In Copenhagen, the term ‘luxury’ has a different definition. Denmark is an extremely equality-driven place, where people find privilege a bit distasteful and open displays of wealth in bad form. There’s even an unofficial cultural rule about it, called Janteloven, which criticises anyone who thinks that they’re better than anyone else. So, when it comes to swanky hotels, don’t expect too much in the obvious glitz and glam category: luxury in these parts is understated rather than showy.

The very best of the city’s luxury hotels are supremely tasteful, with excellent service, and an approach that prioritises your comfort, making you feel at home. They focus on the little things that Danes hold dear: minimalist style (so no gold taps), a thoughtful approach, exquisite details and a sense of hygge. The best of the city’s luxury hotels make you feel special and are set in locations where you’re in the heart of the action and able to experience the very best of the city.

The best luxury hotels in Copenhagen

1. Nimb Hotel

The best of the best that the city has to offer is at Nimb, the fairytale-like faux castle in Tivoli Gardens whose 38 divine rooms and suites include behind the scenes and out of hours access to the historic theme park. Nothing is too much trouble here; rooms and suites are exquisitely designed with antiques and the best of the best Danish design, and service is the best in town. A rooftop pool, underground spa and tea room serving lavish cream teas in the afternoon and excellent champagne in the evening rounds it off.

Address: Bernstorffsgade 5, Copenhagen

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2. Hotel Sanders

Comfort is a watchword at Sanders, an intimate boutique hotel just off the city centre where comfy sofas and an excellent bar attract the best of the city’s well heeled locals. There’s an exclusive air to the hotel, whose 54 luxurious rooms are decked out in muted browns, golds and creams with rattan and bamboo touches, and were inspired by the golden age of train travel. The hotel is owned by a former ballet dancer, Alexander Kølpin, and it’s renowned as one of the classiest joints in town. Its bar, Tata, was inspired by theatre bars and regularly wins awards for its cocktails.

Address: Tordenskjoldsgade 15, Copenhagen

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3. Nobis Hotel Copenhagen

In the city’s former music academy, this beautifully-restored building is full of culture and history. Rooms are huge with high ceilings, four poster beds and marble bathrooms; there’s a spa in the basement and apartments to rent on the upper floors for anyone staying longer in the city. Being close to Tivoli Gardens, where international touring musicians play in the summer, it’s hosted a fair few celebrity guests. All the furniture is hand-picked with a heritage feel; expect buttery sofas in the lounges, beautifully handcrafted desks in the bedrooms and an organic bath bomb beside your egg-shaped tub in the bathroom. A compact spa in the basement offers a Danish-style cold water plunge without having to go to the harbour; the courtyard garden hosts summer drinks events and there’s a Nordic restaurant in the basement. The vast breakfast buffet is fantastic.

Address: Niels Brocks Gade 1, Copenhagen

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4. Audo Copenhagen hotel

The northern Copenhagen harbourside district of Nordhavn is becoming renowned for its modern architecture and liveability. On Århusgade, the area’s buzziest street, The Audo is part design and furniture showroom, part exhibition space and part hotel. Its suites and double rooms are tastefully, romantically designed, at least by Copenhagen standards, and feel like a retreat. All of them have a fridge, mini bar and coffee machine, as well as the most beautiful curated art and furniture collections, terracotta walls, sloping ceilings reflecting the historic building, and collections of art books to browse. Bike rental is on offer and there’s a cafe on the ground floor but there’s little else in terms of services (though they do provide a curated city guide); it’s sold as a home-from-home style apartment stay.

Address: Århusgade 130, Copenhagen

Price: From £312

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5. d’Angleterre hotel

You can’t talk about luxury in Copenhagen without mentioning d’Angleterre, the grande dame of the city’s hotels. Dominating one side of Kongens Nytorv, one of the city’s main squares, it wouldn’t look out of place in Paris with its neoclassical architecture and in many ways, looks more like a palace than the King’s residence at Amalienborg. Inside, it is a classic five star hotel, very upmarket and rather formal. Rooms have chandeliers, sumptuous fabrics and an elevated, exclusive air; the Royal Suite has one of the largest balconies in the city, overlooking the square. Marchal, the hotel restaurant, serves modern French with a Nordic touch and has a Michelin star; the hotel also has an exclusive spa with an Asia-meets-Nordic charm.

Address: Kongens Nytorv 34, Copenhagen

Price: From £637

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6. Hotel Kong Arthur

The setting for a superlative Copenhagen experience, Kong Arthur is hidden off a street by the Copenhagen lakes and feels like a special hideaway. While they sell it as a ‘live like a local’ experience, it feels more elevated than that, with muted colours on the walls, a superb art collection, parquet floors, beautiful furniture and a minimalist touch. The lobby-lounge has a welcoming fireplace and a modern meets classic feel; the stand out rooms are the loft apartments which include a living room as well as a bedroom. There’s a spa next door offering massages and beauty treatments, and Copenhagen’s popular food market, Torvehallerne, is just down the street.

