Hotels
Hotels in Trondheim: where to sleep between the cathedral and the fjord
The best hotels in Trondheim come down to one question: do you want the river outside your window, the old town outside your door, or the fjord and a swimming complex next to the hotel? We have chosen eight that answer it differently, from a grand old hotel with a palm court to sensible mid-range stays and one tower with the whole city below it.
This page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, Picolo earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
Early morning on the Old Town Bridge. Across the Nidelva, the wooden warehouses of Bakklandet stand in red, ochre and yellow. The only sounds are bicycle tyres on cobbles and an espresso machine warming up behind a window. Ten minutes later you are standing on the main square with Nidaros Cathedral in front of you and the whole city centre around you. Trondheim is a place you cross on foot before breakfast has settled, and that is the first reason choosing a hotel here is simpler than in Oslo or Bergen.
The second reason is that the city has very few hotels charging for luxury alone. Britannia is the exception. The rest compete on location, breakfast and rooms with a view, and that is where the real differences lie. We have picked eight hotels covering the city centre, the riverbank, the Brattøra quayside on the fjord and the old shipyards at Solsiden. Each gets its own angle, and we say plainly when a hotel is not the one for you.
In short: where to stay in Trondheim
Stay in the city centre or along the Nidelva river if this is your first visit: everything is walkable from there. Britannia Hotel is the choice when you want to treat yourselves, Scandic Nidelven when breakfast and a river view matter more than history. Scandic Bakklandet when you want to wake up among the wooden houses. Travelling with children, Clarion Hotel Trondheim on Brattøra gives you a swimming complex and the fjord on the doorstep.
Our first choice: Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel. Check availability and prices
Best for romance: Britannia Hotel
Best for families: Clarion Hotel Trondheim
Best for first-time visitors: Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel
Best for value: Quality Hotel Prinsen
Best for design: Scandic Bakklandet
How to choose a hotel in Trondheim
Close to everything: The centre, called Midtbyen, is a flat peninsula wrapped by the river and the fjord. Sleep there and the cathedral, the main square, the Solsiden waterfront and the railway station are all on foot.
River or fjord: Rooms facing the Nidelva give you the classic wharf view. Rooms on Brattøra give you the fjord and passing boats, but you cross the railway to reach the centre.
Breakfast counts for more here: Several Trondheim hotels have turned breakfast into their main selling point. If you are eating out in the evenings, a long breakfast can replace lunch.
Check the calendar: Student arrivals in August, big concerts and home matches at Lerkendal stadium fill the city quickly. That is when the hotels outside the centre still have rooms.
Rain is part of the deal: Choose a hotel with somewhere pleasant to sit indoors, a proper lobby, a bar or a breakfast room that stays open into the day.
The lobby
The lobby at Britannia Hotel.
Midtbyen: the city centre, where everything starts
Midtbyen is a centre in the old sense, with wide streets laid out after a city fire. The cathedral lies to the south, the square in the middle and the shopping streets between them. These are the hotels that give you the most city per step.
Britannia Hotel: the city's grand drawing room
Many locals have a relationship with Britannia long before they sleep there, and the reason is the palm court. This tall, light room with columns and palms sits at the heart of the hotel on Dronningens gate, a couple of blocks from the main square. It is where the city goes to celebrate. The rooms above are dressed in heavy fabrics and dark wood, with bathrooms that stand comparison with the grand hotels of continental Europe.
Staying here feels like being received by a hotel that knows exactly what it is. The staff are courteous without stiffness, and you can spend a whole evening inside between bar, restaurant and spa without missing anything. It is the pick for a honeymoon, a big birthday or the weekend when only the best will do. If you are in town to see as much as possible in a short time, you will pay for more than you have hours to use.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Britannia Hotel
The building
Thon Hotel Nidaros from the outside.
Thon Hotel Nidaros: small hotel, big streets
Thon Hotel Nidaros sits on Søndre gate, the shopping street that runs straight through the centre with the main square at one end and the quay at the other. It is smaller than the chain name suggests, with warm-toned rooms and a breakfast room you tend to linger in.
You live inside the city's working day here. You hear the tram, you watch people heading to the office, and there are cafés and shops on both sides as you step out. It is a good fit for anyone who wants a safe, central hotel without fuss, and a weekend built around shopping and restaurants. If you want a view, quiet, or room to spread out, better options follow further down this list.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Thon Hotel Nidaros
The building
Quality Hotel Prinsen from the outside.
Quality Hotel Prinsen: the centre without detours
Quality Hotel Prinsen stands on Kongens gate in the heart of Midtbyen. The Olavshallen concert hall and the Old Town Bridge are a few minutes away, and the cathedral a short walk south. The hotel has two restaurants, a bar, a gym and its own conference centre, and the rooms are modern and practical.
It is our value pick, because you get a central address and strong reviews without paying for luxury you do not need. It suits anyone who wants to walk everywhere, whether in town for work, a concert at Olavshallen or a weekend away. It is a busy hotel with plenty of conference guests on weekdays, so the lobby is rarely quiet, but the square, Bakklandet and Solsiden are all within walking distance.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Quality Hotel Prinsen
The building
Scandic Nidelven from the outside.
Along the Nidelva: wharves, bridges and Bakklandet
The Nidelva curls around the centre like a moat. On the inside are the old merchant warehouses of Kjøpmannsgata; on the outside is Bakklandet, with its wooden houses and cafés. The hotels here sell one thing above all: the view of the water.
Scandic Nidelven: the breakfast people travel for
Scandic Nidelven stands where the river meets the harbour, a couple of minutes from the railway station, and has made breakfast its entire identity. The breakfast room is large, bright and turned towards the water, and the tables fill with local produce, fresh pastries and hot dishes that persuade many guests to skip lunch.
