Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen

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 was surprised at how nice this place was and the level of service given it remote location (Svalbard). The room was comfortable (a bit small), but well appointed. Plenty of hot water and I did not hear any neighbors. There was a sewage odor in the hallway the day I checked in, but that passed. The breakfast buffet was outstanding and worth it. I booked the sauna / jacuzzi (99 Kroner or $10) and it was enjoyable although I could not figure out how to turn on the jets. The front desk staff was extremely helpful discussing / booking tours and calling cabs. The hotels location in town is excellent and it is easy to walk to nearby restaurants, shops, and the grocery store.

The hotel is absolutely stunning by Svalbard standards! We had a room in the older building, which worried ar first, but ended being incredible! The restaurant was very good as well, breakfast and dinner. We highly recommend it!

The only negative comment we have about our stay is the fact that not a single person warned us about the tap water having VERY HIGH levels of manganese... We only spotted the rather innocuous signs in the lobby AFTER checking out... A sign in the room seems like an obvious precaution... Needless to say, it definitely soured our impression of this otherwise great hotel

Amazing!!! ☺️

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!

On first day check in, I get room #231, but my roommate and I smell the abnormal gas, I was wondering it’s gas or the bad smell from the pipes. Finally we reported to the front desk and the lady moved us to another room downstairs but the view is not that beautiful! Besides, the next day we found our used glasses weren’t clean and still on the originally places. After all, the front desk staffs and the cleaning ladies were nice and polite.

Good location right in town

Room wasn’t cleaned, body hair all over the bathroom floor, urine splattered under the toilet seat, floor not vacuumed. Disgusting. Receptionist didn’t even apologise, sent cleaning service who was cleaned bathroom and said would prioritise cleaning my room tomorrow. I have no choice but to stay here as here with work and they booked it otherwise I wouldn’t be here. Really recommend staying elsewhere, stayed in different hotel down the road a few weeks ago which was very clean so go elsewhere

Visited September 2025.
With few hotels in the tiny city of Longyearbyen it was a surprise to see a major chain such as the Radisson - well done to them for being in Svalbard. The hotel and bar is warm, comfortable and convenient. The pricing isn't as high as you might think, in fact on a par with the UK in its major cities. From its great location you enjoy a view of the mountains on all sides. A great start point for wondering around Longyearbyen or if you are travelling further afield to hike or trek.

We enjoyed our stay.

Pros: restaurant & pub at hotel are pretty good, included breakfast was nice, comfortable bed
Cons: pullout sofa was visibly stained, hotel is a bit on the worn-out side, hot tub/sauna is an additional fee & needs to be reserved in advance.

Just wow; looks can be deceiving from the outside but don’t be fooled. Reception is amazing, the staff are amazing, the giant (stuffed) polar bear amazing (don’t expect to see a real one, then you won’t be disappointed). Longyearbean generally feels a little like you’ve dropped into a 1970’s film set but the people are amazing; the food too die for. Particularly enjoyed Nansen restaurant (at the hotel) for the quality and choice of food and the service from staff. Barents Bar is great too - a proper pub feel with a proper English bar maid. The rooms are basic, but clean, warm and functional. Hard to beleive your a spit from the North Pole. Breakfast is good; great choice and good service. Reception, nothing too much trouble.
An awesome stay at the top of the world. Definitely a 5 star review, if ever there was.

Staying in the northernmost hotel is always an interesting annecdote but this hotel is really worth a stay when in Longyearben. We stayed in the suite which offered large panoramic views of the glaciers and mountains. The room is pretty basic but spacious and clean. When you find out about waste disposal on Svalbard and how it costs to ship waste from there then you understand why hotels will limit their ammentiy offering and reduce waste not to mention the environmental impact.

The breakfast offers stunning views across the mountains and the food is of a good standard which a reasonable choice. The hot tub and sauna are a great addition and the staff are friendly and attentive. The pub in the hotel is always busy and is a cosy place for a few drinks or casual food. We ate in the hotel restaurant, the food was tasty and portions substantial.

We had a great experience in Svalbard!
The hotel was excellent and all the people (Camila, Lucas, Gina, Alba, and the rest of the employees) were very warm and professionals. Very nice place to come back soon!

Great location and fantastic breakfast. Staff were great. Hotel itself was quite basic. Our twin room was small with very little storage, no cupboards, drawers or hanging hooks. The bathroom had no shelving at all and no hooks so toilet stuff was on floor. Room was permanently hot as temp adjustment didn't seem to work and window was hard to open. Check in was awful as everyone arrived at once and queue was out the door.

The best part of Radisson Blu Polar Svalbard is definitely its location – perfectly placed between the harbor and the center of Longyearbyen, so you can walk everywhere with ease. The main restaurant is a highlight, with a spectacular glass wall overlooking the fjord – probably the best view in town.

That said, the hotel feels a bit basic overall, and both the corridors and rooms would benefit from some renovation. Storage space in the room was limited, with few options to hang jackets or organize clothing, and the common areas are rather small.

Still, considering the unbeatable location, overall comfort, good services, and the kindness and helpfulness of the staff, it remains a convenient and solid choice for a stay in Longyearbyen.

We treated ourselves to a suite and what a treat it was! A lovely, completely separate bedroom, a small but clean and well laid out bathroom and a HUGE living area with a fold out couch, a couple of armchairs, cupboards and a desk area. My fave spot was the chaise longue where I could relax and enjoy the stunning view from the large windows. There was a kettle and a Nespresso machine. After a long day hiking, this suite was such a comfy and welcoming place to return to. Breakfast is very good and we also enjoyed the cosy and friendly vibe at their pub. The pizzas were particularly good. My husband used the laundry service which was very fast. All staff we met were cheerful. We hope to return to Longyearbyen next year and we will definitely look to stay at this hotel again.

Overall a nice hotel with an amazing breakfast. Difficult to get to eat at the main restaurant for supper so we always ate elsewhere. Also impossible to get into the jacuzzi. Perhaps mentioning that we should reserve these when we book the hotel would help with this? We were told this when we checked in but at that point it’s too late. Expedia says there are laundry services (hotel) and laundry facilities (self serve) but there are no machines to use. This is very misleading as we often use this information to choose a hotel. Very disappointed with Expedia for this as this was the case for 3 hotels on this trip that we booked.

When you arrive from the airport, you take a bus that drops people off at all the hotels and there is number of people to check in at one time and they did a very efficient job in doing this..Remii what’s very helpful and gave me great information on where I should go to see sites that I wanted to look at.Irina was especially nice also and check out is supposed to be at 11 o’clock and they’re going to allow me to stay till 2 o’clock because I don’t board my expedition ship until 4 o’clock, so that makes it perfect… and there was no charge for this!!! the breakfast buffet is excellent with a beautiful view!!! it’s simply located and very close to the ports that you board your ships on! Highly recommended

Very friendly staff, (everyone) & excellent facilities. Great breakfast, great bar which also sold food. Nice outside terrace, outside hot tub, drinking water at reception which was a very simple but very good extra & very comfortable beds.