Home Hotel With — Hotel in Tromsø

I'll start by saying that this hotel is the perfect location- center of town, walking distance to absolutely everything, close to all the meeting points for tours, and a PERFECT view of the harbor and far banks of Tromso, including the Arctic Cathedral. This alone makes staying at this hotel worthwhile. We also liked that the hotel provides a full breakfast each morning (although it's the exact same thing every single morning, so it gets a bit tired if you're staying more than a couple days), a waffle station in the afternoons (although it's hit or miss as to whether you get one because there is only one iron and the line can get 10+), and a light dinner in the evenings (we didn't ever try this, so can't vouch for it.)

Now comes the negatives that kept it from being a 5 star experience for us. The room itself was basic, but nice. However, there are NO DRAWERS and NO CLOSET, just a tiny 12 inch long rod with 4 hangers. So you will either be stacking your clothes in piles along the walls or living out of your suitcase. We stayed at the hotel for 4 nights/5 days and our room was only cleaned once- on the first day. After that, there was a little note posted in the elevator saying 'because staff is limited, rooms will not be cleaned today.' We were totally OK with this when we first saw it- we figured it was just for the day and we simply asked for a couple new towels. But then the note just stayed up day after day- and our room was never touched again. On Day 4, we asked for a couple more fresh towels, but if we hadn't, they wouldn't have even offered. No one ever said a word- just left the little tacky note posted, which seemed unprofessional and almost rude.

On the same page, the flushing mechanism for our toilet completely broke on our first morning there. We simply pushed the flush button and the entire wall part fell out into the floor, exposing the inner workings and the whole inside of the wall. We immediately told the front desk, who said they'd send someone. We got back from our tours that night and found that no one had come. Since it was already late, my husband figured out how to reach your hand into the wall to pull the right gadget to get the toilet to flush. The next morning, we told a different person at the front desk and asked that she PLEASE make sure someone looked at fixing it that day. No one came. Same story on Day 3, so we just gave up. So unprofessional.

And that's our last complaint really- with the exception of the man who helped us check out on our last day, none of the staff at the hotel were friendly. Not the front desk, not the people helping with breakfasts, not the housekeeping staff...It was a real disappointment, especially considering we met so many friendly folks in Tromso at other hotels (where we'd meet for tours), in restaurants, driving the buses and taxis, etc.

So that's our thoughts on this particular Clarion hotel. Based on its location and a few of its amenities, there are definite perks to staying there. But to be the #1 hotel on TripAdvisor and to be one of the most expensive in the city, it just seems a bit ridiculous to be so unprofessional in so many areas. I guess you just have to go into it knowing that you're paying for a 5 star location and convenience, not 5 star hospitality and...

Want a central location with view of Tromsdalen Kirke (aka the Arctic Cathedral) across the harbour? Then I'd recommend staying here. If you're not out and about in lively Tromsø or the surrounding area, then you can while away the hours by enjoying the comings and goings in the harbour from your window. Handily, it's the smaller and quieter boats you can see, not the gigantic cruise liners or the Hurtigruten ferry - they draw up next to the Scandic and the Clarion Edge just along the quay. However you might find that some midnight sun revelry (e.g. jumping into the harbour from the roof of the floating sauna) means you could get woken up if you're a light sleeper, but it's all part of the experience and the windows are pretty soundproof if you shut them.||Tromsø isn't a big place and it's very walkable, but nonetheless you're right in the centre here. Beds are big and comfy with the usual (sensible) Scandinavian approach of 2 separate duvets on a double bed so that you and your partner can each adjust to own preference and temperature. Good-sized bathroom with big shower. ||However, one quirk is that there is only one rail to hang clothes on in the room, with 4 hangers. And one coat hook. No drawers. So if you want to unpack your clothes from your case and spread them out a bit, then your options are limited (even by local standards which tend not to major on wardrobes, drawers etc).||Breakfast selection is very good for a relatively small establishment, with everything from cereals to cooked options (eggs, bacon, meatballs) to cold meats and cheeses, and of course smoked salmon. Then there's some cake in the afternoon as part of the 'fika' (coffee and cake/bun) offering, and dinner is included too. Pasta, rice, salad, some sort of simple cooked option (vegetarian and meat both available) - you won't go hungry. Look on it as a free default option that's there if you want it - we ate in the hotel on the night we arrived plus a couple of other nights, and went out for fancy meals a couple of nights.||Staff are friendly and helpful and we got a great welcome and helpful advice on using the public transport network when we arrived.||Recommended - should meet most leisure and...

I’m going to give a detailed review because I wish there was just like it when I was trying to decide where to stay in Tromso!

First: Get the superior room. Just do it. The view is stunning of the harbor and mountains. When you’re done doing your activities for the day, it’s lovely to sit with a cup of coffee and enjoy the view. If you don’t get a superior room, your view will be facing away from the water.

I saw a lot of comments on here about how the interior is “outdated” but we thought it was cute and homey. The rooms are small but cozy and the bathroom had all the essentials. Rituals brand shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion which was really nice!

Second: we thought the half board was perfect. Breakfast included three “main” dishes: eggs, hard boiled eggs, potatoes, some sort of meat, yoghurt bar, a variety of breads with jams, fruit, smoked salmon and more.

For dinner each night was different! First night was chicken thighs in a creamy tomato sauce, potatoes, a vegetable soup, this amazing focaccia bread with Herb butter, pesto pasta salad, cauliflower coleslaw, chickpea salad, and more. Second night was tex mex night with ground taco beef/pork with beans and rice. Also included tortilla chips salsa, and a bunch of different salads Third night was Thai! There was a Thai stew with rice and fish!

Coffee, tea and water are served everyday around the clock. There was cake served in the dining room everyday at 3! It was a great sweet treat to enjoy in the afternoons.

I’ve seen comments complaining about the food, but we thought it was great. For how expensive Norway is, we figured the half board would be the way to go to try and save a little on the trip!

The sister hotel next door also had a rooftop jacuzzi that you could reserve through a WR code. It was awesome, especially when it was snowing. The view was stunning

Overall I thought this place was perfect. The staff were lovely and friendly. The location was walking distance to any of the excursion meeting points, shopping, and other restaurants. Not to mention, the floating sauna/cold plunge named Pust was directly in front of the hotel. I will definitely be...