The Grand Hotel has been the talk of the town since the days of playwright Henrik Ibsen. Among our regular guests, you will find heads of state, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and other well-known figures in the fields of business and entertainment. We know that you will feel at home here, too. Welcome to Oslo and welcome to the Grand Hotel.
The Grand Hotel first opened its doors in 1874. The Louis XVI revival style building, with its hint of Nordic art nouveau and characteristic clock tower from 1913, is right on Karl Johans gate, Oslo's main street, and stands as a symbol of a first-class hotel with tradition, atmosphere and style. The hotel has been extended and modernized over the years, and today, the Grand Hotel has 290 rooms, including 52 suites, 15 conference rooms, and a number of restaurants and bars. It is a modern meeting place for people from around the world in the center of Norway's capital. It's right where you want to be!
Most hotels offer comfortable rooms. At the Grand Hotel, guests can enjoy a special ambience created over many generations of hospitality. All the elegantly appointed rooms have en-suite baths, most with bathtubs. In addition, each room has a TV, a telephone with a direct outside line, a trouser press, a hairdryer, air-conditioning and a mini-bar. Half of the rooms are reserved for non-smokers, and many also have parquet floors.
The 52 suites at the Grand Hotel are individually decorated and equipped with every luxury. Many have their own special names. Each year, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize stays at the Nobel Suite on the second floor and traditionally walks out onto the balcony to wave at the cheering crowd gathered on the sidewalk below.
The Grand Hotel can accommodate almost any demand or desire, and our suites have been the natural choice of heads of state, captains of industry, as well as film and pop stars from around the world. Our guests have all the hotel's resources at their disposal, and meetings and receptions can be held in many of the suites.
Grand Café was Henrik Ibsen's regular café. Henrik Ibsen was born in Skien, Norway, and started his literary exploration in Grimstad. His apprenticeship was spent in the theatres of Bergen and Kristiania (Oslo). For 27 years he lived in voluntary exile in Rome, Dresden and Munich, before returning to Kristiania as an accomplished playwright. He lived in Kristiania for the rest of his life, and became a regular guest at The Grand Café along with the other bohemians of his time, with his own table and chair by the entrance.
Pastry chef Julius Fritzner opened the Grand Hotel in 1874. Today, more than 125 years later, the hotel's restaurant for fine dining bears his name - Restaurant Julius Fritzner. Guests sit in beautiful surroundings and can enjoy seasonal menus accompanied by the most exquisite wines from the hotel's wine cellar. The restaurant is one of Norway's best.
Palmen (The Palm Court) is one of Oslo's most traditional lunch restaurants, with a comfortable, informal ambience under its lovely glass roof. At Palmen you can enjoy a cup of coffee with the best cakes in the house. Sandwiches and small meals are served throughout the day, and there is bar service in the evening.
Etoile, on the 8th floor, is the hotel's panorama bar. Sandwiches and cakes are served during the day, and in the evening, Etoile is a bar where people from all over Oslo come to meet. You can even sit outside, weather permitting!
Limelight Bar is the ideal place to relax after a long day at work or to enjoy an aperitif before dinner. This elegant lobby bar is a natural meeting place for hotel guests.
The Mirror Room has hosted many an elegant and stylish ball, with women in glittering gowns and gloves. Guests come in their finest to celebrate at banquets, receptions, balls, weddings, anniversaries and other formal occasions under the crystal chandeliers of this historic room. It can be fitted with round tables covered with white cloths and heavy silver for a formal dinner, or it can be used for a less formal get-together with a theme. The Mirror Room provides the perfect setting for your special occasion.
This magnificent room can be turned into a meeting room, quickly, easily and effectively, while still retaining its very special atmosphere. There's room for 90 persons at individual tables/desks or 130 in theater-style seating. The room is also ideal for lunch or for receptions in connection with meetings and conferences in the Rococo Room. There is a lectern with microphones and a large screen in the Mirror Room, and a video projector can be installed.
The Mirror Room is available for banquets for larger conferences or for local guests. It also can be used along with the Rococo Room, either for a reception or for lunch in connection with meetings or conferences or for dinner arrangements. Speilen can seat 320 for dinner or 560 if used together with the Rococo Room.
When this room at the Grand Hotel was opened in 1894 in the presence of playwright Henrik Ibsen, it was the most magnificent reception room in Norway. It extended over two floors and was richly decorated with murals by Wilhelm Krogh on the ceiling and walls. Many festive parties and balls took place here in the Kristiania of old, and they still do. The parties are just as grand in the Rococo Room of today, even though its decor was altered somewhat after a fire in 1957.
