Hotel Intel: Neo-Nordic Thief reflects chic, artistic Oslo

The Thief reflects everything that is chic and cosmopolitan in the exciting capital city of Oslo and that includes elegant contemporary décor, lofty gastronomy, sublime Scandinavian spa life and avant-garde art and architecture.

It was my first visit to Norway and I had imagined people plunging into icy fjords, plus lots of woolly sweaters, Viking ships and skiing.

Those classic attractions prevail, but The Thief is a leading light of innovative neo-Nordic hospitality and an example of the modern opulence of oil-rich Norway. The hotel even has a cameo role on Exit, the Scandinavian TV series about the extravagance of financial world hotshots, a sort-of Billions on steroids.

The Thief is an eco-conscious enterprise in a nation that is considered one of the greenest in the world. (Norway’s oil production is deemed relatively clean, e-cars represent about 80 per cent of recent sales, and such cruise companies as Hurtigruten Norway are transitioning rapidly to eco-operations.)