What happens when two weary mothers with young children choose to stay at the trendy and contemporary Comfort Hotel® Xpress Youngstorget? Enter into a hotel experience that surpasses the typical.
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Little did we know, as two parents of young children pushing 40, that the fountain of youth would be on the other side of the door at Comfort Hotel® Xpress Youngstorget – or at least that's how it felt! We knew that the Comfort Hotel®– and Comfort Hotel® Xpress chains offer affordable rates, modern decor, and practical amenities that cater to guests' essential needs while eliminating waste. But the feeling you get when you walk through the hotel doors is indescribable and can only be experienced first-hand.
"We quickly understood that you don't have to be in your 20s to enjoy a hotel brand that uses the words 'Barception' and 'Lazy Sundays'."
Although one might assume that Comfort Xpress hotels have a "cheap" appearance. However, upon arrival, it becomes clear that the design is fashionable and well-crafted instantly creating a welcoming atmosphere. Relaxing, mellow music drifts from the speakers, and we soon realise that you don't have to be in your twenties to appreciate a hotel brand that incorporates phrases like "Barception" and "Lazy Sundays."
Skip the breakfast buffet, check out at 6 PM
Barception... Lazy Sundays, you say? What is that? Lazy Sundays means that you can check out at 6:00 PM on Sundays (awesome!) and Barception is one of the first things we see when we enter from Oslo's hot spot – Youngstorget. If you haven't figured it out yet: Bar + reception = Barception. To ensure affordability, the Xpress hotels have foregone a traditional breakfast buffet and upscale dining options in favour of providing simple breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee, and other treats available for purchase at the reception desk.
The alluring array of paninis, croissants, yogurts, smoothies, and cinnamon buns beckons us, and we quickly decide on our breakfast for tomorrow before settling in at our rooftop terrace office in the hotel. However, when the Oslo weather turns chilly, we reluctantly descend to the "Working class hero" workstation in the lobby. Simultaneously, we spot a delightful seating area where we plan to enjoy breakfast with our friend, who is set to arrive later tonight.
Experience the city and skip all unnecessary fuss
After self-checking in using an iPad in the lobby, we ride up to our room in a yellow elevator. The prospect of exploring a new hotel is thrilling, even if the hotel itself is not the primary focus of our trip. Otherwise, we would have chosen a spa hotel or THE THIEF instead – and allowed our finances to take a more significant hit than in the case of our "girls' trip to Oslo." This is precisely why we selected one of the Comfort Hotel® Xpress locations – a hotel brand that strives for a central location and eliminates all unnecessary frills to offer as affordable stay as possible. This provides us with the opportunity to experience Oslo while still having a pleasant place to stay. Our objective is to "conquer Oslo," attend a concert, get some work done the following day, and enjoy a restful night's sleep.
The decor is stylishly crafted, and the rooms are intelligently designed.
As we exit the elevator on the sixth floor, we are greeted by ornamental and vibrant wall lamps, patterned wall-to-wall carpeting, and room numbers displayed in bold orange lettering. The attention to detail is impressive, wetting our anticipation for what the room has in store. All of a sudden, we spot a sign pointing towards a rooftop terrace, causing us to briefly question if we have misunderstood the location of the rooftop terrace where we plan to work the following day. Was it here before? We quickly come to the realisation that this must be the other rooftop terrace, the one available for private event rentals during the summertime.
Age is just a number!
With some time to spare before venturing into the streets of Oslo to search for dinner options, we opt to have a bit of fun – after all, we're child-free – by visiting an attraction located in the hotel basement that we haven't enjoyed in quite some time. Despite feeling as excited as a couple of teenagers, we take a moment to speak with Kine Høiland, the General Manager of the hotel. We're curious if we're the only parents with young children at the hotel, and who are the most frequent type of visitors here?
