Sustainability focused Oslo hotel where white, strict exterior meets warm, Balinese-inspired interior
Guldsmeden / Oslo / Norway
Guldsmeden began their journey in Århus, Denmark back in 1999 with a small boutique hotel on the street that has given the chain its name, Guldsmedgade. Guldsmeden has slowly expanded where they, at the time of writing this, are running 10 hotels (and one exclusive villa) in 6 countries. And one of those hotels is the humble and cosy Guldsmeden Oslo.
The hotel is located on Parkveien in a residential part of Vika area, which is great starting point for exploring the Norwegian capital where you have Akerbrygge, the National Museum and the Royal Castle around the corner. The hotel was built back in the 1950s and the subtle, square white exterior is a great contrast to the warm and eclectic dark interior.
Guldsmeden is a front-runner when it comes to sustainability in the hotel industry, being devoted to running an environmental and socially conscious business where I hope other hotels are following suit.
The interior is a unique and rustic mix of Scandi meets Bali, with hardwood floors, four-poster beds combined with Kilim rugs, Balinese figurines and wickerwork lamps.
Welcome to Guldsmeden Oslo! Located on the residential Parkveien, a stone’s throw (ok, a fairly long one) from the Royal Castle.
The interior is dark and sombre…
…with plenty of design elements that connects this Norwegian city hotel with the remote island of Bali through details like this kind of figurines…
…and rustic-looking wickerwork lamps.
Heading upstairs to our room. Always makes me happy to see that the stairs get some design touches as well, like these golden mirrors which work so well against the dark colored walls.
The corridor heading to our room.
The four poster bed is standard at the Guldsmeden hotels and this one is no exception. There is something that makes me feel like a king when sleeping in one of these beds.
The dragonfly is the symbol of Guldsmeden Hotels.
The classic Guldsmeden robes and a bag that you can use when going out on the town. Adds a splash of color to the room.
We stayed in a Superior Double room facing the courtyard.
You don’t have to worry if you have forgotten anything at home. Guldsmeden has you covered.
Oslo is becoming a hotspot for architecture. This is the Oslo Opera House to the left next to the brutalist Munch Museum. And if you zoom in on the photo you can see that there is a beach in front of the museum where people can go for dip to cool off in the fresh water of the Oslo Fjord.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are looking for an Oslo hotel with a local, friendly vibe that takes sustainability seriously. If you want to stay at a hotel that is centrally located but in a quiet setting I think you will really like Guldsmeden Oslo.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the laid-back vibe. Although this is a hotel it kind of has a backpacker atmosphere, in a good way. So many urban hotels can have a slight air of stiffness but not this one which is a good way to make us guests feel right at home. A hotel where you want to hang around for a glass of wine in the lobby bar and just relax before heading out into busy Oslo.
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to put on some comfy shoes and explore. Downtown Oslo is fairly small so you can cover it by foot. If you are interested in architecture there is so much to see like the National Museum, the Opera House, the Deichman Library and the Munch Museum are four modern buildings to awe at. And if you like older architecture you will enjoy strolling around in the Frogner area with classic 19th century buildings.
If you like this hotel you might also like…
Babette Guldsmeden, Copenhagen, Denmark
Max Brown Midtown, Düsseldorf, Germany (maxbrownmidtown)
Hotel Daniel, Vienna, Austria
