Amerikalinjen, Ascend Hotel Collection, in Oslo, Norway [Review]

At the end of a 3-country girls trip that included Finland, Estonia, and Norway, my friend and I were eager to explore Oslo, but we only had 48 hours to do so. We wanted a hotel that was centrally located so that we could walk anywhere we needed to go or easily hop on public transit.

Choice Hotels’ Amerikalinjen, Ascend Hotel Collection, was in a fantastic location near everything we wanted to visit.

The property served as the headquarters of shipping company Den Norske Amerikalinje (Norwegian America Line) for 76 years, starting in 1919. Across the years, its ships carried thousands of Norwegian immigrants to New York in search of a new life. In 2019, the historic building was renovated and reopened as a boutique hotel, with echoes of New York and its connection to Oslo throughout.

Booking Amerikalinjen

When you search for Oslo hotels to redeem points at, you’ll notice hotels affiliated with Choice Privileges dominate the scene. The Thief and Amerikalinjen are highly regarded Ascend Hotel Collection properties by Choice, and both are also part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. With no award availability for my dates at the Thief, my eyes turned toward Amerikalinjen for its ideal location across from Oslo Central Station.

In mid-March 2025, the cash rate for the cheapest room type, a 1 Double Bed, was 3,590 Norwegian krone (around $350) per night, which was quite expensive compared to other hotels in the area.

Fortunately, I knew that the Nordic Choice hotels could be very valuable for point redemptions. The nightly rate was 20,000 Choice Privileges points per night, at a value of 1.75 cents per point, nearly triple what we value Choice Privileges points at.

For my 2-night stay, I did not have 40,000 points from one of Choice’s transfer partners to work with. Amex Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles transfer to Choice at a 1:1 ratio, while Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Wells Fargo Rewards points transfer at a more attractive 1:2 ratio.

However, I was able to take advantage of a 30% discount to purchase Choice Privileges points. I bought 40,000 points for $288.40, at a rate of 0.72 cents per point. With the 2-night stay cash cost of around $700, I was able to book the exact same stay with points for more than half off, saving around $400 by buying points.

Note that my points purchase was not instantaneous and took about 34 hours to post to my account. Considering that the room was being advertised as the last one available, this was a nerve-racking 34 hours as I waited!

Location of Amerikalinjen

The hotel, directly across from Oslo Central Station (Oslo S Trelastgata), was incredibly easy to access. Most of the main sites, such as the Oslo Opera House, Munch Museum, and Akershus Fortress, were within easy walking distance of 10 to 15 minutes. Everything else was a quick tram or bus ride away.

I felt Amerikalinjen was much better positioned for tourist sites than the Thief would have been (shown on the left side of the map below).

If you arrive at Oslo Airport (OSL), you can take the Flytoget airport express train to Oslo Central Station. The 20-minute journey (departing every 10 to 20 minutes) costs 210 kr (around $24). Note that this is not covered by the Oslo Pass. VY public trains are cheaper. They depart 3 times an hour, have a similar journey time, and cost 129 kr ($12). VY trains are included in the Oslo Pass.

Another option is the Flybussen (airport express bus), which takes 70 minutes and costs 259 kr ($25). However, I would not recommend this, as the cost and time are much higher than those of the VY train.

If you prefer to take a taxi, the hotel suggests using OsloTaxi (47 02323) or Bislet Limousine for private transfers.

Checking In

At the train station, I pulled up Google Maps once we hit street level, but it was easy to spot the hotel — I just had to look up from my phone to see Amerikalinjen’s red brick building dominating the square.

The hotel had previously emailed me about self-check-in, and the kiosk was prominently ahead of the check-in desk.

As I wanted to ask about an upgrade, I checked in with a staff member.

After scanning our passports, the agent confirmed that we received an upgrade and presented us with our wooden key cards.

She also advised that we make reservations for breakfast (included with our rate), which was the first time I’d heard this as a hotel guest.

A sign at check-in indicated that hot water would be out the first night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., but this wasn’t going to be a problem for us.

Elite Benefits

Before our stay, I emailed status_match@choicehotels.com to match my Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (a benefit of my Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card) so that I could hopefully avail myself of some elite benefits during my stay. The same day, I was matched to Choice Privileges Platinum, whose benefits include early check-in and late checkout (as available), a welcome gift of points or a beverage and snack, and room upgrades (as available).

We arrived at 2:15 p.m., slightly ahead of the 3 p.m. check-in time, and were accommodated early. I received an upgrade to a slightly larger 1 Double Bed, Superior Room. Reward nights are ineligible for the welcome gift of points, though the property has discretion to offer a gift (I didn’t ask).

Lobby

The lobby was a chic, funky place to walk around. It had a few furry armchairs that looked like a cross between a yak and a stuffed animal.

Across from the check-in desk were 2 long, blue, velvet sofas facing each other.

At the end of this space was a long table that looked ideal for coworking.