–While there are certainly many young guests that stay here, there are many people in their 40s, 50s, and 60+ who class themselves as young-at-heart. In many instances, what draws our guests to our hotel has less to do with age and more to do with their specific needs. That being said, we're also popular among students who require longer-term accommodation. Whether it's due to the challenge of locating student housing or the high cost of renting in the area, especially with a comparable location and amenities. Therefore, our hotel provides an attractive option for students, and we have designed student-specific campaigns that offer discounted rates for stays ranging from a few weeks to several months.
"We wonder why in the world he's taking such liberties. Is no one paying attention?"
Would you like to stay at the Comfort Hotel® Xpress Youngstorget? Book a room here!
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Who is this young tattooed guy, and who does he think he is?
While Kine talks, we notice a young "tattooed dude" hanging a large painting on the wall. He appears to be a guest, and we wonder why in the world he's taking such liberties. Is no one paying attention? We'll find out who this mysterious guy is later. Kine seems unaffected and continues to tell us:
–There are also some commuters who stay here Monday to Friday, and we've actually had a few who have lived here for 2-3 years! This is simply their home, she says with a smile on her face.
Comfort Hotel® is supposed to be the most budget-friendly option compared to all other hotel chains within Strawberry, which is why it's not surprising that some guests choose to extend their stays for longer periods of time. Furthermore, we discover that numerous music enthusiasts, including both students and other guests, choose to stay with us on weekends to attend concerts at Rockefeller or Sentrum Scene – the hotel's closest neighbours. After all, Comfort Hotel® Xpress aims to offer a central location.
"Excitement courses through our bodies, our hearts racing as we lock eyes and realise that this is going to be heated."
An intense and passionate match in the basement.
Kine has to leave, so we don't find out who the mysterious "hanging-up-big-painting-tattooed guy" is just yet. We look at each other: The basement is next! The thrill runs through our bodies, our hearts racing as we lock eyes and realise that this is going to be heated. We go down a staircase and pass by someone putting their laundry into the laundromat. We pass food deliveries hanging on a hook that were ordered from Palett – a company that rents the kitchen here and delivers healthy food to those who order from their app. And finally, there it is: the ping pong table. We're ready for battle!
After a session of screaming and shouting that probably frightened away the twenty-something guy waiting for his laundry, we come to the realisation that we need to freshen up before venturing out onto the streets of Oslo. But first, we need to figure out the painting mystery. We go up the stairs and take a look at the painting. It's surprisingly cool, and we feel young again as we stand there. This is a painting that captures the eye and fires the imagination and definitely worth a second look.
Kine returns and informs us that the painting was created by Martin Mentzoni, an artist who often donates his artwork to the hotel when he's in Oslo and painting in his hotel room. Wow, we think, realising then and there that this is not just any other hotel. Comfort Hotel® Xpress Youngstorget, along with all other Comfort Hotel® and Comfort Hotel® Xpress locations, strikes a perfect balance between being effortlessly trendy without trying too hard, warm and welcoming without being unkempt, a hotel ideal for both the youthful and the young-at-heart, situated in a prime location that's easy on the wallet, and a venue where displaying art on the walls feels entirely natural and unforced.
We'll be back!
We realise that we have underestimated the Comfort Hotel® Xpress hotels. It's true that there's no breakfast buffet, hotel restaurant, room service, mini-bar, or in-room kettle, and housekeeping only occurs once every fourth day. Nevertheless, the hotels are fashionable and aesthetically pleasing, with a broad range of tasty snacks and beverages on offer at the reception desk, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an onsite gym. And as an added bonus, at select locations you can crush your friends in table tennis whilst washing your clothes in the shared laundry. What could be more comforting than that when you're embarking on an adventure in an unfamiliar city? Right? We are certainly persuaded; this will be the accommodation for our next Oslo trip too!
Would you like to stay at the Comfort Hotel® Xpress Youngstorget? Book a room here!
You'll find all our Comfort Hotel® and Comfort Hotel® Xpress in the Nordics here
