Words by Kerry Potter
Image: Hotel Babette Guldsmeden
The first thing I wanted to do on arrival at the newly-opened Babette was stroke everything – the interior is wonderfully textured and tactile. The soft leather Chesterfield lobby sofas, the amazing cow-hide lift interior, the fluffy throws, the grey stone free-standing baths – I loved it all. The lobby area is riot of colour: the cushions, the light fittings, the bold modern art on the walls. Much of the furniture is imported from Bali, where the hotel group has an outpost, and with it comes a bright’n’breezy, sunshiney vibe. Our wooden four-poster bed came with crisp white sheets and orange striped cushions and curtains. The colourful, rustic Balinese pieces mixed with precision Scandi design (the lamps, for example) give Babette a unique style.
The rooms are on the small side, although ours had a little balcony, on which we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed a beer from the bar on the ground floor. If you want a hotel that’s in the centre of everything, this probably isn’t the best choice – it’s in peaceful, elegant neighbourhood full of art galleries and the fantastic Design Museum, but there isn’t a great deal of nightlife close by and the hotel bar isn’t a local hipster hangout. That said, the bus that goes from just outside the door is excellent; it runs every five minutes through the night and will whisk you down to the livelier Latin Quarter within minutes. For park strolls, walks by the waterside and a bit of R&R though, Babette is a great spot.
Best room: 408 is a sprawling suite that has a balcony overlooking the park, a four poster bed and a huge bath.
Best dish: The vast, organic breakfast buffet is seriously impressive. We scoffed a disgusting amount of homemade rye bread and nutty granola.
Design: See above – the Balinese meets Nordic décor has the wow-factor. Even the hotel’s turquoise hire bicycles, lined up outside, look stylish.
What’s hot? Everything about the interiors, fixtures and fittings, especially the amazing, deep baths that you won’t ever want to emerge from. We also rated the hangover-friendly breakfast times – it’s served until midday on weekends. Then there’s that peaceful, zen ambience that Copenhageners do so well.
What’s not? The niggles were minor. The horribly bright, unflattering lighting in the bar (hey, it matters!). The fact that we had to build our own teabags at breakfast, faffing about with loose leaves and fiddly muslin sacks, thus delaying our caffeine fix by a few precious minutes. And the hippyish mantras displayed throughout – eg, “Wherever you go, go with your heart” – didn’t fly with this cynical Brit.
Who stays: Cool twenty- and thirty-something European couples and groups of friends, including an increasing numbers of Brits. And the cast of Midsomer Murders who filmed an episode in Copenhagen (the rural crime drama is <huge> in Scandinavia, apparently. Who’d have thought it?!)
Location & getting there: It’s in a peaceful, green corner of north central Copenhagen, near the Little Mermaid statue on the waterfront and opposite the citadel. Osterport metro station is a five minute walk from the hotel, and easy to reach from the airport – it takes about 25 minutes and you only need to make one change.
Number of rooms: 98
Check-in/out times: 3pm/ 12 noon.
Swimming pool: no.
Spa: It hadn’t opened when we stayed, but it will be on the rooftop and include a Jacuzzi, sauna and cold plunge pool. If you’re staying in a standard room, you’ll have to pay a small extra charge to use it.
Dogs welcome: Yes.
Wifi: Yes, free throughout the hotel.
Eating & drinking: The bar is very small, and was crammed with guests on aSaturday night. Unusually, all drinks are organic – we tried various Scandinavian beers (if it’s organic, it’s healthy, right?). We didn’t eat in the hotel’s restaurant but it serves a wide range of organic bistro dishes, including tapas, salads and steak and chips.
Bredgade 78, 1260 Copenhagen K, Denmark, +45 3314 1500, guldsmedenhotels.com, Doubles from £130, room only, 4 stars
