Radisson Blu Caledonien Hotel, Kristiansand

Really needs to be renovated. We have used this hotel for the last 3 years becouse of the colorline trip to denmark. And sleeping here is like sleeping on a boat. Aircondition is very old and fussing all night loong. The breakfast is better this year so thats good.

Four large spiders on ceiling, problem with air fan (or lack thereof), old and outdated, breakfast pales in comparison to other hotels - three pieces of cheese left with still an hour to go, ice cold eggs, etc. Some staff were very nice but a few "snarky" ones as well. We were planning to stay for a week but after two days checked out because it was awful. We did receive a 50% discount but never were able to speak with a manager. When we asked where he was the helpful snarky staff member told us he was probably home with his family! Go to Hotel Norge, or Scandic, or Hotel Ernst. All are close to same price but much much better and in great locations as well

So, many people already expressed the tiredness of the hotel. It is in dire of renovation and as we arrived.......it was being (partly) renovated. We had our first heart attack when arriving at the parking space and had a first look at the hotel. See the picture I attached. At reception they overlooked that we had booked two rooms and, since we are a family of four, gave us only one family room. We did not want a family room, so after some ado they found our full reservation and we were allocated....two family rooms, sleeping eight people!? The next heart attack we had when entering the rooms that turned out to be in a second building/tower of the hotel. Well, enough pictures uploaded of this old and tired place already. Unbelievably 1970, my year of birth! I think many of the electrical switching would simply not be compliant with construction laws if installed today. And cannabis plants intregrated in the tile design of the bathroom: welcome to Amsterdam...uuh.. Kristiansand. To be honoust: everything in our room worked. However the sink had a huge crack and some power socket looked a bit broken. So it was a near perfectly functioning museum! Breakfast has limited choice and is very chaoticly organized. The (orange/apple) juice taps had a nice touch: all fluid spilled by customers ended up directly on/in the carpet below the outlet...and that happened A LOT. Nice, clean and hygienic! The drilling muting any attempt to conversate finished it of. The worse part is that the pictures on the Internet do NOT resemble the actual rooms they actually have an offer and the hotel knows very well. Not in the past, not now and not in the near future, because currently only rooms in the main buidling are being renovated, not in the secondary buidling....that will at least take an extra year to renovate, if not more. I now see that as early as November 2016 people report this issue here on TripAdvisor: had I only seen it before! This clearly is misrepresentation, a criminal offense, in most if not all jurisdictions! I made a complaint at the front desk. They seemed surprised (which they clearly cannot be), they seemed to regret (the lady appeared very genuine) and offered me a 50% discount. We accepted the discount and drove away as fast as we could. Stay away until the Caledonien PROOFS it is a proper 4-star Radisson Blu franchise worthy hotel that actually offers what it sells. I stayed away from Radisson Blu for my entire 3 week trip to Norway...irrational but a direct consequence.

Caledonien was a huge disappointment. We payd over 2000 kr for a simple room, it seemed old and in terrible condition, ceilig falling down in the bathroom, no minibar, noise outside, terrible smell in the lobby, dark and gloomy breakfast. I will not return ti this hotel.

The hotel room was like walking backwards in time, almost like the 80ies. The view was great. There are construction going on until may 2018 this is to upgrade the hotel. There are a bar in the first floor that make some noise. And a harbor with containers lifted on and of trucks. Other than that it ok. You'll reduce the dB level by closing the window.

I arrived the hotel With two collegaues to partipicate a Conference nearby. The hotel is really looking old, there was a smell of cigarette-smoke in the hall. The room was not cleaned, neither the glasses and the toilet was not cleaned. I was upgraded to a businessclass-room that was bigger, but either not clean. The staff was grumpy and unfriendly; they did neither smile nor apology. All over I would not recommend this hotel to noone.

I had a "business" room with view over to the train station/bus station/ferries. The room looked great, although it seems it was from the '90s and there were some stains and spots here and there. Very good bed, a desk, an OK armchair with table, quite large TV and bathroom with bath tube. Nice fridge to keep food in. Good security (safe in room, and you had to use your key card in the lift.) Cleaning done well, and nice ladies. The breakfast was more disappointing, from my point of view, I would have expected more varieties at such a large hotel, instead, it was a 'standard' Norwegian hotel breakfast. Food ok, a few pluses here and there (e.g. lots of apples, oranges, pears and plums to take on the way out), a few minuses (e.g. somewhat dull cheese). Room if new, ****(*), due to spots and stains here and there, ****. Breakfast **(*). Nice employees all over.

Very good location. Very friendly and helpful staff. Good breakfast spread. Given room with great view as requested. Certain areas showing its age...eg corridor to lift lobby, the lifts themselves, carpet.

Overall: 3+ Comments: ongoing upgrade, needed, my room was ok, but somewhat out of date. 80s style and colors. Location: 3-4 Reception: 4 Room: 3 View: 2-5 (7th floor), containers and nice waterfront, respectively WiFi: 4 Cleanliness: 4 Breakfast: 3-4 Lunch: - Dinner: - closed for refurbishment Bar: as above Parking: - Service: 4 Additional offers: - Price: 3 Price/value: 3 Revisit: maybe later