The room is decorated with handmade crystal sconces and chandeliers from Venice, tapestries and ornamental mirrors. The Rococo Room can seat 240 guests for a banquet or 350 guests for a reception
There are special occasions that call for a formal and stylish dinner, yet the guest list is relatively short. This could be a family event - an anniversary, a birthday, a christening, a confirmation, a wedding or even a business dinner for up to 30 persons. The Carl Johan/Hogarth Room is a lovely setting for such an occasion. You can select from a wide range of menus and wines, served on beautifully set and decorated tables by the hotel's professional staff. After the meal, the entire party can move to one of the comfortable sitting rooms alongside.
This room is ideal for dinners, receptions or even coffee breaks in connection with meetings or parties. The atmosphere is intimate and pleasant, yet the room still retains its air of elegance and character.
The picture of Frederick V of Denmark and Norway dates from 1732 and has been on display at the Grand Hotel since it opened in 1874. A nearly identical picture is in the Royal Palace in Copenhagen. The picture of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh was a gift from the Queen after a visit to the hotel. The unusual clock hanging in the room has been at the hotel for as long as anyone can remember.
The most monumental suite at the Grand Hotel is named after the old tall ship, "Christian Radich". This suite, which is decorated with maritime paintings and objects, consists of two sitting rooms, a dining room, kitchen and library and a huge roof garden with a beautiful view of Karl Johans gate. The dining room seats 20 for a festive dinner party, and the roof garden lends itself to both large and small receptions.
This truly grand suite, furnished in an elegant contemporary style to meet the new millennium, was finished in December, 1999, and consists of a large sitting room, a salon, a bar, a bath with a TV and sauna, one bedroom, a walk-in closet, a separate butler's parlor and a terrace with a view of the City Hall. At 200 sq.m., the Millennium Suite is the largest in the hotel. It can also be used in combination with the Christian Radich Suite for dinners and meetings.
This lovely suite with a maritime theme is suitable for small meetings and dinners for up to 8 guests. It is the perfect place for an intimate dinner at the "Captain's Table" with a fish and shellfish menu. The suite's bathroom is equipped with a TV.
Isn't it lovely to be able to retreat into a comfortable lounge after a good meal? The Grand has a number of elegant lounges with comfortable and stylish furniture. Each has a name and its own special history, either because of special paintings, photographs, textiles or furniture. The lougnes at the hotel are used during the day for coffee breaks in connection with meetings and conferences, and at night for after-dinner relaxation.
The Grand Hotel Conference Center has everything you need for a successful meeting or conference. We have conference rooms with modern audio-visual equipment for 4 to 110 persons. Our conference secretariat is centrally placed in the foyer area and the staff is there to make everything run smoothly for everyone.
All the meeting rooms in the hotel's 6th floor conference center have been named after Norwegian parliamentarians throughout history and feature natural lighting. There are sitting groups in the large foyer area, where participants can relax during breaks. This area also can be used for exhibitions and receptions.
The rooms and salons in the Grand Hotel's banquet division are especially well-suited for larger conferences. The largest rooms, Speilen and Rococo, can be used separately or together, depending upon the size and type of arrangement. Often Speilen is used for lunch or exhibitions in connections with meetings or conferences in the Rococo Room, our largest meeting room, whick can accommodate up to 300 participants. In addition, many of the salons can be used for exhibitions or as seminar rooms. The foyer area adjacent to the large rooms has space for a hospitality desk and poster exhibitions. It is even possible to hold car shows in the banquet division's large foyer.
The Mirror Room has hosted many an elegant and stylish ball, with women in glittering gowns and gloves. Guests come in their finest to celebrate at banquets, receptions, balls, weddings, anniversaries and other formal occasions under the crystal chandeliers of this historic room. It can be fitted with round tables covered with white cloths and heavy silver for a formal dinner, or it can be used for a less formal get-together with a theme. The Mirror Room provides the perfect setting for your special occasion.
This magnificent room can be turned into a meeting room, quickly, easily and effectively, while still retaining its very special atmosphere. There's room for 90 persons at individual tables/desks or 130 in theater-style seating. The room is also ideal for lunch or for receptions in connection with meetings and conferences in the Rococo Room. There is a lectern with microphones and a large screen in the Mirror Room, and a video projector can be installed.
