Room Service: Hotel Continental, Oslo, Norway

The Continental is the most venerable of Oslo's top-notch hotels. It has a real feel of the Thirties, with wooden phone booths and misted windows. Staff are friendly and relaxed and there is a pleasant bar. The hotel's elegant Theatercafeen remains one of the places to see and be seen, with its Vienna coffee house décor.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Hotel Continental, Stortingsgaten 24-26 (00 47 22 82 4000, www.hotel-continental.no). The Continental is located right in the centre of the city across the road from the National Theatre. It's also just a 10-minute walk from Oslo S, the main train station. The harbour area is a couple of blocks away.

Transport: The National Theatre metro (T-bahn) station is right next door and trams pass by the front door.

Time to international airport: the airport train costs NOK150 (£12.70) for a single ticket and takes 25 minutes, the bus costs NOK150 for a return and takes 45 minutes. A taxi costs from NOK425 (£36).

ARE YOU LYING COMFORTABLY?

The 154 rooms are traditionally decorated in restful greens and smart, Edwardian-style furniture. Large windows make the rooms seem light and airy. The bathrooms are more modern, with plenty of gleaming glass and tiles and fragrant own brand soaps. Views from every room are of great interest - either the Royal Palace, the National Theatre or the Oslo fjord.

Keeping in touch: all rooms have internet access (flat rate of NOK90/£7.60) and direct-dial phones. There is also a business centre.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Rooms cost from NOK2,330 (£197.50) for a double, though the weekend rate drops to NOK1,320 (£112). Both rates include an extensive buffet breakfast of jams, cheese, fruit and breads in the beautiful ground-floor breakfast room.

I'm not paying that: despite being constructed above a petrol station, the Hotell Munch (Munchgate 5, 00 47 23 21 9600) is an extremely pleasant central hotel offering rooms for NOK790 (£67) at weekends. The rate includes breakfast and free tea and coffee at all times. Rooms have prints of paintings by the eponymous artist.