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T R A V E L
ESCAPE Routes
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
BUT THE GRIMS GRENKA
IS ONE HOT HOTEL
Head to Oslo
for a winter
weekend
If there’s one country still laughing
mid-recession, it’s Norway. Thanks to
its vast oil reserves, it’s pretty much
bypassed the doom and gloom, making
it a perfect and very cheery winterweekend
destination.
Booming capital Oslo is just
a two-hour flight from London and
a bullet train takes you from airport
to town centre in just 15 minutes. The
city overlooks fjords – think
a Nordic Brighton but
without hen nights and
with prettier people – and
pack a faux fur as temps
can drop to –15ºC.
Oslo’s best hotel is the
boutique Grims Grenka,
with huge, colour-coded
rooms (including decadent
gold), a superb roofterrace
cocktail bar and
an Asian restaurant.
Why it’s hot
Less touristy than Reykjavik or
Stockholm, Oslo has a small, thriving
creative scene. Locally-based
designers Arne & Carlos are now
stocked in Liberty; the Hunting Lodge
(huntinglodge.no) is a cutting-edge
gallery/store and the vibrant
Grünerløkka east-end district is full of
boutiques, cafés and bars. Culture fans
can head to the revamped opera house
and shopaholics to the waterfront near
the Aker Brygge centre.
Eating and drinking
Delicatessen (delicatessen.no) has
superb tapas on huge wooden slabs,
while Alex Sushi (alexsushi.no) is best
for the distinctly Norwegian whale
CAPITAL CHOICE – OH-SO
VIBRANT OSLO
More
winter travel
destinations
on p34
SOAK UP STYLISH
SCANDANAVIAN DESIGN
AT THIS BOUTIQUE HOTEL
sushi. For a special occasion,
Bagatelle (bagatelle.no) boasts two
Michelin stars; but for traditional
fare tuck into reindeer at
Frognerseteren (Frognerseteren.no).
The bars and clubs in the area near
the main train station are mainstream;
Grünerløkka’s are more stylish – try the e
Parkteatret club.
Photo opportunity
The rooftop bar at the Radisson SAS
hotel has panoramic views of the city –
and very agreeable cocktails.
Purse-friendly bed
Find clean, no-frills accommodation
at Oslo Budget Hotel; you put the
sheets on the bed yourself, but it’s only
£85 a night for a double room in the
centre of town (budgethotel.no).
Stay at Grims Grenka from £220 per night
(grimsgrenka.no)
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HOLIDAY HUNTER
DRESS UP AT CLARIDGES
Claridges’ guests now have
exclusive use of
a Dior Dressing
table, with
accessories
including a silk
robe and Dior
cosmetics and
scents. Just
when we
thought
Claridges
couldn’t get any
better!
STAGE AND THE CITY
Culture vultures looking for great
deals on museums, theatre, opera
and exhibitions on their travels
should head to worldhotels.com.
Their new range of packages
give insider access to the best
cultural events in town. From
£150 in Zurich, Luxembourg and
Brussels (worldhotels.com/
special-offers-culture).
CRUISING CRUISI THE SHOPS
Make Christmas
shopping shopp stress-free
with a leisurely cruise
on the th Rhine. The
four-day fo Christmas
market m trip goes
to Mittelrhien,
Mainz M and
Cologne, taking
in castles and
vineyards en
route. ro From £449
with flights f from
Heath Heathrow, meals and
tours
(vfbholidays.
co.uk). co.uk)
GO WEST
Celebrate Westfield’s recent
one-year anniversary with
the Shop ’Til You Drop package
at the neighbouring K West Hotel
& Spa. Check into a deluxe room,
enjoy a cocktail, hit the shops,
then relax with a manicure and
champagne. The perfect pamper
day. £109 for an overnight
stay (k-west.co.uk).
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