of style and one of the most impressive penthouses in Norway.
www.choicehotels.no

4] Hotel Brosundet, Ålesund
A delightful converted fishing warehouse on the waterfront, in the heart of this Art Nouveau town. It offers great views of the harbour, but you may spend as long looking round inside, as much of the original 1906 building remains intact—wooden beams and all—and each of the rooms has its own style. There are special rooms for allergy sufferers. The company that owns the hotel also runs some of the best trips out into the fjord. The firm is also talking of converting a tiny, disused lighthouse on the other side of the harbour into a one-bedroom hotel.
www.62nord.net

5] First Hotel Grims Grenka, Oslo
Billed as "Norway's most fashionable hotel", the Grims Grenka is due to open any day now, and is set to bring the design hotel concept to Norway. With a selection of large rooms and suites, in three themes (winter, summer and mysterious), the hotel will feature furniture by Norway's leading designers, an Asian fusion restaurant inspired by Hakkasan in London and a spectacular roof terrace, set to become one of Oslo's hottest destinations.
www.firsthotels.com/grimsgrenka

6] Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Stavanger
Although not in the most lovely building from the outside—but then, any large brick structure will suffer in this quaint, wooden town—the inside reveals a large courtyard, around which the rooms are laid out. Head for the business-class rooms, which are more spacious and offer Nespresso coffee machines with complimentary coffee. There is also a gym, complete with a good-sized swimming pool, and a spa offering a full range of therapies and treatments.
www.royal.stavanger.radissonsas.com