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Former department stores, townhouses with a tale and eye-catching architecture – these are the very best Copenhagen hotels
Scandinavia has no shortage of super-cool cities, with the Danish capital among them – and if you’re in search of the some seriously chic Copenhagen hotels for a weekend break this year, look no further.
BEST COPENHAGEN HOTELS
With one of the top travel trends of the year being spontaneous travel, now is the ideal time to plan that impromptu city break to one of Europe’s most fashionable cities.
The famously colourful houses are emblems of Copenhagen, but it’s also home to repurposed industrial quarters on the water, cobbled streets and grand neoclassical buildings.
Along with some of the sleekest design hotels in Europe, Copenhagen is home to a stellar gastronomy scene – Noma, of 20-course meals and edible soil fame, is one of the most prized pilgrimages for self-respecting foodies the world over.
It may be on the small side, but the statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid is also worth a voyage to pay your respects to everyone’s favourite siren.
Fans of out-there architecture will be awed by AC Hotel Bella Sky, or can go for something more traditional with a stay at Hotel Skt Annae in a set of adjoining townhouses on a leafy square.
Whether you want to sleep in a former department store with a stay at Hotel Skt Petri, book in for Arabian nights at palatial Nimb or hang out with the hipsters at self-powered Coco Hotel, these are the very best Copenhagen hotels to check into this year.
And if you’re thinking of hitting the Mediterranean instead, you’ll want to check out our favourite hotels in Santorini and Mykonos.
Right beside the Tivoli Gardens – as well as City Hall Square and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum – Nobis has modernised the formerly stuffy concept of luxury. The heritage building was constructed in 1903 and its neoclassical façade still looks as grand as ever.
Inside, the minimalist rooms retain some of the period details, with views of the city, custom furnishings and contemporary takes on four-poster beds. At Noi, the food is almost too pretty to eat – and be sure to call in for a cocktail (or three) at the Marble Bar first, if only to appreciate the names.
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Polished wooden floors, beamed ceilings and a palette of forest green, rich blues and charcoal await at this homely hotel on a leafy square. Formed from a set of townhouses, Hotel Skt Annae’s hub is the fireplace-enhanced lounge and aptly named bar the Club, but the best views can be found on the rooftop (also available from the balcony of the penthouse).
Walls are graced by works by a local artist and portraits of the owners’ relatives, and there’s even some spray-painting in the courtyard. The restaurant in the atrium has a small menu of international favourites – and you’re just a short walk from the harbour and the Nyhavn neighbourhood for more eating and drinking options.
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Bringing a little Parisian style to the streets of Copenhagen, Coco Hotel mixes old and new, while staying sustainable – the hotel is part of the Cofoco restaurant group, which generates all of its own energy courtesy of its solar park in North Jutland.
Café Coco is a hipster-approved hub for locals and guests, with access to a lovely courtyard. Other sociable activities include staging a ping-pong tournament with your fellow guests on the fifth floor. And the Vesterbro neighbourhood may have once been the red-light district, but it’s now more popular with trendy types, thanks to its galleries, bars and quirky shops.
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Another one loved by hipsters, Hotel SP34 is in the lively Latin Quarter and just as cool as its neighbourhood (the hallways have exposed bricks, for a start). The eye-catching headboards were made to be Instagrammed, the carpets were designed to look like asphalt and the hotel even has its own chair, based on one found in the basement during the building works that was then restored and put into production.
There are three restaurants (including burger and cocktail bar Cocks & Cows and a secret garden), a cinema and several bars – and you’ll be competing for space with your cool new Copenhagen-dwelling friends.
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The only other acceptable use for a former department store is a stylish hotel, and that’s exactly what Skt Petri did with its former shopping-heaven shell, originally built in 1928. It’s in the heart of the city, which means that all of the main attractions are close by.
Fittingly for somewhere with such a fashionable past, the interiors keep things on-trend, with plenty of Scandi style and a whole load of hygge. Sociable sharing meals await at the Middle Eastern restaurant Dada, or you can settle into the courtyard in summer for pizzas straight out of the artisanal Italian oven.
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Within one of the most striking buildings in the city, AC Hotel Bella Sky is formed of two slanting towers, each climbing to almost 80 metres (and the architects would’ve kept going were it not for restrictions laid down by its proximity to the airport).
There’s a restaurant with red banquettes lining the floor-to-ceiling windows and a spa that spans a whopping 850 square metres. Unsurprisingly, the views from the bar on the 23rd floor are especially good.
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Appropriately named for its quayside setting, Copenhagen Admiral Hotel has been welcoming seafaring sorts (and everyone else) for more than four decades. The warehouse was built in 1787, but the hospitality awaiting inside is all modern. Room options include two-storey suites with wooden beams and views of the waterfront. It’s so central, the Queen of Denmark is basically its closest neighbour – good news for anyone not overly keen on sensible footwear.
Also bestowed with an apt moniker, Salt bar and restaurant is a local-approved hub with an impressive wine cellar. And in summer, Salt café sets up on the quay for cocktails and coffees with a view of the port, the Royal Playhouse and the Royal Opera House.
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A small, family-run boutique hotel in Osterbro, Rye115 may look like a hotel, but for all intents and purposes it’s basically your home for the duration of your visit (with the shared bathrooms for authenticity). It’s close to all kinds of cosy cafés, various restaurants and local-owned boutiques, and the neighbourhood is one of Copenhagen’s greenest, thanks mostly to the Faelledparken public common. Guests can also stroll past the lake to the Kastellet citadel or to the Little Mermaid at Langelinie.
The grand 1905 apartment has been kitted out in decorative wallpaper and vintage furniture by Nordic designers, sourced from all over the country. Days here begin with freshly baked buns and coffee, with more baked goods arriving (with a jazz soundtrack) in time for afternoon tea.
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A cute, colourful boutique hotel in fashionable Vesterbro, Andersen is an uplifting sort of stay with a decor that goes big on the bright tones and fabulous florals: the decor includes cheerful petal-covered cushions, fuchsia walls, flower murals and magenta rugs.
Here, you can help yourself to tea and coffee in the lounge (staff really want you to feel at home). There’s no restaurant on-site – just a terrace to have drinks on – but Vesterbro is one of the coolest quarters in the city and it’s close to the equally on-trend Kodbyen (Meatpacking District), too.
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It may look a little too much like the Taj Mahal to be a classic Copenhagen design den, but Nimb masterfully mixes its opulent exterior with Scandi style. It’s right by the Tivoli Gardens in the centre of the city, and its domes and spires match the architectural excess of its neighbours nicely (not to mention the peacocks strutting their stuff nearby).
The castle was built in 1909, with the original embellishments intact on one side and modernist latticework on the other. The rooftop pool and the bar are hangout spaces not to be missed, nor is the French fare at Nimb brasserie. The hotel’s amazingly named patisserie, Cakenhagen, is worth a visit, too.
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