A tiny cafe (for excellent coffee) with a tinier hotel on top of it (just one room) — you can't get more intimate than that. Stays include a breakfast at the wonderful Granola café down the block.
Tullinsgade 1,
1610 København, Denmark
+45-33-210-095
A living mid-century, modern furniture, showroom doubles as a hotel, each room filled with ‘50s and '60s details. Sleep in rooms dedicated to the great Dane designers: Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl. Stealing that chair for home might be a little harder than the hotel toiletries, but try anyway.
H. C. Andersens Blvd. 8
Copenhagen, 1553
+45-33-744-444
A floating hotel on the Copenhagen port could have been so kitschy but was saved by Danish aesthetics and sensibilities. All twelve rooms are cozy yet sleek, furnished with a mix of high-low details from the likes of Ikea and the Arne Jacobson. It's no frills in the best way possible, and the popular spots are only a fifteen-minute walk away.
Langebrogade 1C
Copenhagen, 1411
+45-61-608-546
For big groups or for those looking for something more residential, 172 apartment-type rooms designed by the internationally loved HAY design team is a 15-minute bike ride from the city. Choose from a studio to a three-bedroom apartment, all decked out with HAY furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows (get a room overlooking the canal). Reception staff are helpful and can score you a bike as well as point you to the property's gourmet bakery.
Islands Brygge 79A
Copenhagen, 2300
+45-72-444-434
Sure, the recently refurbished rooms are luxurious (polished marble, plush carpets), the building historic (around since 1755), and the subterranean spa has the only indoor pool in the neighborhood. But you're really here for the food at the Michelin-starred Marchal and drinks at the always buzzy Balthazar Champagne bar.
Kongens Nytorv 34
Copenhagen, 1050
+45-33-120-095
Natural light floods parts of the lobby through skylights, illuminating artwork dotting the walls and shining on nooks where guests chat and work. Rooms are a study in modern Danish design: clean lines and muted colors. The library lounge is cozy, Nordic restaurant Väkst resides in the large greenhouse, and all the good shopping is right outside.
Sankt Peders Stræde 34
Copenhagen, 1453
+45-33-133-000
A cozy nineteenth-century townhouse nestled in the hip Vesterbro neighborhood. Rustic Balinese interiors are filled with Persian rugs and Indonesian furniture. Ask for a room facing the landscaped courtyard and don't miss the organic breakfast spread. The homemade vanilla yogurt topped with brown-bread cereal, acacia honey, and almonds is to die for.
Vesterbrogade 107
Copenhagen, 1620
+45-70-208-107
Architecture stars 3XN designed Scandinavia's largest hotel with environmentally conscious details like a living wall of vegetation. The progressively designed structure tilts at twice the angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, ensuring expansive views from every room. It's mid-way between the airport and city, next to the convention site Bella Center. Not the most convenient location, but if you plan on touring the architectural wonders of Ørestad (and you should) it's a great place to set up camp.
Center Boulevard 5
Copenhagen, 2300
+45-32-473-000
Walking distance to Tivoli Gardens, the train station, and Meatpacking District. Cozy guest rooms are done up in brightly colored Designers Guild textiles. Breakfast, wifi, and bikes are free. Their Concept24 is especially cool — once you check in the room is yours for a full 24 hours (awkward travel schedules be damned).
Helgolandsgade 12
Copenhagen, 1653
+45-33-314-610
Moorish-style palace overlooking Tivoli Gardens, the world's second oldest amusement park. Views of vintage roller coasters, Bang & Olfusen electronics, and fireplaces are a few of the perks enjoyed by guests. While antique furnishings adorn the hotel's interiors, there's an understated modernism that rings true to the typical Danish aesthetic. Curl up with a book in one of the cozy nooks or stop by Nimb Bar where artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen's pen and ink drawings decorate the walls.
Bernstorffsgade 5
Copenhagen, 1577
+45-88-700-000