Clarion Hotel The Hub: Oslo’s all-access concierge

By Andri Papanicolas | Photos: Clarion The Hub

Just one minute from Oslo Central Station, Clarion Hotel The Hub does not shield guests from the capital’s buzz – it draws them straight into it. With music in the lobby, honey on the roof and a festive season that transforms an entire floor, it has quietly positioned itself as the city’s unofficial concierge.

Step off the Airport Express train and you are, quite literally, on the doorstep of this landmark hotel. Clarion Hotel The Hub is located next to Oslo Central Station. But convenience alone is not what defines it.

“Our concept is that we take ownership of the city we’re in,” says Victoria Skaarer, marketing manager at the hotel. “Whether you’re here for business or a weekend away, we know where you want to go and what’s happening in the city. In that sense, we want to be Oslo’s concierge.”

On the rooftop, beehives produce honey used in the hotel’s kitchen and bar, as well as microgreens.

A vibrant meeting place, 24/7

The hotel’s vision is clear: it aims to be a vibrant meeting place, around the clock. It is not just a phrase on a website, but something infused in the atmosphere and the building itself. “It should always feel like something is happening here,” says Skaarer. “That’s why we have DJs playing at check-in. Guests immediately feel that there’s energy.”

The lobby flows into the Hub Bar on the ground floor, where travellers, locals and conference guests gather over burgers and craft beers. Upstairs, restaurant Norda on the 13th floor offers a different tempo. Panoramic views of the capital, carefully curated wine lists and a menu rooted in seasonal Nordic ingredients. “You don’t come here just to sleep,” Skaarer says, before adding with a smile: “Although you do sleep very well. You come here because you want to experience something.”

Clarion Hotel The Hub: Oslo’s all-access concierge

With 810 rooms, The Hub is Strawberry’s flagship property and Norway’s largest hotel. Yet despite its scale, many guests remark on the sense of warmth. Entering the hotel, you will experience Scandinavian design principles like natural materials, soft lighting and open yet intimate spaces.

Solo travellers, in particular, appreciate the social layout. “Absolutely, you can come alone,” Skaarer explains. “If you’re open to meeting people, you can sit in the bar and there’s always something going on. It feels natural to be there on your own.”

Clarion Hotel The Hub offers 810 rooms, making it Norway’s largest hotel.

Oslo at your feet

Positioned in the very centre of the capital, the hotel does not compete with the city, it amplifies it. “We can’t expect guests to come to Oslo and never leave the building,” says Skaarer. “Our job is to help them discover what’s happening outside.”

Restaurant Norda on the 13th floor combines panoramic views over Oslo with seasonal Nordic ingredients.

Reception staff keep track of concerts, exhibitions and new restaurant openings. Partnerships with local operators ensure that guests are directed to experiences that reflect the city’s evolving character. At the same time, the capital remains compact and close to nature. “You can be skiing one hour and swimming in the Oslofjord the next,” she adds.

The hotel’s role is to connect those contrasts, making the transition from urban pulse to open air effortless.

Clarion Hotel The Hub: Oslo’s all-access concierge

Authentic flavours – without leaving the city

For many international visitors, Norwegian food is associated with fjords, fishing villages and Arctic landscapes. At The Hub, that sense of authenticity is distilled into a metropolitan setting. On the roof, beehives produce honey that is used throughout the hotel. For example, in making burger buns, desserts and drinks. Microgreens are sourced from the 3rd and 13th floors and appear across the restaurant’s menu, too. The emphasis is on short-travelled ingredients and responsible sourcing.

“We grow some of our own produce, we have solar panels on the roof, and we work actively to reduce food waste. Even small changes, like adjusting plate sizes at breakfast, make a difference,” Skaarer stresses. For travellers with limited time, the message is clear: it is possible to taste contemporary Norway without boarding another flight further north.

During the festive season, parts of the hotel transform into a Christmas-themed experience

Good neighbours

Community engagement is another pillar of the hotel’s identity. Through its Good Neighbour initiative, the team supports local organisations and projects in the surrounding area. From partnerships with educational programmes to contributions supporting vulnerable groups, the ambition is to be an active presence in the neighbourhood.

“We want to take care of our local area, and we choose partners who reflect our values,” Skaarer says.

Clarion Hotel The Hub: Oslo’s all-access concierge

When Christmas takes over

If the hotel’s energy is constant throughout the year, it reaches a new level in December. Christmas at The Hub has become one of the hotel’s most recognisable annual events. An entire floor is transformed into a festive universe, with themed lobbies dressed in trees and rooms with mistletoe bedding and ornaments.

Outside, the opening of the Christmas season draws thousands to the square in front of the hotel to watch the grand opening rooftop concert, in collaboration with Oslo’s winter market. “It’s our biggest investment of the year,” Skaarer explains.

New Year’s Eve follows in the same spirit, with growing numbers of guests choosing to celebrate in-house. This includes dedicated tables for solo diners who prefer to ring in the year together with others in the same situation.

A hotel that mirrors its city

Ultimately, The Hub’s strength lies not in separating itself from Oslo, but in reflecting it. Lively yet considered, contemporary yet grounded in local values, it embodies the capital’s dual nature: urban and outdoorsy, international and distinctly Nordic.

Whether visiting for business, a weekend escape or a mid-winter celebration, guests find themselves in the centre of a building that feels very much alive. And if they are unsure where to begin? That, as Skaarer suggests, is exactly what a concierge is for.

Clarion Hotel The Hub: Oslo’s all-access concierge