In pole position in the center of Oslo, the Clarion is a 14-story thoroughly modern, business-oriented hotel with plenty of facilities for letting off steam (pool, gym). It's just a short walk from the opera house and the main shopping streets around Karl Johans gate. There's a buffet breakfast with lots of juices, smoked salmon, and decent coffee but on the minus side, the rooms are surprisingly plain in style and many are miniscule; the frosted walls between shower and bed are also not to everybody's taste. However, at the time of writing the Christiania was undergoing a facelift that should see some improvements in the accommodations.