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Hotel Folketeateret, Oslo. Funky, Refreshing & Delicious

During our Interrail trip through Europe last summer, on our way from Stavanger to Orebro we made one more overnight stop in Oslo. This time we didn't visit any attractions in the city, partly because it was pouring down cats and dogs, partly because we were extremely tired. Therefore we were over the moon we had booked ourselves a room at Hotel Folketeateret, part of Clarion Collection. The proximity to the train station, the free light dinner, the delicious breakfast, and the overall stylishness of the hotel were just some of the reasons.

Location

The hotel is located inside a 1930s building that also hosts a theater, which is pretty charming and unusual at the same time. The Oslo Central Station is within 5-minute walking distance, which we totally appreciated having arrived by train on a pretty unpleasant weather and having left by train next day early in the morning. From our previous visit few days ago, we knew there was a good selection of restaurants and bars in the vicinity of the hotel. Luckily though, we didn't have to bother finding a place to dine that evening, as everything was provided by the hotel. Also most of Oslo's attractions are situated within walking distance from the hotel, including the royal theater, town hall, royal palace and Aker Brygge - the amazing Oslo harbor and my favorite place in the city.

The Room

Our room was stylishly decorated in red and gold and pretty spacious. In spite of the decor being a bit bold, I really liked it. Maybe it was because it was a cloudy day and not much natural light was getting through the big windows. But then I imagine most days are like this in Oslo, so having a bit of color in the room was very pleasant. The bed was very comfortable, providing us with a much needed restful sleep. Also, we were quite intrigued by the black wall, with a flat TV screen, a mounted mini-fridge and a desk and the black bathroom. The designer left a very bold statement in the modern decor of Hotel Folketeateret and both me and my husband found this to be refreshing.

The Free Dinner

When we checked in, the front desk personnel mentioned that the daily free light dinner was to be served within half an hour in the hotel restaurant at the last floor. We were pleasantly surprised and happy we didn't have to go out to look for a place to have dinner while it was raining. Well, the light dinner turned out to be a pretty varied and tasty buffet. It consisted of salads, cold cuts and hot dishes, not to mention some delicious desserts. Given how notoriously expensive Oslo is, this was a money saver and also came in handy. I just wish more hotels would bother with this kind of details.

The Common Areas

Above the restaurant were we had dinner there was also a gorgeously decorated lounge. It looked so Zen and pretty, with funky and stylish decor, just like the lobby downstairs and the nicely neon lit long hallways. All in all Hotel Folketeateret has one of the most daring and beautiful decors we've ever seen. It really stands out. It also has a very relaxing and serene atmosphere, which we fully embraced, and after lingering a bit around the premises, we went to our room and called it a day.

Breakfast

The breakfast is served downstairs in the adjacent restaurant. Given that all windows face the gallery, the restaurant receives no natural light and therefore has a romantic atmosphere, with dim and warm light, more fit for having dinner rather than breakfast. The food presentation was one of the best we've ever seen, with red focus lights hanging on top of some of the dishes. Needless to say we couldn't sample everything, because there was too much variety, but everything we had tasted delicious and we were sad we wouldn't be here the next morning to try out more delicacies.

Conclusion

Though we only spent one night at Hotel Folketeateret, we were profoundly impressed with it. Not many hotels offer free daily dinner to their guests, now, do they? For us it was the ultimate way to show they cared. On the other hand the decor and atmosphere of the hotel was definitely memorable. I see it ideal for both romantic weekend getaways and leisurely city breaks and we would both love to go back someday.

We were guests of Hotel Folketeateret, however all opinions expressed here are our own.

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