Fodor's Expert Review Grand Hotel

Looking like it would be at home on any street in Paris, this grand dame with a mansard roof and Beaux Arts entrance is the choice of visiting heads of state, rock musicians, and Nobel Peace Prize winners. All the rooms have a regal touch, with the Mikado Suite—done up in cream, lilac, and red tones—being particularly palatial and plush. There are several different dining options, two bars, and a see-and-be-seen lobby. Norwegians book several years in advance for National Day, May 17, in order to have a room overlooking the parades below.