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The Radisson Blu Polar Hotel is a comfortable place to stay in Longyearbyen. The room was very comfortable with a soft bed and modern bathroom. The included breakfast buffet was great. The front desk staff were friendly and very helpful. The hotel bar (Barentz Gastropub) is open later than most restaurants in town, and is a good place to grab a meal after a late excursion. I would definitely stay at the Polar Hotel again should I have the chance to return to Svalbard.
I could write about the great view, the good food, the nice pub, the little shop, all about the nice things in this unique Hotel. But this time the review is for those, who keep everything running behind the scenes. In Longyearbyen, the biggest minority behind the Norwegian population are the Thai and Philippine people. Far away from home, these are the hard working guys, which are keeping the most things running, here in the world's most northern hotel too. Mainly in the housekeeping team, they will make sure that the guests will enjoy a perfect stay. In the kitchen they prepare the breakfast, the sizzling bacon and the sunny side up eggs. Once I felt a bit tired so I stayed till late afternoon on my room, even then during I went out for a walk someone came to tidy up my place. That was definitely after the regular housekeeping hours. Always with a smile on their faces, always fast and effective. So whenever you visit this nice Hotel with the great view, nice food and cool restaurant and pub, say friendly hello if you see one of this team. They deserved it definitely to be seen and appreciated.
We stayed for 1 week during polar night in December 2025. Upon landing we got the FlyBus (approx £8pp one way) and took the short 10-15 minute drive into town. The fly bus operates when there are flights operating - you pay by card on the bus (everywhere on the island is card only). The reception staff are super friendly and welcoming! The queue at check in can be long but they are super efficient and responsive to any issues or requests you may have. Special thank you to Therese for honouring my “special request” of printing out a photo of Tom Cruise from Top Gun & having that in our room upon arrival (on-going joke between me and my husband!) and for always having a smile on her face and being approachable. Also to the night staff who efficiently attended and dealt with a concern we had in the early hours of our final morning. We had booked a superior room (room 241 in the main building). The room was very warm, clean and scandi-style. The heated floor in the bathroom was great! The housekeeping team do a fantastic job daily. The only regret I have, is that I forgot to take any photos! But it looks fairly recently refurbished. There are also gowns and slippers in the room, tea station with nespresso-style coffee machine and mini fridge. The only improvement for these rooms would be more drawers/shelves/storage or at least hooks in the bathroom. We made use of the spa area a few times (very welcome after a cold hike in the mountains!). You can book via the app or at reception for a small fee (approx £7pp). It was never busy and we were always the only ones in there. The jacuzzi’s are SUPER hot! Almost uncomfortably hot (and I love scolding hot baths!). The sauna is quite large and has views of the landscape - not that you can see much during polar night! Breakfast buffet (held in the Nansen restaurant) had a plentiful selection of eggs, bacon, beans, cold meats and cheeses as well as smoothies, fruit juices, granolas and breads + pastries - something for everyone. We always had a good fill to prepare ourselves for the arctic adventures and it kept us full until dinner time usually! Barentz Pub (“The most northern pub in the world”) did delicious pizzas and would highly recommend the cheesy fries! It also served beers from the local brewery. It was very reasonably priced and the staff were always very friendly. Don’t drink the tap water it is high in manganese and other heavy metals which- reception will happily fill your bottle from the tap that has the correct filter on it. So bring a thermal bottle (so water doesn’t freeze on trips) Considering how remote you are here, Radisson Blu do a fantastic job and I’d highly recommend it to all travellers to Svalbard.
I stayed at this hotel with a friend for 4 nights and I really enjoyed the experience. Breakfast was amazing and food in general was very good. The restaurant / breakfast area has an incredible view and I am longing that beautiful landscape first thing in the morning while sipping my coffee. The rooms are basic but clean, nice and warm. Overall very good experience and I will certainly come back. Thank you!