What it is

A 1912 former post office transformed into an artful, ultra-luxe hotel with 390 serene rooms, five locally beloved bars and restaurants, and a heated outdoor pool.

What it isn't

Hangry. Among the many food joints on the premises is RUG bakery, where Noma-trained pastry chef Gonzalo Guarda churns out buttery cardamom buns, berliners and tebirkes.

What we think

Even in a city known for its aesthetic beauty, Villa Copenhagen ranks. The dazzling, century-old structure retains its ancestral charms, but was recently freshly revamped for today’s glitterati. Guest rooms are expertly curated with luxuries that will make you feel at home, including underfloor heating and rain forest showers in the bathrooms, herringbone wood floors, built-in wardrobes to keep you organized and sculptural light fixtures. Guests often find it’s worth upgrading to a Suite to feel like they have their own Copenhagen flat, thanks to the separate living and dining space, two king beds, and gallery walls that wow. The Shamballa Duplex Suite is 742 square feet on two levels, complete with a jaw-dropping spiral staircase.

You're here because

It’s among the rare Copenhagen hotels with a heated outdoor pool, and this one is particularly enchanting—with an adjacent terrace bar, 25-meter length and blonde wood sauna.

The Moment

In the gauzy light of the atrium Courtyard Bar, everything tastes divine…but especially this gin and tonic made from micro-batch Finnish gin using the fruits of the forest. You decide to go full-throttle Danish for dinner and order anchovies on sourdough with aioli and duck liver mousse with pickled vegetables. When in Copenhagen, as they say.

Restaurants & Bars

RUG Garden - offering pastries and pizza

Kontrast - brasserie offering cocktails and small bites

Courtyard Bar - offering light meals, coffee and cocktails

Location

Just a couple minutes walk from Tivoli Gardens and two blocks from NationalMuseet, the sprawling museum that’s home to ancient relics dating back to the Ice Age.