The rooms are tidy and modern, many with windows onto the river, and the hotel has the calm pace a big conference hotel settles into once the meetings end. It works best for business travellers who want to be near the train, couples after a view without a luxury price tag. Anyone who likes to start the day slowly. If you want a small hotel with personality, you will find more of that across the river in Bakklandet.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Scandic Nidelven
The building
Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel from the outside.
Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel: glass above the river
Royal Garden sits on Kjøpmannsgata with its face to the Nidelva. The first thing you notice is the atrium: a tall glass hall where lobby, bar and restaurant gather under one roof. It is one of the city's largest hotels, and that shows in a service that is efficient and used to guests from everywhere.
You stay here if you want everything in one place. River-facing rooms look across to the wharves of Bakklandet, there is a pool and a gym in the building, and the Old Town Bridge is a short stroll away. It is a safe first-time choice for anyone who does not know the city and wants a hotel that works from the first minute. If you are after local character and small, personal touches, it can feel a little anonymous.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel
The building
Scandic Bakklandet from the outside.
Scandic Bakklandet: wake up among the wooden houses
Scandic Bakklandet is on the east bank of the Nidelva, in Nedre Bakklandet, where the timber houses stand shoulder to shoulder. The cafés put chairs outside the moment the sun shows. The hotel is built into the streetscape, with rooms that are more pared-back and Nordic than the chain's usual look, several of them facing the river or the back gardens.
It feels like living in a neighbourhood rather than staying in a hotel. You step out onto cobbles, take your coffee on the corner and cross the Old Town Bridge into the centre in five minutes. It is made for couples and design-minded travellers who want Trondheim at its prettiest outside the door, and anyone planning to cycle. If you are arriving with heavy luggage or a car, the slopes and narrow lanes are a small drawback.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Scandic Bakklandet
The view
The view from Clarion Hotel Trondheim.
Brattøra and Solsiden: the fjord and the old shipyards
Two hotels north of the centre sit by the water. One has the fjord and a swimming complex next door; the other is at Solsiden, where the old shipyards have become restaurants and flats.
Clarion Hotel Trondheim: fjord, pool and the rock museum
Clarion Hotel Trondheim stands at the tip of Brattøra, the quayside north of the railway station, with the Trondheimsfjord on one side. Its nearest neighbours are the Pirbadet swimming complex and the Rockheim music museum. The building is large and modern, with a lobby and bar spread over several levels and rooms where the light off the fjord fills the whole window.
There is a touch of big-city hotel about it: high ceilings, a lot of glass and a bar that pulls in locals on Friday nights. It is clearly the best choice for families, who get a pool and a museum without crossing a road, and for conference guests. The drawback is the distance to the centre, which means walking over the railway tracks or a short bus ride. So if you want restaurants within a few minutes on foot, you are better off by the river.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Clarion Hotel Trondheim
The pool
The pool at Scandic Solsiden.
Scandic Solsiden: the quay, the old shipyards and a roof terrace
Scandic Solsiden stands in Nedre Elvehavn, where the old shipyards at the mouth of the Nidelva have become restaurants, bars and flats. The hotel has a roof terrace, a bar and a gym, and the rooms are bright and modern in Scandic's familiar style.
It suits travellers who want the restaurants and nightlife of Solsiden on the doorstep and do not mind a fifteen-minute walk to the cathedral. It works well for couples and friends on a weekend, and for families who want to eat out without a taxi. The quay is lively on summer evenings, so ask for a courtyard room if you plan an early night. In the morning, cross the bridge to Bakklandet for coffee.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Scandic Solsiden
When to book
Summer is high season, and the weeks around the Olavsfest festival at the end of July fill the centre. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Student arrivals in August, major concerts and home matches at Lerkendal push prices up across the city for short spells. Check the events calendar before settling on a weekend.
Winter and early spring are quiet apart from the odd conference week. That is when a river view comes at a mid-range price, and the city is lovely under snow.
Our first choice in Trondheim
Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel
We recommend the Radisson Blu Royal Garden because it is a safe choice if you do not know the city. It stands on Kjøpmannsgata with its facade facing the Nidelva, a short walk from the Old Town Bridge. There is a swimming pool and gym in the building.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Trondheim
Where should I stay in Trondheim?
The city centre or the banks of the Nidelva are the best base for a first visit, because the cathedral, Bakklandet and the Solsiden waterfront are all walkable from there. Brattøra suits families who want a pool; Solsiden suits anyone after restaurants and nightlife on the quay. Bakklandet suits anyone who wants to stay among old timber houses.
Which hotel in Trondheim has the best location?
Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel and Scandic Nidelven both sit on the river within a short walk of the station and the centre. Britannia Hotel is in the heart of Midtbyen, a few blocks from the main square. Both are under ten minutes on foot from Trondheim station, and the airport bus stops close by.
Is Trondheim expensive for hotels?
Prices sit below Oslo and Bergen for most of the year, and the city has plenty of good mid-range hotels. The exceptions are weekends with big events and the weeks around the start of the university term. Book early if you are coming for Olavsfest in late July or a big concert at Trondheim Spektrum.
Which Trondheim hotel is best for families?
Clarion Hotel Trondheim on Brattøra, which has the Pirbadet swimming complex and the Rockheim museum as neighbours. Radisson Blu Royal Garden is the alternative closer to the centre, with its own pool. Both are a short walk from the railway station, and from Brattøra you can walk into Midtbyen in a quarter of an hour.
Which hotels are closest to Nidaros Cathedral?
Britannia Hotel, Thon Hotel Nidaros and Quality Hotel Prinsen are all in the centre, less than ten minutes on foot from the cathedral. From the hotels along the Nidelva it is about a fifteen-minute walk. The cathedral is open to visitors most of the year, and in summer you can climb the tower.