Tromsø Hotel Tips by FletteMette

I stayed at Rica Ishavshotellet in March 2007. The hotel has an excellent location - right on the quay, two metres (or less!;o) from the sea, and only a two-minute walk from Storgata which is *the* centre of Tromsø. Everything in the town centre is within easy walking distance from the hotel, and the airport bus stops right outside Ishavshotellet.

We had a standard twin / double room. Our room was perhaps slightly cramped, we couldn't find a good spot for our (huge) suitcase - and the (spotlessly clean!) bathroom (shower only, no bathtub) was a bit small. The room had two comfy beds (even though an extra pillow would've been nice!), a small sofa / table, and a decent-sized work desk - plus a mini-bar, trouser press and a TV with a rather limited selection of channels (Norwegian and Swedish channels, plus BBC World and pay TV).

Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel - and the connection was fast and reliable. (Get an access code from the reception)

It is quite essential to ask for a room with a view - from our room we had a great view of the Arctic cathedral, the bridge and the harbour.

The buffet breakfast was very good, lots of different breads and rolls, crispbread and crackers, cereals, yoghurt and fruits - and various kinds of cheese, salads, cold meats, smoked salmon and some Norwegian specialties such as kaviar and brunost (see my Norway page for more about the kaviar and brunost - you'll find the tips under "restaurants".) - some hot foods were also available. (Eggs, sausages, bacon...)

This is undoubtedly a very good hotel, but it is also rather expensive - I'm not entirely convinced it's worth the price, unless you get a good deal. But if you don't care about the price (or your boss pays!;o) - go ahead and book it, I doubt you'll be disappointed!


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 77666400
Address: Fr. Langesgate 2, 9008 Tromsø
Directions: In the town centre - on the quay.
Website: http://www.rica-hotels.com/index.cfm?oa=hotel.display&con=379
Other Contact: rica.ishavshotel@rica.no

I stayed at Clarion Collection Hotel With in March 2007. This is a medium-sized hotel (76 rooms), located right on the quay in Tromsø - a two-minute walk from Storgata which is *the* centre of Tromsø. Everything in the town centre is within easy walking distance of the hotel, and the airport bus stops near the hotel.

We had a standard twin room. Our room was quite large, with two very comfy beds, two armchairs and a small table, and a decent-sized work desk. The bathroom was a bit small (shower only, no bathtub). Amenities included a mini-bar, trouser press, hair dryer, and a TV with a rather limited selection of channels (Norwegian and Swedish channels, Eurosport, BBC World and pay-TV). Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel - and the connection was fast and reliable. (Get an access code from the reception - the code only lasts 8 hours, then you have to go and get a new one...)

All rooms at Clarion Collection Hotel With are non-smoking. The hotel is decorated in a bright, Scandinavian "maritime"style - I liked our room a lot, and thought it was much nicer than the more expensive Rica Ishavshotellet nearby. It is quite essential to ask for a room with a view - from our room we had excellent views of the Arctic cathedral, the bridge and the harbour.

A quite ok buffet breakfast is included - breads and breadrolls, crispbread and crackers, cereals, yoghurt and fruit, and a somewhat limited selection of cheese, cold meats, jam... plus boiled eggs, scrambled eggs and sausages. You can also fry eggs and bacon yourself.

An evening meal is also included at Clarion Collection Hotel With - a buffet which, when we were there, consisted of one hot dish (looked like lasagna), various salads, bread / breadrolls, cheese, cold meats and fruits.

Room rates at Clarion Collection Hotel With vary a lot, but I've found double rooms for as low as 1000 NOK - and I'd say that's a very good deal.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 77664200
Address: Sjøgata 35-37
Directions: In the town centre - by the harbour
Website: http://www.choicehotels.no/hotels/hotel?hotel=NO029&language=nb
Other Contact: cc.­with@choice.­no

I stayed at Clarion Hotel Bryggen in April 2007. The hotel is situated in the centre of Tromsø, near the quay and next to (the much better!) Clarion Collection Hotel With. Even though the hotel, if you look at a map, seems to have a nice location right by the harbour, very few of the rooms have got a view (if you want a view, try Ishavshotellet or Hotel With instead!) - all we could see from our room was the hotel's extraordinarily ugly backyard (see pic 4).

We had a standard double room, which was somewhat small but otherwise ok(ish). The bed seemed fine at first (perhaps a little narrow) - but my back was killing me the next morning! Our room had a small work desk, a tiny little table and an armchair - and there was a flat-screen TV (with a very limited selection of channels), mini bar, trouser press, hair dryer... The bathroom (shower only, no bathtub - but heated floors) was nice and spotlessly clean - but the carpet in the bedroom (and in the hallways) looked really filthy.

Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel - and the connection was fast and reliable. (Get an access code from the reception)

A nice buffet breakfast is included - a decent selection of bread, breadrolls, crispbread and crackers, cereals, yoghurt, fruit, cold meats and cheeses... - and various Norwegian specialties such as brunost (brown cheese), kaviar (see the restaurant tips on my Norway page for more info!;o), smoked salmon, several types of pickled herring... There were also some hot foods - sausages, fried potatoes, fried and boiled eggs, beans...

The entire hotel is non-smoking.

Clarion Hotel Bryggen is pretty much in the same price range as Clarion Collection Hotel With and Rica Ishavshotellet (perhaps a *little* cheaper - but check the prices, as they do tend to vary a lot) - I'd say both are (much) better options.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 77781100
Address: Sjøgata 19-21, 9291 Tromsø
Directions: In the town centre - right next to the much better Clarion Collection Hotel With. A one-minute walk from Storgata, which is *the* centre of Tromsø.
Website: http://www.choicehotels.no/hotels/hotel?hotel=NO086&language=nb
Other Contact: post.­bryggen@choice.­no

I stayed at Quality Hotel Saga in September 2007. The hotel is, like most larger Tromsø hotels, situated right in the centre of town. Hotel Saga has a nice location across the road from Tromsø domkirke (the yellow/blue cathedral), a stone's throw from the main street, and a minute's walk from the quay (where Hurtigruten / the coastal voyager and the express boat docks). Everything in the town centre is within easy walking distance of the hotel, and the airport bus stops near the hotel.

We had booked a standard twin room - and got a corner room on one of the higher floors (quite a bit bigger than other standard rooms), so we had nice views of both the cathedral and the sea.

Our spotlessly clean room was spacious, light and airy and very tastefully decorated. Parquet floors, two very comfy beds, sofa / table, a decent-sized work desk, a nice flatscreen TV - and, unlike in many Norwegian hotels, even a bathtub. All rooms at Hotel Saga are non-smoking.

Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel, and the connection was fast and reliable - you have to pick up an access code (which only lasts 8 hours, one code per laptop) from the reception. I have stayed in quite a few hotels in this chain (Choice) in Scandinavia, they all have the same system when it comes to internet access - and this is the only time the hotel staff didn't want to give us more than one internet access code per day! (Which basically limits internet access to one laptop per room - and only for 8 hours per day). So, if you need internet access Hotel Saga might not be a great choice of hotel!

The buffet breakfast was quite ok, as is to be expected in Scandinavian hotels in this price range. A good selection of breads and cereals, crispbread and crackers, yoghurt and fruit, eggs, cheese and cold meats.

We paid 1000 NOK for our double room - the prices vary quite a bit, but Hotel Saga is sometimes a little cheaper than hotels like Ishavshotellet, Bryggen, With, Radisson. I liked our room a lot, and if it hadn't been for the internet problem, Saga would be my hotel of choice in Tromsø.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average

Phone: +47 77607000
Address: Richard Withs pl. 2, Tromsø
Directions: Right in the centre of town - across the road from Tromsø domkirke (the yellow / blue wooden cathedral)
Website: http://www.sagahotel.no/international/
Other Contact: q.saga@choice.no

I stayed at Radisson SAS Tromsø in September 2007. The hotel has recently been renovated, and a new wing has been opened - the old part of the hotel is connected to the new one through covered glass bridges. Radisson SAS now has 269 rooms, and the hotel has (like most other large Tromsø hotels!) a great location right in the centre of town. The airport bus stops right outside the hotel, and the Hurtigrute / coastal voyager quay is a 30-second walk away.

We had a business class room in the new wing, facing the harbour (the views from our room weren't that great, though). Our room was very large, light and airy - parquet floors, modern and somewhat minimalistic decor - I guess it was supposed to be quite stylish but I don't think I'd want to hire their interior decorator. Anyway, amenities in the Business Class room include a Nespresso coffee machine (nice!) and a quite large flatscreen TV with lots of channels. Free WiFi. Sofa and table, an additional seating area with a couple of chairs, and a work desk. Bathrobe (Just one! In a double room. Odd.) and slippers, and the bathroom does have a bathtub ("shower only" in many Norwegian hotels). There's a large closet covering one wall - the closet looks really good, with pretty glass panels and all - but the thing is, there's light inside it and the light *can't be switched off*, so it keeps the entire room rather light at night! We phoned reception on our first night, asking how to switch the light off - and were told by a rather surly member of staff that nope, quite impossible. Fascinating!

Among the minibar snacks you'll find a packet of stockfish, and a small reindeer sausage - reminding you of the fact that you are indeed in the Arctic. ;o)

The buffet breakfast was quite nice, some hot foods plus the usual selection of breads, crispbread and crackers, cereals, fruit, yoghurt...

A nice hotel, but a few glitches, like the closet design and the fact that the maids apparently forgot to clean our room on our second night!


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: +47 77600000
Address: Sjøgata 7, Tromsø
Directions: In the centre of town.
Website: http://www.tromso.radissonsas.com/