Hotel review: Citybox*** in Oslo

Norway has been at the top of my bucket list for years and last week, the adventure finally started: I travelled by train and boat through the south of Norway for 10 days. Yesterday I came back from the trip and I’m looking back at some nice memories.

During the trip, we’ve stayed in several hotels, from where Citybox in Oslo was our first accommodation. Here we stayed two nights. In this article, I will share my experiences and opinion about the hotel.

General description
The Citybox Hotels is a hotel chain with a very special concept. At the moment, there are two hotels: one in Oslo and one in Bergen. Soon, there will also open one in Tallinn and another one in Bergen.

The concept of the hotel is as follows (and I have to say, the concept really did its work in Citybox Oslo):
“Citybox is a modern economy hotel with low prices.

Because we keep our expenses down we can offer low prices to our guests. This still allows us to offer our guests what they really need: a simple and stylish room with an elegant bathroom, comfortable bed, a good chair, a desk and a place for hanging your clothes. Wireless broadband is available free of charge throughout the hotel.

Citybox combines simplicity with comfort and low prices. The hotel is located in the centre of Oslo, less than 5 minutes walking from Oslo S central station. If you want to spend your money on something other than a minibar and room service, then Citybox is the place for you.”

Location
The location of Citybox is perfect. In a few minutes you will get to the central station and the main street of the city center. If you’re looking for a nice restaurant: there are plenty just around the corner. I cannot say more about the location of the hotel than it’s perfect. Keep in mind that the front of the hotel is located at a busy street, so if you would like to stay in a room more quiet, ask to stay at the backside of the hotel.

Facilities
The hotel doesn’t offer many facilities. Because of the fact that the rooms don’t have a television, there is a lounge on the first floor which offer televisions. The hotel offers a self-service check in, so there is no reception. However, the check-in goes very easily. If there are any questions,  there is always an employee available who you can call to. The check-out goes the same way. Citybox Oslo also offers three conference rooms; which are, looking at the concept, also modern and affordable.

Hotel room
During our stay in Citybox, we booked a small twin room. Honestly, the room was very small and there wasn’t many space, but it didn’t matter for us. We only slept in the room, the rest of the day we were outside exploring the city. The room was very clean and the bath room was good.

Keep in mind that the hotel has some practical information which is important to know before you’re planning your trip to the hotel. Like said before, the hotel is very simple. It’s perfect for people who would like to stay at a hotel with a great location, for a reasonable price. However, there are some facilities not included on the room.

The rooms Citybox offer are modern and fresh, but also very simple. All rooms contain a desk, reading lamp and chair, a nightstand and a place to hang your clothes. None of the rooms feature a televisions; these can be found in the lounge on the first floor. Furthermore, depending on the time you’re staying in the hotel, the rooms will be cleaned once a week. If you’re only staying two nights, the room will not be cleaned during the stay, unless you’ve specifically booked the extra cleaning. For an extra cleaning you also need to pay extra.

Breakfast and dinner
The hotel doesn’t offer breakfast and dinner, it also doesn’t have its own restaurant. However, Citybox has a partnership with Rent Mel, a café where you can buy breakfast, light meals and coffee or tea. Thanks to the partnership, guests who are staying at the Citybox Hotel are getting a discount on the breakfast. Rent Mel also has an entrance from the hotel lobby. For dinner there are endless possibilities in the city center of Oslo. You will not need a long walk, because the hotel is at walking distance from the main street of the city.

Price
During my search for a hotel in Oslo, I was looking for a perfect location for a reasonable price. Although this hotel doesn’t offer breakfast included, I found the price very reasonable. Especially after I stayed there. In my opinion, the price-quality ratio is very good. Fresh rooms and a perfect location for a good price. You can book this hotel via Booking.com.

Overview
This overview is a summary of the points written above. I’ll give a point from one star until five stars where one star is very bad and five stars is very good.

Location: *****
Room size: **
Room attributes: ***
Bathroom: ***
Facilities: ***
Price-quality: *****

Above you can find how I think about the several subjects regarding the hotel. If you’re a lot outside and would love to have an accommodation with a central location, this hotel is perfect for you. The rooms are very simple and there are not a lot of facilities present in the hotel, but that’s not a problem if you will not be a lot in the hotel. However, the hotel is very modern, fresh and everything is super clean.

Address: Prinsens Gate 6, 0152 Oslo.

Photos from Booking.com.

NOTE: this post is not sponsored and contains my personal and honest experience!

Author: Tamara