Words by Kerry Potter
Image: Hotel SP34
As we arrived at Hotel SP34 on a warm spring Friday evening, the hotel bar’s pavement terrace was peppered with cool Copenhagen kids, mostly wearing Cos and hipster glasses, relaxing with a glass of rosé, post work.
Inside the deceptively large townhouse (well, three townhouses joined together), things were equally laid-back and stylish. No one does interior design like the Danes, and SP34 is no slouch on that front: the rooms, lobby, bar and restaurants are all straight out of the pages of an ELLE Deco shoot.
We loved the warm wooden floors, soft grey walls, clean-line mid-century modern furniture and gorgeous vintage coloured glass lamps. Our room had huge windows, through which the sun streamed in, the following morning. It was smallish, but on a city break, you don’t spend much time in it, do you? The bathroom was a chic wet room, complete with REN toiletries.
The design may be grand, but the staff were anything but – service is friendly and helpful, without being OTT. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better location for exploring Copenhagen – SP34 is very central and in the bohemian, bustling Latin Quarter, with its pastel-painted houses, quirky shops and buzzy bars.
Best room: 126, for its big bed and quiet location overlooking the courtyard.
Best dish: the moreish aubergine crisps tapas in the hotel’s Bar Moritz Spanish restaurant.
Design: Cool but not too cool for school. The effect is industrial, but with softer edges (the distressed wooden restaurant tables, for example, and the candles flickering everywhere). It manages to be ultra-stylish without being stark.
What’s hot? Er, the men – the Danes are a devilishly handsome bunch. And the buzzy, hedonistic feel – exactly what you want from a city break hotel. You feel like you’re in the centre of the action. Special shout-out to the delicious breakfast too – a healthy, organic buffet, in which the bread, juices, smoothies and granola are all home-made.
What’s not? The early morning fire alarm malfunction was a drag but presumably isn’t a regular occurrence. And if you have a street-facing room, be warned: the neighbouring bars are open until at least 2am, so there’s some noise. But hopefully you will be carousing in said bars, rather than having a boring early night.
Who stays: Danish business people in the week, couples and small groups of friends on city breaks at the weekend. Guests are predominantly Scandinavian but there are increasing numbers of in-the-know Brits staying.
Location & getting there: It’s in the lively Latin Quarter, in the city centre. From the airport, it’s an easy 20 minute underground ride to Nørreport station, and then a five minute walk from there.
Number of rooms: 118
Check-in/out times: 3pm/ 11am
Swimming pool: no.
Spa: no.
Dogs welcome: no.
Wifi: yes, free throughout the hotel.
Eating & drinking: You’re spoilt for choice. There are two restaurants in the hotel: Cocks & Cows is a busy, fun US diner, for all your posh burger and chips needs, while Bar Moritz is a friendly Spanish/French bistro.
You can drink in the lounge bar (which runs Wine Hour, meaning a free glass of red between 5pm and 6pm every day for residents – result!), the small outdoor terrace on the 1st floor, or next door at the hip drinking den, Din Nye Ven.
Sankt Peders Stræde 34 1453 Copenhagen C, Denmark, +45 3313 3000, brochner-hotels.dk, Double rooms from £130, 5 stars