The Mirror Room is available for banquets for larger conferences or for local guests. It also can be used along with the Rococo Room, either for a reception or for lunch in connection with meetings or conferences or for dinner arrangements. Speilen can seat 320 for dinner or 560 if used together with the Rococo Room.
When this room at the Grand Hotel was opened in 1894 in the presence of playwright Henrik Ibsen, it was the most magnificent reception room in Norway. It extended over two floors and was richly decorated with murals by Wilhelm Krogh on the ceiling and walls. Many festive parties and balls took place here in the Kristiania of old, and they still do. The parties are just as grand in the Rococo Room of today, even though it decor was altered somewhat after a fire in 1957. The room is decorated with handmade crystal sconces and chandeliers from Venice, tapestries and ornamental mirrors.
The Rococo Room is the hotel's largest meeting room and can accommodate 300 in theater-style seating or 180 in classroom style. It can seat 240 guests for a banquet or 350 for a reception. The room has a permanently installed screen, and additional technical equipment is available on request.
Isn't it lovely to be able to retreat into a comfortable lounge after a good meal? The Grand has a number of elegant lounges with comfortable and stylish furniture. Each has a name and its own special history, either because of special paintings, photographs, textiles or furniture. The lougnes at the hotel are used during the day for coffee breaks in connection with meetings and conferences, and at night for after-dinner relaxation.
We are proud to present the Olavesen Spa Grand Hotel, which will be located on the top floor of the prestigious Grand Hotel in Oslo. The luxurious Olavesen Spa is a pure Scandinavian Spa concept. The Scandinavian culture is known for its cleanliness, vitality and beauty in nature and our concept builds further upon this. Welcome to a world of purity and timeless Spa tradition enhanced by Norwegian design. * Olavesen’s own-brand treatments and products * Small and large groups * Customized arrangements * Memberships * Wedding arrangements * 7 Treatment rooms (including one duo room), each with a treatment bath * 450 m2 area inc. swimming pool, sauna and steam room
The Grand Café received its first guests on August 14, 1874 and was the main restaurant at the hotel for many years. The café has been a favorite haunt of artists and intellectuals for generations. For many years, playwright Henrik Ibsen sat at his regular table at the Grand Café every day at noon. Other frequent guests included writers Hans Jæger and artists Oda and Christian Krogh. The large mural at one end of the café was painted by their son Per in 1928 and was installed in 1932. It portrays the café and its guests as it was in 1879.
Artists and Intellectuals at the Grand Café As artists returned to Norway from big cities on the Continent, they brought with them fresh new ideas and bohemian lifestyles. Free and open, worldly wise, active and full of energy, they sought to revolutionize Norwegian artistic life. They wanted to depict Norwegian nature and Norwegian society in a way that would make people open their eyes and take notice. Edvard Munch was just one of many artists who made the Grand Café their gathering place.
At the Grand Café, the 1890s really began in 1891, when the café was refurbished and expanded, and when Ibsen returned to Norway after many years in Italy and Germany. He quickly came into conflict with the established intellectual milieu at the Grand Cafe. Writers Georg Brandes and Knut Hamsun, as well as artist Kitty Kielland, especially provoked his wrath. But Ibsen was a respected regular guest at the Grand. His wife noted that he continued "the custom he had adopted in southern Europe - a daily visit to his favorite café. In Rome, it was the Café Tritone, in Munich the Café Maximillian, and in Kristiania it was the Grand Café." He visited once in the morning and once in the afternoon. American, English, German and French tourists often came to catch a glimpse of the great playwright, and there are countless stories and anecdotes about Ibsen at the Grand Café.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been presented in Oslo on December 10 since 1901. Prize winners always stay at the Grand Hotel and the festive banquet in their honor is always held in Speilen.
The Peace Prize is given out by a committee of five members chosen by the Storting, the Norwegian parliament. The Nobel committee is completely neutral. Announcement of the winner normally takes place in mid-October, and the prize is presented every year on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. When he was 9, the family moved to Russia, where his father opened a machine workshop. In 1963, he returned to Sweden and began working as a chemist in his father's workshop at Heleneborg in Stockholm. I 1867, Alfred Nobel obtained a patent for a special type of nitroglycerine, which he called dynamite. The original compound for dynamite was eventually replaced by gelatin dynamite, which was safer to use. Alfred Nobel also played an important part in this development and held a total of 355 patents. He had owner-interests in many companies around the world and became one of Europe's richest men. He lived in Paris for many years, but he planned to return to Sweden to spend his final years in Karlskoga where he owned property. Before he was able to realize that, he died at his home in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896.
