The Thief is the best honeymoon hotel in Oslo for couples who care about design, art and a view of the water. It sits on Tjuvholmen, a small peninsula on the city's harbor whose name translates roughly as Thief Island, after its history as a place where criminals were once punished. Today it is one of Oslo's most polished neighborhoods, with galleries, canals and waterfront restaurants.
The hotel leans into that setting. Every room has a balcony. Curated art runs through the corridors and rooms. The Astrup Fearnley Museum, with its sloping glass roof, is next door. The rooftop terrace looks over the Oslofjord. A spa downstairs gives you somewhere warm to retreat to after a cold day.
It suits couples who want a stylish city stay at the start or end of a Norway trip, before or after the fjords. It is not a quiet country retreat. Tjuvholmen is lively on summer evenings and Oslo is an expensive city, so budget for dinners out as well as the room.
Highlights at a glance
- Balconies in every room, some facing the Oslofjord
- Curated art throughout the hotel
- Next door to the Astrup Fearnley Museum
- Fjord-view rooftop restaurant and bar in season
- THIEF Spa for slow afternoons
Why Couples Love The Thief
The Thief gets the details right. Rooms feel considered rather than fashionable for the sake of it, with good beds, carefully chosen furniture and art that rewards a second look. The balconies matter more than you might think in a northern city, especially in summer when it stays light until late and you can sit outside with a glass of wine at eleven at night.
The location is the other draw. Step outside and you are on the water, a short walk from Aker Brygge, the City Hall and the ferries to the islands. The Astrup Fearnley Museum is literally next door.
Service is warm but unfussy, very Norwegian in style. Couples often comment that the hotel feels like a private club for design lovers rather than a big city hotel.
Rooms and Suites to Book
All rooms have balconies. The difference is the view.
- Fjord-facing rooms look out over the water toward the islands of the Oslofjord. These are worth the extra money on a honeymoon, especially between May and August when the light is long.
- Rooms facing Tjuvholmen look onto the neighborhood's striking modern architecture and canals. They are quieter in tone and often a little cheaper.
- Suites add space and a separate living area, useful for a longer stay or if you want room service on the sofa rather than dinner out every night.
Ask for a higher floor when you book. In winter, the fjord view is less important than a big bath, so check the bathroom details for your room type before you choose.
Food, Drink and the Spa
THIEF Restaurant is the main dining room, serving Nordic-inspired food built around local fish, game and seasonal produce. It works well for a relaxed first-night dinner after a flight.
THIEF Bar is known for its cocktails and makes a good meeting point before dinner elsewhere on Tjuvholmen or in Aker Brygge. In warmer months, the Thief Rooftop opens as a restaurant and bar with a wide view of the Oslofjord; it is the spot for sunset drinks, which in June means very late.
THIEF Spa offers treatments and a calm space to warm up after a day outdoors. A massage after an afternoon walking the city or swimming in the fjord is a very Oslo way to end the day. Book treatments ahead on weekends.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Start next door at the Astrup Fearnley Museum, a private contemporary art collection in a building by Renzo Piano. From there, walk along the harbor promenade to the City Hall and Akershus Fortress.
The Opera House in Bjørvika is a 20-minute walk east. You can climb its sloping marble roof for free and watch the light change over the fjord. MUNCH, the museum devoted to Edvard Munch, is next to it.
In summer, take a ferry from the City Hall pier to the islands of the inner Oslofjord for swimming and picnics. Try a floating sauna on the harbor, then jump into the sea. One partner can explore Vigeland Park and Frogner while the other spends a slow afternoon in the National Museum, then meet for dinner.
Getting There
Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) is the main airport, with nonstop flights from some US cities in season and easy connections through European hubs. The airport express train, Flytoget, reaches Oslo Central Station in about 20 minutes. Regional trains are slower but cheaper.
From the station, a taxi to Tjuvholmen takes about 10 minutes. Trams and buses also run close by. The walk along the harbor takes around half an hour if you travel light.
Oslo is also the start of the classic Norway in a Nutshell route by train and boat to the fjords, so The Thief works well as the first or last stop of a longer trip. A car is unnecessary in the city and parking is expensive.
Is It Worth It?
If you want one special city hotel in Norway, yes. The Thief costs more than standard business hotels, roughly in the mid hundreds of dollars a night for two, approximate and higher for fjord views and suites. In return you get a balcony on the water, a real sense of design and a location that makes the rest of Oslo easy.
Two or three nights is right for most couples. That is enough for the museums, the Opera House roof, a fjord swim and a couple of good dinners.
Pick elsewhere if you prefer classic grandeur; the Grand Hotel on Karl Johans gate suits that taste better. Couples watching costs might stay in Grünerløkka or Frogner and save the splurge for the fjords.
Insider tips
- Book a fjord-facing room on a high floor; the view is the reason to stay here.
- Reserve a rooftop table for sunset in June and July, when the sun sets late in the evening.
- Buy Oslo Pass cards for museum entry and ferries if you plan a busy two days.
- Bring swimwear even in spring and try one of the floating harbor saunas nearby.
