Five nights on a car-free islet on the Oslo waterfront, in a hotel with an original artwork in every bedroom, then six at a Regency house on Hyde Park Corner, with a butler on call for every room.
The fjord on three sides of the islet, and an original artwork in every bedroom, from a contemporary collection that fills the public rooms too. Tjuvholmen is car-free, at the seaward end of Aker Brygge, and the hotel says every room has a balcony. The partner rate I booked adds breakfast, a hotel credit, an upgrade when one is open, priority check-in and a welcome amenity with a note from the general manager.
A Regency house in the old St George's Hospital building, with a butler on call around the clock for every room, not only the suites. The partner rate adds full English breakfast daily, two hotel credits, a short jet lag massage on arrival day and a one-way airport car. The upgrade was confirmed when I booked: a Deluxe became a Park View Deluxe, looking across Hyde Park Corner to Wellington Arch and the park beyond. Early check-in and late check-out depend on the day.
An overnight flight to Heathrow.
Into Oslo by early evening, connecting at Heathrow. From Gardermoen a private car takes 40 to 45 minutes to the hotel. The airport train takes about as long door to door, but it ends at a station a 15-minute walk from Tjuvholmen, which is a poor finish to a long day with bags. I asked the hotel to hold the room for a late arrival.
One high, quiet room with the balcony and the city view for all five nights, which the hotel confirmed in writing before arrival, and breakfast every morning. Nothing else is booked, so the days are yours. Outside the door are the Astrup Fearnley Museum, designed by Renzo Piano, and the Tjuvholmen sculpture park. Aker Brygge is about a 7-minute walk and the center of Oslo about 15. The rooftop is seasonal, open roughly May to September.
Out of the hotel mid-morning for an early-afternoon flight to Heathrow, and into The Lanesborough by late afternoon. The rate's jet lag massage can only be booked on arrival day, and the last slots are in the early evening, so if you want it, pick a flight that lands in time.
Left open: six nights in one place. Full English breakfast each morning, and the butler for tables, cars and anything else. Knightsbridge and Belgravia are on foot from the door, Mayfair is about 20 minutes' walk, and Hyde Park is across the junction. Afternoon tea is served every day and paid separately, because the rate does not cover it.
The hotel's own car to Heathrow, the airport transfer that came with the rate. The pickup time was set with the hotel at check-in, so it was settled on the first day instead of left open for six.
Oslo is small. From Tjuvholmen the western waterfront is all on foot. The Opera House, Barcode and the Munch museum sit on the eastern harbor, a longer walk or a short ride across town, and the Bygdøy museums are a ferry or a bus.
Cards over cash. The hotel is reported to be cash-free, which is normal for Norway.
Write the hotel into the car booking. Book an airport car that meets you inside arrivals, with the hotel’s name and address in the booking. Tjuvholmen is car-free, so the drop-off point matters.
The UK needs an ETA. If you hold a US passport, apply for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorization before you travel. It is linked to the passport you apply with, so a new passport means a new ETA.
Hyde Park Corner on foot. The park and Wellington Arch are across the junction by pedestrian underpass, and the tube station there has no building at street level, only subways. Easy for a walker, and worth knowing with luggage or a stroller.
Tea on a Sunday. Afternoon tea runs daily, but the published Sunday window is only an hour. Check the times when you book.