In 1897, it became known that Nobel had left the bulk of his estate to a fund, the interest from which would be bestowed yearly as prizes to those who had contributed the most to mankind during the previous year. The principles for establishing the foundation which administers the fund - the Nobel Foundation - were approved on June 29, 1900.
Why a Norwegian Peace Prize? One theory is that when Nobel wrote his will, Norway was in a union with Sweden, and he wanted to acknowledge that. Another theory considers his radical view of society's problems. Norway and the Norwegian Parliament were especially interested in negotiation, arbitration and peaceful solutions to international conflicts. A third possibility is that he was fond of reading Norwegian literature and that he was influenced by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsen who worked diligently for peace.
"La Bataille de Rezonville" (the Battle of Rezonville) was painted by Detaille and DeNeuville in 1883. These two well-known French artists collaborated on the painting because Detaille was a military painter and DeNeuville specialized in landscapes.
This picture is part of a huge panorama painting in 115 parts, which was exhibited in Vienna from 1883 to 1887 and in Paris from 1887 to 1890. Panorama paintings were very popular during the 1880s, but by the turn of the century, they had fallen out of fashion. This type of painting is a link with the development of photography. Such monumental paintings made both the battle and the landscape in the background seem very real.
The painting was inspired by the battle at Rezonville on August 16, 1870, in which 32,749 people perished. In the background, we can see flames and soldiers. Quiet is settling over the scene after a long day of fighting. The painting achieved great renown. After the exhibition in Paris, it was sent abroad where it was divided into 115 pieces, which were sold at auction around the world. One section ended up at the Grand Hotel!
There are many reasons why the painting was divided. After panorama painting went out of style, many felt that Detaille's painting had no value if it was not exhibited. Cutting it into pieces of reasonable size was the only way for it to be displayed easily.
Today, you can see a complete copy of "La Bataille de Rezonville" at the Musée d'Art in Paris. We learned the history of this painting from of a French guest, who stayed at the Grand Hotel in 1994 and recognized the picture.
In the reception area, the metal grillwork along the balustrade was designed by Nils Flakstad and depicts important motifs from Norwegian history and culture. You can see St. Hallvard, patron of Oslo, the meeting of sea and land, Viking ships, stave churches, King Haakon and Constitution Day (May 17) excitement.
In the Kings' Salon is a picture of King Frederick V of Denmark and Norway. It dates from 1732 and has been displayed at the hotel since it opened in 1874. A similar picture hangs in the palace in Copenhagen. The picture of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh is a gift from the Queen after a visit to the hotel.
The Christiania salon was decorated by the northern Norwegian artist Karl Erik Harr, who adopted his themes from the Fritzner pavilion. The French salon features pictures from National Theater productions of Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. The beautiful "Polonaise" tapestry was woven by Else Halling in 1960 after a design by Håkon Stenstadvold. The glass painting down the stairs from the banquet rooms was made by Ørnulf Rankheimseter, who used a dental drill to achieve the desired effect.
The Grand Hotel has many years of experience in arranging parties, banquets and theme evenings. The hotel can tailor-make arrangements for guests in connection with a special event, a publicity campaign, an anniversary or other arrangement, in which food, decor and entertainment all center around a particular theme.
Concerts and artistic arrangements Many wish to bring some culture into their meetings or dinners. A concert with soloists - all according to your desires and your budget. Our contacts can recommend artists and entertainers who can arrange cultural programs to suit your needs - in both small and large formats.
The Chef's Table For a really special experience, why not hold your party into our kitchen and let our chef be at your command for an evening? You can help him out with the cooking or just watch him at work. It will be an unforgettable evening for you and your guests.
Opera tickets, concert tickets, sightseeing information, fjord tours, a new shirt, a haircut, a facial or a business center. The hotel's concierge and receptionists are there to help you!
The Grand Hotel has arrangements with many theaters and the opera as well as its own hairdressing salon, comfort center and shops with a excellent selection of international newspapers and magazines. We can provide you with brochures and information about interesting sights and activities in and around Oslo. In addition, the hotel is located in the middle of Oslo's main street, Karl Johans gate, downtown Oslo's premier business and shopping area.
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