Address: Nørre Søgade 11, Copenhagen

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7. The Darling hotel

This one is straight out of the little black book of design-loving travellers: The Darling is in prime location on Amagertorv in the historical centre of Copenhagen and offers two perfectly appointed apartments for rent. Choose from The Classic or The Grand – each sleeping two – where you can enjoy the best location in town twinned with the absolute pinnacle of Danish design, with pieces from Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl as well as an art collection hand selected from local galleries and a kitchen that you will drool over. It’s like staying at the house of your most cultured and tasteful design-loving friend – and everything, right down to the wallpaper, can be bought as a souvenir. Book a private chef for an exquisite meal to remember, or just wander down the street to one of the city’s many excellent restaurants.

Address: Niels Hemmingsensgade 1, 2nd floor, Copenhagen

Price: From £785

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8. The Krane hotel

Another of Copenhagen’s unique one-roomed hotels, The Krane is a piece of maritime history, located on the harbour beside a marina in one of the city’s newest neighbourhoods, Nordhavn. You’ve guessed it: it used to be a crane, and it’s been converted into a sweet and quirky luxury stay for two, with all black furniture, black walls and uplifting views of the sea and sky. A stay here includes access to an exclusive spa, concierge team, plus breakfast, drinks and snacks. Guests are met from the airport; nothing is too much trouble. It’s a thoroughly unique experience.

Address: Kalkbrænderiløbskaj 10, Copenhagen

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9. Radisson Collection Royal Hotel

The world’s first design hotel, Radisson Collection Royal Hotel is a bold 1960s tower down the street from Copenhagen’s central station, emblazoned with SAS on the top. It was designed by Arne Jacobsen, the city’s famed completist architect, who attended to every detail from the architecture to the door handles and ash trays. You can still see his historic designs if you ask the concierge: room 606 has been preserved as a time capsule, complete with graphic print bedlinen and blue-green colours, referencing the city’s copper rooftops. The hotel’s modern day bedrooms have a more modern Nordic style, with wood panelled walls and beige colours; the Panorama Suite at the very top is the best of the best, with views from all four walls over the city, parquet flooring and Arne Jacobsen’s famous mid century modern furniture throughout.

Address: Hammerichsgade 1, Copenhagen

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10. NH Collection Copenhagen hotel

The city’s newest five star hotel is also perched on the harbour, this time in historic Christianshavn, and offers a spoiling experience. Enter up the escalators to a darkly-lit lobby and lounge area, and then relax in an opulent hotel room decorated in gold, dark chocolate and chartreuse. It’s an elegant and professional business hotel with 394 rooms, and has hosted royalty, dignitaries and politicians including Catherine, Princess of Wales, thanks to its location close to the Danish parliament. The hotel’s stand-out feature is its rooftop bar ROOF, which offers views across the whole of the harbourside served with cocktails, mocktails and superlative snacks.

Address: Strandgade 7, Christianshavn, Copenhagen

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11. Copenhagen Marriott Hotel

While many of Copenhagen’s historic boutique hotels struggle to give their guests much space, that’s certainly not true of the Marriott. A five-star experience right on the harbour in a quiet, largely business-focused part of town, it’s a modern hotel offering huge rooms and vast floor-to-ceiling windows with sea views. The double height lobby is dazzling on a good day, looking out to a harbourside walk and the yellow harbour ferry route. Inside, expect to find modern Nordic rooms with plenty of blonde wood and blue hues, along with an American-style grill restaurant, sauna, steam room and fitness centre. Just along the harbourside from the hotel at Kalvebod Byrgge you can watch daring kids jump off high platforms in summer, or join in with a little harbour swimming yourself.

Address: Kalvebod Brygge 5, Copenhagen

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FAQs

What is the currency in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen uses the Danish krone.

Where to shop in Copenhagen

Strøget is one of the city’s most notable streets, with the department store Illum plus contemporary furniture and design store HAY, alongside some other recognisable high street shops. Check out the fashionable Pilestræde, as well as Blågårdsgade, Jægersborggade and Elmegade, for boutique and vintage shopping.

What is Copenhagen most famous for?

One of Copenhagen’s best-known landmarks is the Little Mermaid Statue on the banks of the Langelinie promenade, based on the 1827 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who lived most of his life in the city. Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, is also a major attraction, as well as Freetown Christiania, a hippie settlement founded in 1971 and occupied by counter-culture residents.

Where to eat and drink in Copenhagen

Copenhagen has an impressive coffee bar and bakery reputation. Some of the best include The Coffee Collective, Andersen & Maillard, Juno, Hart, Lille and Meyers Bageri.

Smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich), Danish hot dogs and natural wine are popular in the city.

If you can’t decide on dinner, the famous Reffen street food market, the largest of its kind in the Nordics, offers a wide range of choices to tuck into while overlooking the waterfront.

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