Amenity-wise, the hotel had coats to borrow from Norwegian brand Holzweiler that were otherwise 495 kr ($48).

A small station also offered power bank rentals for phone charging.

1 Double Bed, Superior Room

While the lobby felt contemporary and funky, the space’s historic preservation was evident the minute we exited the elevators onto the fourth floor. Beautiful buttress ceilings ran the length of the stairwell.

We were assigned room 404, which was behind another door with room 405. The door lock for our room consistently failed us as we exited — either the door would take too long to automatically latch, or it would require tapping the card again to initiate the lock. We constantly had to double-check that the door was locked as we left. I later learned that the locks were engineered for reasons of fire safety to take up to 30 seconds to lock, but no one explained this to us at check-in.

Upon entering, the room felt immediately tight, but it also made good use of its space. The large windows looked out over the train station and had a window seat above a bookshelf. An armchair, a TV, and a desk with a chair were opposite the king-size bed.

The room’s window had a stunner of a view, with a bird’s-eye view of the square outside the train station. I initially thought we might hear a lot of noise or transit commotion at night, but the room stayed whisper quiet.

The bed was set against a mirrored wall, with several globe pendant lights hanging down on each side of it. The bed rested upon a rug over herringbone parquet hardwood floors.

The armchair was upholstered in blue velvet and had a unique occasional pillow. Next to it was a floor lamp for reading.

The wood desk had a phone, a lamp, 2 Type C/F outlets, and a raised marble edge where the TV remote rested. The folio had a Preferred Hotels & Resorts magazine, the minibar menu, details about the hotel, stationery, and a pen. The accompanying chair was fairly standard, with slight padding and no arms.

A large flat-screen TV was mounted above the desk, and guests could access the hotel’s channels or stream from their devices.

The glass and metal nightstand closest to the bathroom had a small shelf.

The bed had a blue velvet headboard, and its right side had a reading light, light controls for the room, Type C/F outlets, and USB-A and USB-C ports.

The opposite side of the bed had the same nightstand, which held a small book about the hotel’s art collection.

The lighting controls on this side only powered the bedside lights, not the room lights. There was also only 1 outlet compared to the multitude on the other side.

My friend and I found both pillows too soft, so we called the front desk to have foam pillows brought up. No foam pillows were available, but a team member quickly brought us pillows that were much firmer.

The closet was nearest to the door and had hangers, a luggage rack, an ironing board, an iron, 2 robes, and 2 pairs of slippers.

The cozy slippers, embroidered with the hotel’s stylized “A” logo, were keepers … so much so that I called down to the front desk to have 2 more pairs delivered to the room to bring home to my kids.

To the left of the closet was a cabinet with a minibar and a variety of glassware.

A kettle, tea service, and a pod coffee machine were provided. The room’s drawer-style minifridge had a few drinks and snacks (the minibar menu can be found here); we simply removed these items to use the space for storing leftovers and replaced them when we left.

The safe also functioned as a drawer and opened upward instead of outward like most standard safes. Inside was a travel adapter (available for purchase) and a contrasting jewelry box.

Bathroom

The room’s primary lighting panel was just outside the bathroom door. This panel also had volume controls.

The bathroom itself was tiny. Designers tried to do their best with the space given, but they weren’t given much room. The toilet, with a ledge behind it, was just across from the sink and vanity, with a shower cubicle at the rear.

The vanity had plenty of counter space, with 2 hand towels, hand wash and lotion from Norwegian brand Sprekenhus, tissues, and 2 glasses. Given the variety of glassware in the minibar area, we were surprised that these glasses were plastic. They were also dirty, as if they hadn’t been replaced during the previous cleaning.

The ledge above the toilet held a magnifying mirror, a small plant, and a box with toothbrushes and vanity kits.

The shower had a rainfall showerhead and a handheld wand. There was a hook here for towels, and this was the only place to hang towels other than the towel bar on the vanity. The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were from Sprekenhus.

A pricelist for in-room items, including bath amenities, a branded umbrella, books, and more, can be found here.

Amenities

Gym

The gym, open 24 hours a day, was 1 level below the lobby and could be reached via stairs or elevator.

It was subterranean, and it certainly felt subterranean. The walls, ceiling, and mood were dark, with spotlights illuminating specific areas. One area was set up for strength training with free weights.

This was next to a rowing machine, 2 belt treadmills, a slat treadmill, and a stair climber (not shown).

The gym had an impressive variety of equipment, including various weight machines. Lockers and towels were near the entrance.

A sink between the fitness center and spa had towels and glasses. Guests are encouraged to drink the tap water, which is sourced from Norwegian springs.

Spa

The sauna was open daily from 6 a.m. to noon and from 4 to 10 p.m. My friend and I visited at night and found the place to ourselves. I loved these heated mosaic reclining beds.

The Finnish sauna was huge compared to the other hotels we visited on our trip, and could comfortably fit a number of guests.

Hot Tip:

It’s worth noting that the line to enter Club Gustav queues just outside of the fitness center. If you are visiting the spa in your robe during the timings of one of the performances (as my friend and I were), expect to embarrassingly excuse your way through a line of concertgoers.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi was free, easy to connect to, and speedy. Download speeds tested were 41.10 Mbps, and upload speeds were 85.02 Mbps.

Parking

The hotel has parking at Onepark Oslo S parking, which guests can enter from Dronning Eufemias gate. The 24-hour rate is 450 kr ($43).

Pet Friendly

Amerikalinjen is a pet-friendly hotel, and guests are charged 500 kr ($48) per pet per stay.

Food and Beverages

Atlas Brasserie & Café

One of the most outstanding parts of this stay was that breakfast was included in the rate (as it is for all guests). If you have someone who isn’t a guest joining you, the fee is 395 kr ($38).

Atlas serves breakfast weekdays from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. and weekends from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Lunch is served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 12:30 to 5 p.m. (a jazz brunch is offered from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.), and Sunday from 12 to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.

The first morning, we were seated at this cute table next to the windows.

Guests could help themselves to the buffet and supplement with any items from an à la carte menu.

My friend and I ordered the eggs Benedict (hers with ham and bacon, mine with smoked salmon). My only complaint was that the base was half a brioche hamburger bun. I had the bottom half, and my friend got the top. The texture was just off from what I’m used to.

On our first morning, the hostess advised us that a large group attending a meeting at the hotel had beaten us to the buffet. Rather than get right up to help ourselves, we had to wait a few minutes for the queue to die down.

The main buffet line started with yogurt, muesli, nuts, and fruit. Cutting kiwi is laborious, so being able to help myself to a bowl of diced kiwi was a real treat.

Next was a salad bar with sliced vegetables (including avocado!) and dips, such as hummus. Small cups of fruit salad and chia seed pudding were also here.

The next area had smoked fish, cured meats, shrimp salad, and cheeses. Local delicacies included brunost (brown cheese) and salamis from a local butcher.

I mean, just look at that smoked salmon. Don’t mind if I do!

The hot buffet included hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon (pork and turkey), potatoes, wild garlic sausage, baked beans, sautéed vegetables and mushrooms, tofu scramble, quiche, and pancakes.

The buffet had an entire area with gluten-free baked goods, including cookies, coconut pie, brownies, pecan pie, and sliced bread.

The regular baked goods area featured bagels from the Little Bakery and various rolls and croissants.

The buffet finished at the bar with sweet treats, including cookies, doughnuts, apple tarts, small cakes, financiers, scones, and whole fruit.

The bar also had coffee, tea, milks (including 2 plant-based varieties), juices, and smoothies. Every sign identified allergens in English.

Haven Courtyard

On the second morning, we were seated for breakfast in the Haven Courtyard, which functions as overflow seating.

This space is open throughout the day as a coworking area and is also available for private events.

Pier 42

Pier 42 is the lobby bar, open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

I loved this Chewbacca-style chair near the fireplace.

Seating was varied throughout the space, including long sofas and island loungers designed for conversation.

Club Gustav

Club Gustav‘s entrance was at the rear of Pier 42. The weekend of our visit was the hotel’s sixth anniversary celebration, and it had jazz nights on Friday and Saturday night.

My friend and I made the mistake of thinking this was a jazz bar we could drop into. On our first night, we entered through a back door on the lower level without realizing that we needed to buy tickets and enter at a specific time. Performances do sell out, so consider buying tickets online for 295 kr ($28).

Room Service

Room service is available through Atlas Monday through Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. for a 125 kr ($12) delivery fee. On Sunday, guests can contact reception for alternatives.

Service

While my interactions with staff were minimal, the ones I had were prompt and courteous. My calls to the front desk with requests for firmer pillows and a second set of slippers were swiftly addressed by a friendly member of the housekeeping staff.

I would have appreciated a little forethought for some scenarios, though. For example, the doors did not lock immediately after exiting the room. This was a fire safety feature, but it should have been explained to us when checking in. At breakfast, a big event group was scheduled to dine at the same time that I had made my reservation. Had I been informed of this when calling in, I might have enjoyed a few minutes of extra sleep or arrived a little early. And while my skin is pretty thick, a heads-up to sauna users who might have to scurry their robed bodies through a massive jazz club crowd would have been appreciated.

Final Thoughts

Amerikalinjen, Ascend Hotel Collection, in Oslo, Norway, was the perfect end to a fast-paced girls trip across Northern Europe. The property was ideal for using our 48-hour Oslo Pass, as it was steps away from transportation and popular sites like the Munch Museum and Oslo Opera House.

The decor was chic and unique, with attention paid to the building’s historic features. Even though our room was on the smaller side, I appreciated the upgrade to a slightly larger space, thanks to my newly matched Choice Privileges Platinum status. Breakfast was also a winner, with a huge variety of foods, all included in the nightly rate.

I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at Amerikalinjen again, and I would definitely consider buying Choice Privileges points again to save big on the room rates.