Nordic Adventures

As far as Nordic cities go, Copenhagen is possibly the loveliest. Surrounded by canals and offering a pleasing mix of ancient and ultra-contemporary architecture, Copenhagen is a place that moves to its own beat. The city has almost entirely foregone cars and replaced them with bikes – there are as many bikes lanes as car lanes, and certainly more bikes than almost anywhere else in the world – and at the same time it has invested heavily in beautifying and expanding its public spaces, including parks and historic sites. To get a real taste for Denmark’s capital, it’s important to stay in hotels that reflect Copenhagen’s ethos, places like sister properties Andersen Hotel and Absalon Hotel.

ANDERSEN HOTEL

Vesterbro is a vibrant district in Copenhagen. Here, you’ll find the dynamic Meatpacking District, with its trendy restaurants and bars, as well as the famed Tivoli Gardens theme park, a longtime favorite of adults and children alike. Vesterbro is also home to the Andersen Hotel, a colorful boutique property with 69 rooms splashed in festive hues of red, green, fuchsia and turquoise.

While you can stay in a number of stylishly designed rooms (with names like Brilliant, Cool and Wonderful), opt for the spacious Amazing junior suite. These suites feature a comfy oversized bed, a lounge corner with a sofa bed and are flooded with light. Guest amenities include

free Wi-Fi, a Samsung LED TV, a minibar stocked with goodies and a Nespresso machine for that necessary shot of caffeine. Toiletries are by Molton Brown, to enjoy in the Philippe Starck bathroom. The yellow rubber duck you’ll find inside the bathroom is yours to take home!

Another most convenient offering is a smartphone to carry with you wherever you go in Copenhagen. Connected to the Internet and featuring free local and international calls, this nifty device allows you to remain connected wherever you are, whether in the Danish capital or on exploratory adventures outside the city, perhaps to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art or the northern city of Helsingor.

If you book directly with Andersen Hotel, your room rate includes a sprawling organic breakfast buffet, featuring a selection of freshly baked bread, including gluten-free options, Danish pastries, fruit salad, porridge, cheese, charcuterie, jam, eggs and much more. Breakfast is served in the ground-floor dining area adjacent to the lobby, in a colorful space doused in shades of fuchsia, purple and beige.

Andersen Hotel also provides guests with rental bikes, allowing you to navigate and explore the city at your own pace. There’s no better way to get to know the quietly charming Nordic metropolis.

For more info, visit andersen-hotel.dk

ABSALON HOTEL

Right across the street from the Andersen Hotel stands the stately Absalon Hotel, an elegant 161-room hotel that was founded in 1938 and remains a family owned property. A sister hotel to Andersen, Absalon offers much of the same amenities, but while Andersen feels like an intimate boutique hotel, Absalon is grander, busier and constantly buzzing with upbeat energy.

For your Absalon Hotel stay, choose a super-quiet, topfloor Superior Room, with either courtyard or street views. These spacious havens are created by Londonbased Designers Guild and feature king-size beds, 40-inch LED TVs, free Wi-Fi and Nespresso machines. The sprawling bathrooms all have tubs, plus Philippe Starck design elements. And like the Andersen, Absalon Hotel offers guests a handy smartphone to carry across the city, allowing constant connection and ease of navigation.

One innovative feature at Absalon Hotel is Concept24, available if you book directly with the hotel. Under this novel rule, guests are allowed to keep their room for 24 hours, regardless of their check-in time. For example, if you check in at 8pm, you can keep your room until 8pm the next day – this is particularly convenient if you have a late flight or need to use your room prior to departing the hotel. Concept24 is also available at Andersen Hotel.

When staying at Absalon Hotel, be sure to check out the ground-floor bar. Decorated in a blissful mix of greens, blues, beiges and grays, the bar serves delectable cocktails and regularly hosts musicians, singers and DJs. The back 274portion of the bar becomes a restaurant in the morning: this is where a generous buffet breakfast is served daily. Breakfast offerings include cereal, yogurt, cheese, jam, bread, smoked fish and ham, plus a fresh selection of croissants and Danish pastries: a great way to fuel up before heading out to explore the city.

This being Copenhagen, bikes are available for rent at the hotel, making it easy for you to tour the city. The hotel’s front desk staff can also arrange various other activities for guests. Available 24 hours and fluent in various languages, attendants can organize tours, recommend restaurants (and reserve a table), get Tivoli Gardens tickets or book a sightseeing boat tour along the city’s waterways. Staying at Absalon Hotel, it’s easy to fall in love with the Vesterbro neighborhood – and all of Copenhagen.

For more info, visit absalon-hotel.dk