Inside The Thief Hotel: Perfectly Located for Cruising from Oslo

Finding a hotel for a client to stay at pre- or post-cruise can be as important a decision as selecting the right cruise line. Choosing the wrong hotel at the start of a client’s vacation sets the tone for what’s to follow. Similarly, if your client has had a great cruise, you don’t want their memories ruined by a stay at a bad hotel before they return home.

For advisors with clients heading out on a Norwegian fjord, Scandinavian, or Baltic cruise that starts or ends in Oslo, there’s one hotel – The Thief – that’s both perfectly situated, particularly for pre-cruising, and promises a wonderfully comfortable stay. Plus, as a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, advisors can be reassured, there’s not a bad room in the hotel. 

Location
The Thief, a 116-room almost-boutique hotel, is located in the Tjuvholmen neighborhood of Oslo, overlooking the Oslo Fjord, and about a 10 minute taxi ride from the main cruise port. It’s just around the corner from the Astrup Fearnley modern art museum (tickets to the museum are included in the room price), and within walking distance of the happening Aker Brygge waterfront, where clients will find many shops and restaurants.

Other museums within walking distance of The Thief include the National Museum Nobel Peace Center, and Viking Planet, an immersive museum dedicated to all things Viking.

It’s also about a 15 minute walk to the Nationaltheatret Station, which is one stop away from Oslo Central Station, where many of Oslo’s main attractions, like The Munch Museum, are located.

Modern and arty
There’s something very Scandinavian about The Thief with its modern aesthetic and arty vibe. Art lovers in particular will love it. It’s packed with modern art pieces – many on loan from the nearby Astrup Fearnley Museum.

Examples include a stunning circular spun art piece in the dining room by British artist Damien Hirst, a somewhat perplexing cast-iron sculpture at the entrance to the hotel by British sculptor Antony Gormley, and a colorful Picasso-esque sculpture by French-American sculptor and painter Niki de Saint Phalle, among many others.

Room choices
Rooms similarly have a modern, but comfortable vibe with a neutral color palette of black, gray, and white, with pops of rust and gold.  Every room in the hotel has floor-to-ceiling windows and small private balconies, along with king-size beds – there are no twins! – and bathrooms with rain showers.

Clients can choose from five room categories, including several suites, like the Oslo Presidential Suite, which comes with a fully stocked bar and pantry kitchen, dining area, and oversized terrace overlooking the Oslo fjord.

At the entry level are 52 Superior rooms, which all have a non-fjord view, but do have full-sized bathtubs. Thirty-one Deluxe Rooms are pretty much the same size, but do have partial fjord views and bathtubs. Twelve Premium rooms have full fjord views, but these room do not have bathtubs, which actually makes the rest of the room slightly larger than the Deluxe and Superior rooms.

Bathrooms have one of our favorite features – towel sets in different colors so there’s no chance of confusing whose towel is whose.

Other than the view (and the presence of bathtubs or not), the three main room categories are fairly identical. They’re all approximately 323 square feet, all have multiple outlets (European style), USB plug-ins by the bed, and stocked minibar. Drinks and snacks in the minibar cost extra. (A Coke Zero cost us more than $7, but that’s typical for Norway.) Rates for Superior rooms generally start around $365 a night (including breakfast). Prices also include high-speed Wi-Fi, turndown service including a complimentary bottle of water and pillow chocolates, and entrance to the Astrup Fearnley Museum.

Clients looking for more space, can opt for one of five Junior Suites, four One-Bedroom Suites, and one of the three specialty suites, like the Oslo Suite mentioned above or the Apparatjik Suite, which is filled with video art, music, disco textiles, and art installations signed by A-Ha’s Magne Furuholmen.

Food and drink
Guests staying at The Thief can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner on site in Thief Restaurant, located on the second floor with a beautiful view over the Oslo fjord. (On the weekends, lunch is replaced by brunch.)

Drinks can be found in the cozy Thief Bar, which features a crackling fire in the wintertime, or at the summertime only Thief Rooftop terrace.

Spa
One of the only hotels in Oslo’s city center to have a spa, The Thief’s underground spa is reached via a special elevator and a Northern Lights-inspired walkway. Inside, guests will find a 12-meter pool, Hammam, Finnish sauna, steam room, and some tropical showers. There is a fee to spend time in the spa: it’s roughly $30 for 90 minutes for guests who don’t book a spa treatment and roughly $20 for those who have also booked a treatment. 

Good to know
The Thief, a 2018 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List hotel, is about a 45 minute taxi ride from Oslo airport, which might make it better for pre-cruise stays, especially if clients are staying a single post-cruise night and have an early flight the next morning.

It’s a non-smoking, cash-free property. In-room beverages and snacks cost extra.

GDS property codes are:
Amadeus (1A): OSLTTH
Sabre (AA): 167799
Galileo/Apollo (UA): 30717
Worldspan (1P): OSLTT
DHISCO (WB): 77332
Travelweb (HD): 77332

Advisors can also book The Thief through Preferred Hotels & Resorts.