Grand Hotel, Oslo

1 March 2015

Words and Image: Geoff Brokate

It’s hard to imagine that when Oslo’s Grand Hotel opened on Karl Johan Gate, in 1874, contemporaries doubted the logic of placing a hotel so far away from what was then the city centre. Now it sits amidst Oslo’s prime real estate, between the Storting building (the Norwegian parliament) and the Royal Palace, and is one of Norway’s best-known landmarks. Since 1901, the hotel has hosted the annual Nobel Prize banquet, while laureates stay in the Nobel Suite. 

The building was refurbished between 1911 and1913, during which time it gained its impressive facade of white granite. Inside, you will find deep red carpets, ornate gold trimmings and a multitude of uniformed and courteous staff. As you walk through its stately doors, you can feel the lingering presence of some of the world’s most distinguished luminaries. Olso’s Grand Hotel is probably the only place in the world where you can walk in the footsteps of the great Noregian playwright Henrik Ibsen, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and The Rolling Stones. 

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