Villa Inkognito, Oslo hotel review

Reviewed by Noo Saro-Wiwa

Why book Villa Inkognito?

Villa Inkognito is a hotel that likes to live up to its name. The secluded 18th-century townhouse may sit in the heart of Oslo's West End, next door to its bigger, louder sister hotel, the Sommerro, but this demure newcomer – comprising just 11 rooms – has the low-key feel of a private residence. When it calls itself a "home away from home" it means it: guests wanting a timeout from the restaurant and post-theatre crowd can luxuriate in beautiful Art Nouveau lounges, eat meals at a family-size dining table or recline in the snug room for barefoot, sotto voce conversations. Meticulously designed to within an inch of its life by duo GrecoDeco, the Villa manages to tread that tricky line between elegant and homely. A personal host is on hand to take care of guests’ every need and, better still, a connecting corridor to the Sommerro means Inkognito guests get to enjoy its big-hotel amenities, including seven restaurants and bars, a 100-seat gilded theatre, a wellness centre, and the city's first rooftop pool.

Set the scene

Passersby may not even realise that the white, four-storey townhouse standing between the Sommerro and the Nobel Institute is a hotel – and that's exactly how Villa Inkognito likes it. Named after the street of the same name, this boutique inn – the latest addition to the Sommerro, which opened in 2022 – doesn't announce itself with any exterior signage but prefers to keep its ace cards close to its chest for those in the know.

Accessed via a discreet entrance on a side street, its rooms are filled with gorgeous decorative details wherever your eyes settle. GrecoDeco, the New York- and London-based design studio behind the Sommerro, have raided history and geography for inspiration, from venerable Hadeland custom lamps in reception, Japonisme and Chinoise flourishes in the bathrooms, to hand-made American wallpaper, bookshelves hand-painted with gold, and a restored the antique central bannister. While a general Art Nouveau theme runs throughout, every room has its unique colour scheme.

Guests can hang out in the Lilypad Lounge, grazing on petit fours on the sofa beside an original Swedish kakelugn stove and a Steinway & Sons Essex grand piano. The adjoining white-walled conservatory makes for an intriguing vibe shift, bringing a French villa freshness to the space. The lounge is the biggest of the public rooms; everything else is pocket-sized, such as the intimate dining room that seats just a dozen guests beneath detailed-moulding ceiling plaster and next to a large screen for an ultra-casual TV dinner atmosphere.

The marble-floored Spectre Bar is even smaller. Surrounded by gold-brick-effect wallpaper, it slots into a room wide enough for just five stools. Solo guests shoot the breeze with one another while knocking back G&Ts mixed by the personal host (proper bartenders can be requested for more elaborate tipples). But the most fun-sized space is the snug – a six-foot-wide bolt hole where visitors lounge on a U-shaped sofa occupying the entire width of the room, cocooned by dark cobalt blue walls and cushions.

The backstory

Villa Inkognito started life as a private summer residence, built in 1870 by architect Thøger Binneballe. In the 1950s it was used as the offices for the Oslo Lysverker, the city's original electrical company, before being tenanted by the Algerian embassy. When the Sommerro hotel opened next door, its owners took over the Villa and turned it into a quiet appendage while keeping the two hotels connected by an aerial corridor on the fourth floor.

The rooms

The Villa's 11 rooms can be booked out entirely or individually. Standard rooms contain 19th-century Norwegian motifs, comfy beds from innovative Swedish sleep brand Hilding Anders, and custom-tiled bathrooms.

In the deluxe rooms, there are Norwegian-style swan beds and bathroom sinks topped with Norwegian marble and Chinoiserie cabinets, which blend with the fresh, pale green tiles and copper faucets. Some cupboards have been painted by artist Rosie Mennem (who painted shoes at the Oscars for Jimmy Choo).

The suites contain a porticoed balcony and herringbone oak flooring overlaid with bespoke, hand-knotted rugs. Their original corner cabinets and Bodum custom-made kettles with curved spouts are cute touches. GrecoDeco has devised a cheeky colour scheme that few could pull off at home: the coral wallpaper, turquoise lamp stems; lemon-punch bed hangings and tiger-print pillows shouldn't blend together, but somehow they just do.

The top floor is occupied solely by the Tower Room. Its large, oak-framed bed, carved with lily pad motifs, monopolises the room to a rather cramped degree, but it's the price for splendid isolation and commanding views of the Solli Plass square through the original, 18th-century windows.

Food

Breakfasts can be taken in the kitchen, where the open-plan layout feels just like home: plates piled up on open shelves are within arms’ reach of the narrow eight-seater table where guests sit and make off-menu requests to the chef who cooks just feet away. There's even a backdoor with a glass window for that extra domestic effect. Meals can be taken in-room for those who aren't morning people.

For supper, guests can arrange private meals and order en-suite dining from one of Sommerro's several restaurants, including the brasserie, Ekspedisjonshallen; Tak Oslo, the Nordic-Japanese rooftop restaurant helmed by the award-winning chef Frida Ronge; Izakaya Bar & Terrace; and Barramon for tapas.

Neighbourhood

Frogner is an old-money residential neighbourhood with some of Norway's most expensive real estate. The Sommerro has brought a buzz to the area with its restaurants and pavement coffee tables. Nearby are the National Museum, National Theatre, Frogner Park and the Royal Palace.

The service

Personal hosts will pour drinks, provide concierge service, and even conversation and generally adapt their service to guests’ wishes.

Anything left to mention?

The basement gym offers personal training, pilates and yoga. In-room and wellness treatments are available from the experts at Sommerro's Vestkantbadet.

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