Thon Trondheim

I have been to poorer European countries and some developing countries; this is by far the worst hotel experience I have had, topping my previous worst experience in Sibiu, Romania. I wish I could give this place zero stars. The condition of the room was the worst I have seen in a while. When I brought this up with the front desk, they did nothing. However, when I showed photos of the room and the shower area to a different staff member, they could no longer ignore it and agreed to change my room after I insisted. (Please see the attached photos.) I felt this place was more like a cheap motel in a developed country; it never felt like I was in Norway. It was not just the condition of the room, but also the attitude and customer service of the staff. The second room was on the seventh floor, meaning I had to carry my heavy bags up the stairs from the sixth floor because the elevator does not go to the seventh floor. The hotel management seriously needs to send their staff to places like Australia, Denmark, or Germany to learn proper standards of customer service, hospitality, and cleanliness. (Or perhaps, this could be their best standard) Breakfast was included, but the menu never changed. Furthermore, the hygiene of the food and utensils is questionable, as the cups and plates were not properly cleaned. If you hold a water glass up to the light, you can clearly see marks and debris. On the positive side, the location is excellent, with easy access to public transport and a short walk to the old town and the Nidaros Cathedral. There is also a convenient backdoor leading directly to the shopping centre.

The bathroom was hopeless. The shower cabinet in the bathroom was mounted so that the feet be pressed into it when sitting in the toilet. Had to dig on the slope to make number two. Smoke in the reception. Breakfast was good. It is important that you feel comfortable in the room and the bathroom was hopeless.

Unfortunately, a disappointing experience. There is no gym, yet the staff encouraged me to try sneaking into trial sessions at nearby fitness centers. The rooms have such thin walls that I was kept awake by a neighboring guest snoring, and the window could not be opened. I reported this and asked politely to change rooms. There were available rooms, and I even offered to downgrade, but was still told this was not possible. I travel frequently for work and have never experienced anything like this. Fortunately, there are many great hotels in Trondheim—choose one of those instead 🙂