Over the past decade Oslo's Youngstorget has become the city's music hub with venues, bars, restaurants and record shops creating a vibrant scene in and around the square.
But until the beginning of this year, visitors flocking to the numerous gigs and events would have struggled to find affordable accommodation in the immediate area. This has changed thanks to the opening of the Nordic Choice chain's Comfort Xpress Hotel, a new concept it plans to launch in every Nordic capital over the next three years.
Don't be put off by the name. This is not your average bland budget hotel chain. The lobby includes pinball machines, a local punk record shop provides a selection of new releases for sale to guests and large screens provide a vast database of where to go out. An in-house radio station programmed by two local rock DJs offers a refreshing change to the generic chill-out compilations, which have become the modern equivalent to Muzak.
Rooms begin at NOK299 (around £35) – rising with demand to a maximum of around £115. Prices are kept low by charging for extras which some guests may not require. These include daily towel changes and room cleaning for those staying more than one night (around £10). Check-in is done via touchscreens. "As the check-in is done by the guests, we weren't looking for traditional receptionists," says general manager Simen Vinge.
Employees were recruited at an audition in the nearby Revolver venue, with the 500 applicants for seven positions chosen for their knowledge of music and the city.
Although the 172 rooms – 50 twins, 112 doubles and 10 singles – are compact and there is a slightly "corporate trendy" feel, there are some nice touches such as iPod docks and free Wi-Fi. Guests can also open their room door by sending a text and then holding their mobile to the sensor below the handle.
Architect Lars Helling came up with the design, which incorporates the facade of a former church. However, the owners created Facebook and Twitter communities which they consulted throughout its development, inviting input on everything from what to stock in the shop, which magazines to offer and even the colour schemes.
"Every time we needed to take a decision we asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter," says Vinge. "We sell a lot of food, drink and magazines because our guests asked us to put them there."
The online communities are sustained by offering members free tickets to the numerous events which have partnered with the hotel since it opened. They include Scandinavia's huge music business conference by:Larm (bylarm.no), Oslo's prestigious Øya Festival (oyafestivalen.com) and the Inferno metal gathering last April (infernofestival.net), with the basement occasionally used for gigs.
Vinge is tight-lipped about which bands have stayed at the hotel, but given that there is special entrance for artists playing at the large Rockefeller venue across the road and Øya's impressive line-ups, there are likely to have been some big names.
So far the only bad behaviour has come courtesy of guests attending the huge Sensation rave last April. Vinge describes that weekend as "hectic" with dozens of intoxicated revellers dressed in white "breaking stuff all over the place".
By contrast, he describes the black metal fraternity attending Inferno last May as model customers.
"The only thing we had to deal with was putting a guy to bed who had passed out in the hallway," he says. "The next day he came with flowers to apologise."
• Møllergata 26, +47 2203 1100, comfortxpress.no
