A Night at The Thief: The Complete VIP Arrival Experience

On the Tjuvholmen peninsula, where the Oslofjord meets the city and the Astrup Fearnley Museum stands at the water's edge, rises one of the capital's most distinctive monuments to contemporary hospitality. The Thief, opened in 2013 and named for the district's history as Tjuvholmen, the islet of thieves, has become the address of choice for those who measure a hotel by its art, its design and its quiet command of the waterfront. To stay at The Thief is to make a statement about how one believes a night in Oslo should be spent.

But the quality of a night at The Thief begins before you step through its doors. The journey to the hotel, from Oslo Gardermoen's private terminal, from a private jet at Sandefjord Torp, from a residence in Frogner, or from the Opera House after a performance, is the opening movement of the experience. FFGR Norway ensures that opening movement is as composed and distinguished as everything that follows.

The entrance to The Thief, set on the water at Landgangen, is among the most photographed hotel arrivals in the city. The sculptural facade, the considered lighting, the art that greets you before reception, all reward a measured approach. To draw up in a Rolls-Royce Ghost or a Mercedes S-Class Long, to have your door opened by the chauffeur, to be received by the doorman before you have taken a single step, is to begin the stay in precisely the right register.

The practical aspects of arriving at The Thief by private car are worth understanding. Access along the Tjuvholmen waterfront is deliberately calm, and the drop-off requires a driver who knows the precise protocol. FFGR drivers are thoroughly familiar with the approach from Aker Brygge and from the city centre. The vehicle is positioned, the door is opened, and your arrival is managed without the awkward pause that characterises a less considered transfer.

The interior of The Thief is an exercise in contemporary Scandinavian design, with original works by leading international and Norwegian artists hung throughout, a collaboration with the neighbouring Astrup Fearnley Museum that gives the hotel a cultural seriousness rare among luxury properties. The mood is set the moment you arrive and permeates everything from the service to the arrangement of each room.

Accommodation ranges from the generously proportioned rooms on the upper floors to the signature suites with private terraces overlooking the fjord. The finest of these command a view across the water to the islands of the inner Oslofjord, and have hosted heads of state and visiting dignitaries. Whatever the category, every room is furnished with restraint, craftsmanship and an obsessive attention to comfort.

Fru K, the hotel's restaurant, draws on the produce of the Norwegian coast and countryside with genuine refinement, and its dining room, opening onto the waterfront, is among the most sought-after tables in the city. The wine list is considered and the service unhurried, in keeping with the character of the house.

The rooftop bar at The Thief, open in the lighter months, offers one of the finest vantage points in Oslo, looking out over the fjord as the long summer evenings draw down. A drink there, arranged by the concierge to follow dinner, is among the city's most coveted small pleasures, and FFGR is on hand to collect whenever the evening reaches its close.