Hotel Filip

TL;DR

• Historic charm: Apartment-style boutique stay inside an 1878 former museum.
• Independent vibe: Self-check-in system suited to autonomous travellers.
• Apartment comfort: Many rooms include kitchens and have a home-away-from-home feel.
• Great location: Close to Aker Brygge, museums and central Oslo without heavy tourist crowds.
• Guest feedback: Comfortable rooms and strong value praised, though digital check-in divides opinion.
• Check prices here

Hotel Filip, Oslo comprises a small collection of cleanly furnished, apartment-style rooms in a charming old building

Built in 1878, at one point the property served as a museum; now it’s a neat boutique apart-hotel with a strong residential vibe.

We ourselves prefer people to self-check-ins, but anyone who likes autonomy will enjoy the professionalism and simplicity of it.

And once you’ve located the onsite amenities, coming and going as you please feels nicely homey, we’ll admit.

Unfortunately, most, but not all, rooms have kitchens. With no on-site restaurant or shared kitchen, we think most people will prefer to have one in the room.

All in all, if you’re a happily self-reliant person, the location, style, and comfort of Hotel Filip will not disappoint.

And it has solidly good rates for such an expensive city as Oslo.

What are the rooms like?

• 39 rooms: Varied apartment-style options ranging from compact Standards to larger Executive rooms with kitchens.
• Minimalist style: Clean Scandinavian look with greys, whites and deep red accents.
• Kitchen options: Double, Superior and Executive rooms include kitchens ideal for longer stays.
• Standard rooms: Bright and comfortable but without kitchens or extra space.
• Amenities: Nespresso machines, kettles, minibars and TVs across all categories.
• See all the rooms in detail here

Hotel Filip’s rooms are quite varied, both in size and amenities.

In style, they’re quite similar, featuring a handsome kind of minimalism. This isn’t the place for lush antiques or velvet pouffes.

It feels like Alexander Skarsgard’s favourite spot to put up his dakimakura mistress when he’s in town.

Simple greys and whites given a bit of sultry energy by some deep red touches.

In our opinion, Standard rooms are not worth it. They’re perfectly comfortable, with plenty of natural light, but Hotel Filip has no dining options, and we’d opt for an in-room kitchen.

These can be found in Double, Superior and Executive options.

They’re just as cosy as the Standard options, but the extra space and kitchens are key to the cute home-away-from-home apartment charm.

They’re spaces where you can hang out when you need a break, where you can enjoy a bottle of wine, or cook a nice dinner.

Breakfast people won’t have to go into the city for their morning meal.

Of course, if you’re a coffee-and-go type with a long list of restaurants to try, Standard rooms will do nicely.

Every option is equipped with Nespresso machines, electric kettles, minibars, and TVs.

What are prices like?

• Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

• No restaurant: or on-site dining though many rooms have kitchens.
• Independent stay: Limited communal spaces geared toward self-sufficient travellers.
• Wellness perks: Small gym and infra red sauna available on site.

As we’ve mentioned, Hotel Filip gets a big fat 0 on the food score, though many rooms have kitchens.

It’s also not great on places to hang out in either; this is very much a place for the independent tourist, but there are some facilities.

Go for a small exploration of the building and you’ll find both laundry and wellness facilities.

And that means a small but well-equipped gym plus an infrared sauna.

How is the neighbourhood? Anything interesting nearby?

• Great base: Quiet but central location suited to independent travellers.
• Aker Brygge: Five-minute walk to waterfront shopping, dining and seaside promenades.
• Museum access: Close to the National Museum and Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art.
• Walkable city: Central Oslo reachable on foot or by public transport.
• Further sights: Easy access to Fram Museum, Opera House and Vigelandsparken via transport.

Luckily, exploring Oslo is one of the best activities you can do from the hotel.

The location is good from an independent tourist perspective. You’re out of the central bustle without being remote, and near some of the city’s best attractions.

The entirety of the open-air mall of Aker Brygge is just a 5-minute walk towards the water.

Even if you’re not a shopping person, the seaside walk is quite charming, and it makes for easy access to all sorts of dining.

The seaside clock tower is on the way, and once you go just a few minutes up the coast, you’ll hit the National Museum.

In the other direction, you’ll find the small chain of built-up islands leading towards the stunning Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art.

The rest of the centre is within half an hour walking, or you can use public transport to get around.

Further-away highlights like the Fram Museum, the Opera House, and Vigelandsparken aren’t hard to access, but will probably require some kind of vehicle.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“The hotel is great for the price. New and super comfortable (especially the bed). The digital check-in is peculiar, but it works great once you get it. All in all, it is a great choice value for money….”

“Gorgeous room, very comfortable bed! Great location but very quiet as well. Check in was easy and good times….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Bit confusing that there is no desk so it took them over 24 hours to come back to me about luggage storage but not an issue whilst we were there….”

”I dislike the online check in at the hotel. Too many things can go wrong. Fortunately with this stay someone was in the hotel….”

Read all the reviews right here