Cochs Pensjonat

Wrapping around the corner of Hegdehaugsveien and Parkveien, Cochs Pension is a charming early 20th-century building with wrought-iron balconies and arched windows. Thanks to its great location near the Royal Palace, this no-frills property attracts budget-minded travelers who can overlook the simple accommodations and sometimes worn interiors. The lobby, with wooden floors that run through the hallways, is small and doesn't offer any lounge space, although there is a modern TV room with comfortable seating. There’s a modern elevator, but the original staircase, with its intricate iron railings, adds to the charm of this property that has been operating for almost 90 years. Opened in 1927 by the Coch sisters as a boarding house for bachelors, the Cochs Pension served three hearty meals a day. Anna and Anton Gjesdal bought the Cochs Pension in 1946 and expanded the property over time. In 1985, Anne-Karin -- the daughter of the former owners -- and her husband, Isak Skram -- turned the guest house into a hotel and have managed it ever since.

This hotel sits on a busy intersection in a tourist area, with many restaurants, cafes, shops, and pubs in the area. A pub and the Espresso House, where guests eat for a discounted price, are right outside the hotel's door. Within a five-minute walk are the gardens that lead to the Royal Palace. Public transportation is also nearby: the Welhavens gate transit stop is two minutes from the hotel on foot. From the National Theater station, the Oslo Opera House is about 20 minutes by subway, and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump is an hour away. The Viking Ship Museum is a 25-minute bus trip. Aker Brygge, a popular waterfront destination, is a 15-minute bus trip. By train or by car, it’s about 45 minutes to the Oslo Airport.

With standard boarding house layouts, rooms have classic interiors that are clean but basic. There are three room types, most of which have modern, small, private bathrooms with showers or shower/tub combos. Value Rooms, which are narrow and lack TVs, have sinks and bathrooms in hallways, sometimes sharing with just one other room. Standard Rooms have private bathrooms. Rooms are available with kettles and mini-fridges, or kitchenettes with two-burner stovetops. Kitchen supplies are available at the front desk. Large windows or balconies overlook the streets. All rooms have writing desks and wardrobes, and some have flat-screen TVs and sofa beds. 

There's no breakfast on-site, but the property offers vouchers for breakfast at the next-door Espresso House. The TV lounge is modern with wooden floors, a comfortable couch, and translucent plastic chairs along a built-in desk with a phone. Business travelers can use the nicely decorated meeting room, which has a mounted flat-screen TV, projector, and large arched windows that provide sunlight. The front desk, which operates 24 hours a day, can help with storing luggage or printing out boarding passes. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, but the signal can be shaky.