Tromso, Norway Hotel Rooms at the Independent

I went to Tromso primarily to see the Northern Lights over Christmas week, and I was lucky enough to see a small display on my first night after going out on a tour with Arctic Guide Service. I also did some walking, some sightseeing including going up the cable car at Storsteiner mountain, and went on a snowshoe trip with Tromso Outdoors. I can recommend both these companies for these activities- good customer service and they spoke good English. Arctic Guide Service were very helpful to the customers on our coach in helping them set up their cameras to photograph the Lights. What I did not know in advance is that most of the bars and restaurants close from 23-27 December, so it was lucky that my hotel room had a kitchenette so that I could cook for myself. (City Living Hotel does not have it's own restaurant, but at reception you can buy discounted vouchers for the breakfast buffet in Egon bar just over the road which was good value). The hotel reception staff were very helpful, telling me which supermarkets/shops/bars were open and when. Ingeborg especially was extremely helpful in telling me where I could get gluten-free food. If you decide to visit over Christmas, be warned that a lot of the attractions will be on very limited opening times, but despite this, I had a very enjoyable week seeing the sights around Tromso. One last thing - everything in Norway is more expensive, so take plenty of Kroners.

Everybody there was terribly friendly and helpful, the environment was super relaxed and everything was as clean as could be. Walking distance from almost anything, the only real thing to look out for is slipping over when heading down the driveway! A great hostel experience.

the hotel is nice for a budget stay, breakfast is good with variety and location 2-3 km from center of town with free parking

The staff at this hotel go out of their way to help their customers whether it is ensuring enough room at breakfast, keeping the coffee and tea flowing or ensuring you know the best place to see the northern lights. For example we arrived back from seeing the Northern lights and the member of staff manning the desk asked us had we seen them and where abouts we had gone and then he rushed out of the hotel to catch some other travellers who had just asked him where the best place to go that night so that he could give them the latest information. They all go that little bit further to provide you with the best stay possible.

About 10 to 15 minutes walk from the centre of tromso. Nice views of mountains from hotel room or breakfast room on the 5th floor. Breakfast was OK with breads, cheeses, meats, smoked salmon and cereal. Beds were comfortable but narrow,the room was cleaned every 2 ddays. The hotel staff were very friendly.

Very good hotel with nice location and reasonable for Norway

We found the Skansen to be great value for money. It was conveniently located for all amenities in Tromso. The staff were extremely helpful, particularly when responding to an email request regarding the room. An ensuite with a bath would have been nice but the view of the bay more than compensated. The room was most comfortable, warm and spacious. The breakfast was basic but there was variety and it was wholesome (a good start to the day!). If visiting Tromso again we would not hesitate in using the Skansen.