Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen

I checked in on Monday, 9 March 2026. The two front desk agents, Therese and Joar were amazing. Both were attentive and made everyone feel welcome. Therese checked me in directly and Joar stopped by to offer conversation as well as a warm welcome. Great start to the stay!

The room itself was fine. Clean and we'll attended. The bed wasn't anything spectacular, which you might hope for at this price point. I was out on adventures (snowmobiling, wandering, etc.) so I never had an opportunity to utilize the sauna and jacuzzi. However, I met a couple who had used it and said that it was enjoyable. Breakfast was included and was delicious. I had a burger and drinks at the bar and these were good as well.

My only curiosity is they have a beautiful dining room with great views that is only open during breakfast and dinner hours. It closes at 10 am and reopen at 6 pm, so it basically sits empty for 8 hours a day. It would be nice to be able to sit in this space during the day to have a cup of coffee, etc. Seems a bit underutilized. The staff were amazing. Everyone I encountered was attentive and thoughtful. Camila checked me out, as well as offered me a cup of coffee while I wanted for transportation to the airport. The location is stunning as well (walking distance to the high street as well as the sea). Highly recommended. I cannot wait to return!

A cozy hotel in the middle of Longyearbyen! Friendly staff and excellent rooms. I recommend this hotel if you visit Svalbard

Fantastic stay and experience. Friendly and funny guides at both snowmobile and dog sledge riding. Yes, it was very cold when outdoor activities (-30 C sometimes), so 3-4 layers if wool is recommended.

A lovely hotel in the heart of Longyearbyen. Very welcoming, warm and friendly staff. Great breakfast and facilities. The sauna was really nice and the outdoor jacuzzi an amazing experience, especially walking outside in -30 in a swimsuit! The pub was also very good and reasonably priced. We would highly recommend it.

We had a great three night stay. The staff were friendly and advised on additional excursions. The hotel is central to everything which is great when it is so cold!. Our room was well equipped with lovely comfy beds. Breakfast was excellent and we were really sad to leave.

I stayed for five nights here in Radisson. Got a bit of issue with my first room but it was well settled perfectly. Service is top-notched. They got filtered water for you to fill. They also provide advices to your trips and made you feel accommodated.

The view toward the town is majestic. Within a few mins, you can walk into a field of low light where you can enjoy stargazing. In my case, i was very lucky. When I sat and lay on the snow, the aurora was just displaying in the sky. Of course, you have to endure the cold and a bit of luck!

It was of course not without the negatives. I would say the sauna was a bit small while you still need to pay for it. It’s a nice experience though. Another aspect would be the lack of variety of breakfast options. If they can change some of the food options that would be perfect

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 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.