Arrival/Check-in: If I had chosen to stay in the city center, the Flytoget airport express train could have transported me from Oslo Central Station to Gardermoen Airport in about 20 minutes, but why risk it? I had an early morning flight out of Oslo, so I opted instead to spend the night before my flight at the Radisson SAS Airport Hotel. I like Radisson SAS: Their hotels in Scandinavia are reliably consistent. This one was no exception. After a smooth check-in at the individual reception kiosks — there is no main front desk — my wheelie bag and I were on our way upstairs. (18/20)

Guest Quarters: The seven guestroom floors have themes such as “Maritime” and “Scandinavian.” Mine was “Urban.” I’m not quite sure what that meant, but the room was accented with hot colors — think pink and orange. The room had all the basics — a comfortable bed, a clean bathroom, a working TV — plus a view of the airport through soundproofed windows, and free high-speed Internet access. (12/15)

Services/Amenities: This hotel offers a lot of amenities that, I must admit, I did not use. First, there’s a ton of meeting space — 60 meeting rooms that can be combined to accommodate up to 1,000 people. There’s a spacious fitness center with massage showers, a solarium and a sauna, plus a golf simulator that’s available for an hourly fee. Ordinarily, I’d have made a beeline for the sauna, but it was late and I was tired and dinner seemed like a more attractive option. One thing about staying at the airport: You’re pretty much locked into dining at your hotel. Fortunately, the lobbylevel bar/restaurant was just fine for my needs and the menu included a bacon cheeseburger that wouldn’t rival anything I’d get at home, but satisfied my craving for beef. Breakfast, included in the room rate, is a large and varied buffet that provides typical Scandinavian breakfast fare such as smoked salmon, herring and cucumbers. If you don’t bring a laptop with you, email and Internet can be accessed in the business center behind reception. (42/45)

The Experience: There’s something to be said for a hotel that delivers what you expect and what you need. The hotel is not extravagant, but the staff is extremely friendly and hospitable, the rooms are comfortable and I made my early-a.m. flight with time to spare. (18/20)

Total Score: 90/100

RADISSON SAS AIRPORT HOTEL,OSLO
Hotellvegen
Gardermoen
tel 47 63 933 000
http://www.gardermoen.radissonsas.com