Where To Stay In Bergen, Norway: Thon Orion Hotel

September 7, 2020

where to stay in bergen,thon orion hotel in bergen

I found Bergen in winter to be a total delight—sure, dark, cold, and often rainy and windy, but also sparkling, brightly-colored buildings, delicious food, and compact to easily explore on foot. If you’re planning a visit, make sure to check out my deep post on what to do with a few days in Bergen.

But today we’re talking about specifically about where to *stay* in Bergen more in-depth, and for that you should look no further than the Thon Orion Hotel in Bergen.

Other important Bergen info for your trip:

3 Days in Bergen: How to Plan Your Visit

Where to Eat & Drink in Bergen

Blown Away by the Fjords: Norway in a Nutshell Tour in Winter

What area of Bergen is best?

Without question you want to stay in the ADORABLE Bryggen old town. It’s so charming, and everything is so close and walkable. The photos below are just 2-3 minutes’ walk from the Thon Orion Hotel as well as many bars and restaurants and just a couple steps from the waterfront.

Planning your visit?? Here’s a Detailed Packing List for Bergen in Winter

Which hotel, exactly?

So without further ado, here are some of my pics and impressions from the Thon Orion Hotel in Bergen. The staff were welcoming and helpful, trying to answer my questions and make good recommendations for where to eat (it was over New Year’s and a lot of places were closed).

When you walk into the lobby, you’re greeted by a warm and cozy seating area and fireplace. I couldn’t sleep one night and came down here at like 3:00am to read for a few hours, curled up in my pajamas.

Visiting Norway in winter?? Consider Tromsø as well!

A Night Chasing the Northern Lights

Quiet, Cold, Love: Dog Sledding in the Arctic Circle

How to Spend 3 Days in Tromsø

Sleeping in a Norwegian Sami Tent & Other Arctic Adventures

My room was super comfortable and clean, with a nice view out toward the water. Despite the retro feel, everything is quite new and modern. I forgot to take pics of the bathroom but it was sparkling clean and quite modern and roomy (not always the case in Europe).

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There are a few different lounges throughout the hotel, and I made use of most of them. You can see there’s a kind of retro/mid-century vibe to the hotel’s decor, with warm colors and lots of plush velvety fabrics.

I’m not sure how I didn’t take photos, but the hotel’s breakfast spread is pretty impressive (though I often went in search of pastries at Godt Brod instead because that’s my catnip).

You might also like: Why A Neck Gaiter Is a Winter Travel Must-Have (& The Best One To Get)

While I was trying to figure out where to stay in Bergen, I’d narrowed it down to the Thon Orion and the Radisson Blu, which got great reviews and is right on the water. It’s only a 3-minute walk from the Thon Orion.

The reason I mention this is because, regardless of which you stay at, the Flybussen stop to/from the airport is at Radisson Blu, right out front…so if you’re staying at either of these hotels you’ll be super close if you take the Flybussen from the airport.

I did a ton of exploring during my three days in Bergen, including finding several great restaurants and bars, taking the funicular up for spectacular views, and doing the STUNNING Norway in a Nutshell train/boat tour in the fjords. And having a warm, central, comfortable place to come back to was a must—Thon Orion Hotel in Bergen was a total winner!

Other wonderful hotels you’ll love: