Oslo's first waterfront hotel opened last week on the islet of Tjuvholmen, with a decidedly intriguing name: The Thief is part of a collaboration with the new Astrup Fearnley Museum and the hotel’s own curator, and has a collection of contemporary art in all 119 rooms and public spaces. The hotel also has a range of sustainable initiatives, from efficient solutions to reduce energy and water consumption to individual climate zones in each of the guestrooms.
Each of the 119 rooms, including the five one-bedroom suites, the Apparatjik suite and the penthouse “Oslo Suite” at The Thief are unique, each featuring balconies with a view of the fjord, the canals of Tjuvholmen, the neighboring buildings or the museum. In-room amenities range from interactive televisions with video art, free Wi-Fi, and even Playstations and Wiis on demand.
Redefining the Art Hotel
To get the hotel's art collection right, curator Sune Nordgren teamed up with interior designer Anemone Wille Våge. Nordgren, the former director of Norway’s National Museum of Art, handpicked paintings, prints, photographs and installations for the guestrooms and public areas with celebrated artists such as Sir Peter Blake and Richard Prince leading the helm. The elevators feature video art created exclusively for The Thief by Julian Opie. Best of all, the hotel's owner Petter A. Stordalen is a private sponsor of the Astrup Fearnley Museum, which means that guests can get free admission to the museum, and that artworks borrowed from the collection will be on display.
Location & Rates
The islet of Tjuvholmen is a new development in central Oslo with a long seafront, car-free streets and contemporary architecture including Renzo Piano’s Astrup Fearnley Museum.