On our most recent trip to Europe, we journeyed to Bergen, Norway by way of Oslo, where we had the pleasure of staying in one of the best, if not the best, hotel in the city – the Opus XVI Hotel. The Opus XVI – The Edvard Grieg Heritage Hotel – is named after the famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, made famous for his piano concertos, including Opus XVI. The boutique hotel is still run by descendants of Grieg who have done a thorough and tasteful job of pulling through Grieg influences all throughout the hotel.
Although Bergen is not a very big city, there were many hotels to choose from when we started our initial search. We ended up selecting a different hotel at first, but then switched to the Opus XVI about a month before our trip after reading the many amazing reviews online. We could not have been more pleased with our choice in hotels – and, based on my luxury hotel review criteria, here’s why:
Top Reasons to Stay at the Opus XVI Hotel in Bergen, Norway
The Basics – The Opus XVI Hotel covered all of the basics with ease – spotless sleeping rooms, Wi-Fi, etc. However, staying at this hotel may not fit your price point if you’re on a strict budget. The rooms and food are very expensive (at least in the summer months) but our stay was more than worth the expense – based on my additional criteria below.
Lobby, Reception, Entryway – The hotel really sets the tone for your visit immediately upon entry by literally rolling out a red velvet carpet for guests. As you enter, you also quickly notice the hotel’s spacious lobby with plenty of natural light, as well as its high ceilings and archways adding to the hotel’s grandeur. The lobby is also rather posh with velvet chairs and sofas in their lounge area, along with brilliant chandeliers and artwork adorning many of the walls.
Room/Suite – We originally booked two deluxe rooms for our stay; however one of our rooms was upgraded to a suite (the Ingeborg Suite to be exact) just shortly before we checked in. I can’t say enough good things about both rooms. Of course, the suite was amazing, easily one of most nicest rooms I’ve stayed in while in Europe! The suite included a sitting area upon entry into the room, with a sofa, television, bar/refreshment area and two wardrobes for unpacking. Through another door, we found an additional spacious room with a king size bed, a second television, a bench and a large and beautiful en suite bathroom. The deluxe room that our teens shared was just as lovely, albeit a little smaller. Still, it was quite spacious by European standards and was just as beautifully decorated.
Location – The Opus XVI is located just steps away from the Bryggen, the historic harbor district which is right on the North Atlantic Ocean! It is also located just a few blocks away from tour boats, great restaurants, shopping and the Floibanen funicular which takes you up to Mt. Floyen, one of Bergen’s seven mountains. You really couldn’t ask for a better location!
Food Options – The hotel has one main restaurant which serves breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. We dined at the hotel every morning for breakfast and were more than impressed with the buffet offerings as well as the a la carte menu items. They had a great mix of Norwegian breakfast items plus enough traditional American/British items to make you feel right at home. The dinner menu was a little more limited – especially for someone who does not eat seafood or beef. I ended up getting a very filling cheese platter (from the dessert menu) and the rest of my family had no difficulty finding something to eat on the main menu.
Service – The service at the Opus XVI was in one word…outstanding! While on the train from Oslo to Bergen, I emailed the hotel to ask if they could put our two rooms close together or even connecting. They quickly messaged me back letting me know that they could get the rooms very close together and that they upgraded my husband and I to a suite – and this was all before we arrived to the hotel and without me asking for an upgrade. Upon arrival, the front desk staff were very welcoming, quickly checked us in and took us to both of our rooms. The same desk staff arranged an airport car transfer the day before we checked out and prepared a take-away breakfast for us to eat on our way to the airport (given we left before the restaurant opened for breakfast). And it was not just the front desk staff who were wonderful. The daily housekeeping and nightly turndown staff were equally as lovely and were very sweet to our teens who don’t often stay by themselves during our trips.
Upgraded Amenities – Other than the nice size onsite gym, the hotel was a little light on upgraded amenities (no pool or spa) but I knew that ahead of time and this, in no way, made me enjoy my stay any less.
The Little Things – If a hotel could gain repeat guests on the little things alone, the Opus XVI would, without question, have countless repeat guests! There were so many little things that added to the pure enjoyment of our stay – from the welcome treats in both rooms upon arrival (our suite had macarons and apple cider), to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies in the lobby every afternoon, to the piano player delighting us with his talent every morning at breakfast. And it doesn’t stop there. We also greatly appreciated complimentary water bottles (which came in handy on our excursions) and the upgraded Molton Brown of London bath amenities. I loved the bath products so much, I ended up buying the same set at London’s Heathrow airport a few days later.
As you can see, my stay at the Opus XVI was one of the most memorable and luxurious stays I’ve had in Europe. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel to any traveler with great taste who has even greater expectations.
Happy Travels Everyone!
Ciao,
Jennifer
