Copenhagen might be a logical choice for a weekend away during the endless hazy days of summer, but the winter months bring this pearl of Scandinavia alive with festivity, with plenty of entertainment on offer for the avid explorer, particularly one with a glutton’s palate. With cheap last-last-minute flights up for grabs, I found a 6am departure, returning the following evening, for £46 and thus dashed off for a whirlwind 36 hours to explore the Danish capital.
Two pearls of wisdom if you only have a short time window; find yourself a hotel as central as possible and make sure it has bikes available to hire. The Andersen Hotel, situated in the somewhat hipster meatpacking district of Vesterbro, ticks both of those boxes; mere moments from the city’s central station, we were in our room within an hour of leaving the plane.
Having unveiled a new look earlier this year and won ‘Best Boutique Hotel’ at the Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards, the family-run independent boasts 69 rooms all uniquely decorated with wallpapers, fabrics and soft furnishing from Designers Guild in one of three striking colour schemes; vivid turquoise and lime, vibrant purple and striking fuchsia or calming blue and rich magenta. The focus is on design; in true Scandi style each aspect has been meticulously selected for maximum style, from the specially designed Frandsen lighting to the Philippe Starck bathrooms and beds from Better Bed Comfort. With four room sizes varying from the 13m square Cool to the Amazing Junior Suites - perfect if you’re travelling with family - each one comes with the little luxury of Molton Brown toiletries, a bathrobe and slippers and Andersen’s yellow rubber duck, to really make the most of your down time.
It’s easy to see why The Andersen is so popular, given the little extras that make for a special experience. There’s a daily wine hour in the lobby lounge from 5pm, offering guests complimentary vino to enjoy over one of the threes chess tables or stacks of books and magazines available to peruse. A pillow menu is available should you so desire it, there’s a honesty bar downstairs if you fancy a help-yourself nightcap, every second month sees art exhibitions held in the lobby and they can even supply you with a yoga mat if you fancy taking a class at the local Studio Vesterbro; everything about it is carefully thought out to ensure the best experience, but one where you very much feel at home.
The bikes, available to hire from DK130 per day (around £15) are an absolute godsend. Copenhagen’s a fairly compact city centre, but the infrastructure is incredibly bike-friendly, with separate bike lanes meaning you will never feel unsafe. Given our short timeframe, having The Andersen’s bikes to zip around town on made the world of difference, meaning we could tick off our sightseeing goals in mere minutes rather than navigating the city by foot.
Copenhagen might be awash with stylish design-led hotels, but given the cosy convenience and invaluable proximity of The Andersen, it’s certainly one you need on your radar.
Rooms from DK1125 (around £135) per night
www.andersen-hotel.dk
