A few blocks off the bustling pedestrian thoroughfare of Karl Johans Gate, in the heart of central Oslo, lies the city's newest luxury hotel -- albeit one with a decidedly different flavor than the traditional (and traditionalist) high-end standard bearers, The Grand and The Continental.

The most recently added member of the international Design Hotels consortium, the Grims Grenka - which opened in March -- is unabashedly modern, with a stark, art-gallery sensibility that hits guests from the minute they step inside the lobby. With 66 sleekly-designed rooms on six floors, the Grims Grenka bills itself as Norway's "most fashionable hotel," and everything certainly has a patina of cool, with the characteristic Scandinavian twists (think Jensen beds, frosted glass bathroom walls and waterfall shower heads) and slick touches like mirrored walls.

Several categories of rooms and suites offer varying degrees of size and amenities. "Summer" and "Winter" rooms are decorated in subtle shades of green and wintry white, respectively, while larger Garden Suites feature a throne of a bathtub situated on an elevated platform in the main room itself amidst a small, lush indoor garden setting. Among the amenities are the (now obligatory) flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet, and iPod docking stations. Egyptian cotton linens and an incredibly comfortable mattress make it easy to stay in your room and sleep in, though when you're ready to venture outside, the Grims Grenka's smiling, exceedingly friendly staff members are (like most Oslovians) happy to offer suggestions on the best places to eat, drink or hang out.

Be sure to take advantage of the buffet breakfast offered each morning. Smoked Norwegian salmon, herring and an assortment of cereals, breads and pastries provided enough fuel to get me through tours of Akershus Castle, the Royal Palace and the major museums -- all of which are within walking distance from the hotel.

Rounding out the property are the Asian-fusion restaurant MADU and adjacent nightspot, Ghost Lounge, as well as the rooftop Q Lounge (pictured), for those rare balmy Oslo summer nights, all of which are sure to draw after-work patrons from the neighborhood's design firms and galleries. Fitness facilities and an urban spa will be available later this year.
 
Grims Grenka
Kongens gate 5
NO-0153 Oslo
Tel: +47 23 10 72 00
reservations@grimsgrenka.no
 

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