Sommerro’s Villa Inkognito Officially Opens its Doors as Oslo’s First-Ever Urban Villa

Posted in News on 21 April, 2023

The city’s newest gem blends luxury and subtle escapism to provide guests the ultimate private hideaway.

Following Sommerro’s grand opening in September 2022 as Oslo’s first luxury neighbourhood hotel, the property announced today the launch of Villa Inkognito, a private 11-suite retreat located next door. A rare gem offering a mix of luxury and escapism in Oslo’s vibrant West End, Villa Inkognito is unique to Oslo as the only urban villa available to book in its entirety or on an individual room basis. With highlights ranging from thoughtfully designed bedrooms to unmatched personalised service, Villa Inkognito is an elegant oasis meticulously designed to be the ultimate home away from home.

Villa Inkognito, Oslo, Norway. Suite. Francisco Nogueira

Originally built as a private residence in 1870 by architect Thøger Binneballe, Villa Inkognito has taken on many iterations throughout the years. Most notably the building was utilised as the office space for the Oslo Lysverker administration, the city’s original electrical company, in the 1950s before housing the Algerian embassy from 1980. Now part of Sommerro, this iconic building has come full circle with a new lease on life as a private villa, offering the ultimate in seclusion with its own dedicated hidden entrance. Guests are pampered with a personal host to make their stay as easy and seamless as possible, while enjoying full access to all of Sommerro’s amenities and services, including seven restaurants and bars, meeting and event spaces with capacity for up to 150 people, a 100-seat gilded theatre, a landmark wellness space featuring historic public baths, and the city’s first year-round rooftop pool, sauna, and terrace.

Deluxe Bathroom

Bespoke Designs from GRECODECO
Designed to capture the feel of a very stylish private home, Villa Inkognito comes alive through the vision of GRECODECO, the New York- and London-based studio that also directed the interior design of Sommerro’s living and social spaces. The GRECODECO team delved into the historic building’s past to create interior spaces embellished with a mix of antiques, original artwork, decorative details, and classic Scandinavian furnishings. The villa’s bedrooms, which range in size from cosy Standard Rooms to large-scale Suites and the uber-private Tower Room, are inspired by a range of eras including Classic Norwegian, Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, and a bit of Japonisme. The bedrooms boast opulent details and lush textiles, such as custom-designed furnishings with marquetried details recalling 19th century Norwegian motifs, bespoke hand-knotted rugs, beds from innovative Swedish sleep brand Hilding Anders, and dreamy bathrooms with custom tiles.

Stairs and terrace

Vibrant Public Spaces
A series of distinctly themed rooms, both chromatically and in spirit, make up the public areas of Villa Inkognito. The private entrance, separate from Sommerro’s main doors, offers a black and white colour scheme adorned with antique wallpaper from the U.S. The guest journey advances with each room in a wildly different colour scheme, much like Dorothy’s experience after the crash landing of her house into technicolor Oz. Guests can gather in several well-appointed living rooms, including a library, lounge, dining room, and open kitchen, where a private chef serves breakfast dishes for every taste, along with a fitness room in the basement and an outdoor area. Guests staying at Villa Inkognito can arrange private dinners and order in-suite dining from the best of Sommerro’s celebrated restaurants, while also having the opportunity to enjoy in-room wellness treatments from the experts at Vestkantbadet. 

Committed to a Sustainable Future
Sommerro made its mark as Norway’s largest-ever preservation project, with Villa Inkognito following in its footsteps as it upholds and enhances Nordic Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to eco-sustainability. With the villa’s interiors amazingly intact, every effort possible was made to renovate, refurbish, repolish, and repurpose all of the historic building’s existing materials, floors, and textiles. GRECODECO was also able to maintain the original layout of the rooms on the public floor and preserve the elaborate plaster ceilings with their detailed moldings and central medallions which were unique to each room. Original stone remaining from the renovation has been repurposed into décor pieces such as stone vases, and excess textiles have found new life in the villa’s vibrant public spaces and warm suites.

Deluxe Room

Sustainability extends beyond the tactile with the “Sommerro Standards,” a set of nine benchmarks the hotel uses to guide all day-to-day operations, partnerships, and policies that extend to Villa Inkognito. The standards focus on traditional environmental protection measures such as recycling and carefully selecting the types of ingredients used in the kitchen and guest amenities, as well as the materials used in the villa’s restoration, down to the staff uniforms. “Sommerro Standards” also emphasise the importance of preserving and protecting mental health of its staff, alongside support of locally-owned businesses and community initiatives. Villa Inkognito follows Sommerro’s 8-hour rule for employees to ensure work-life balance is always considered – 8 hours of work, 8 hours of fun, and 8 hours of sleep. The hotel prides itself on fostering a truly inclusive, collaborative, and enjoyable home for both employees and visitors alike.
www.villainkognito.com

About Sommerro
Set within a restored landmark 1930s building in Frogner, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oslo in the city’s West End, Sommerro is a celebration of Norwegian design, fusing form and function to become the city’s first art deco hotel and a modern tribute to Norwegian cultural heritage. Occupying the original building of the former headquarters of Oslo Lysverker, the city’s original electrical company, and a newly designed extension, the hotel features 231 rooms and luxury suites, four restaurants, three bars, a sprawling wellness space that brings back the city’s public baths, a series of historical meeting and event rooms, and a rooftop terrace. Sommerro is a two-minute walk to the local train station, providing easy access to Oslo Airport and beyond, and within close proximity to some of the city’s top attractions such as the Oslo Opera House and MUNCH. Sommerro is fueled by renewable energy, and local electric transport. The hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. www.sommerrohouse.com

About Nordic Hotels & Resorts
Nordic Hotels & Resorts is a collection of outstanding luxury properties, popular boutique hotels, and conceptual resort destinations. Each hotel provides captivating and curated guest experiences brought to life through devoted people, inspiring design, and great storytelling. We are the reason to travel.

www.nordichotels.com