BACKGROUND
Copenhagen’s grand Hotel d’Angleterre originally opened in 1755, beginning its life first as a restaurant, and later becoming the English Club, a neoclassical palace, and a seat for the German high command in the Second World War. During its history, it was rebuilt twice after burning down.
The current owner of the hotel decided to close the property in 2011 to allow for an ambitious two-year restoration project that saw the addition of a champagne bar, the rebirth of its Palm Court ballroom, a spa and an indoor swimming pool, as well as renovated and expanded bedrooms (the room count went from 120 to 90). The property reopened in 2013.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
The result of the extensive facelift, which has preserved as many of the original features as possible, is a stunning, five-star hotel brought up to date with all the comforts of the 21st-century. Plenty of attention has been given, too, to fresh floral displays in the entrance that change throughout the day and night, real wood fires in the lounge, Denmark’s state-of-the-art B&O technology, and warm service.
WHERE IS IT?
On Kongns Nytorv (King’s Square), near the pretty coloured canalside street of Nyhavn in the centre of the city. The square itself is currently being excavated for the building of a new metro station, so much of it was behind hoardings when I stayed at February. It is a 20-minute drive from Copenhagen airport.
ROOM FACILITIES
All rooms retain a level of classicism, but with fresh new soft furnishings, paintwork, carpets, marble flooring, and Bang and Olufsen technology. The gentle colour schemes revolve around purple, green, blue, gold or grey themes. Everything feels very well designed and comfortable.
Entry-level, 25 sqm Superior rooms have walk-in showers but no baths. Suites start from 40 sqm and have both rainshowers and tubs, along with living areas, walk-in wardrobes and media hubs. Some also have access to small outdoor terraces with city views. (At night it can be quite noisy so you might want to keep your windows closed.)
Standard features and amenities throughout all rooms include free wifi, air conditioning, workdesks, 40-inch televisions with complimentary movies, minibars, Nespresso machines, safes with laptop chargers, robes and slippers, and douche toilets with heated seats.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The property’s street-facing Marchal restaurant has retained its Michelin star, and features several sections in which to sit, as well as a large buffet station where food is laid out for breakfast in the morning. (The variety and quality is exceptional and à la carte dishes are available too.) Lunch and brunch are served in the restaurant as well.
I ate dinner here one evening, sitting by the window. Staff were sensitive in that they didn’t not keep coming over the table to ask if everything was okay, but were at the same time present when needed, and explained dishes in detail when presenting them.
The food was artistic, surprising and flavoursome, with a menu listing exclusively meat and fish dishes (apart from the desserts – try the French toast with vanilla ice cream and cloudberries).
As well as caviar, there were nine starters to choose from, with a mix of modern European and Danish elements. Examples included brown crab with celery and green strawberries; razor clam with radish and dill cream; and beef tartar with green sorrel, horseradish and leek ash. (Prices from Kr 160-200/£15.50-£19).
There were only four main courses (to share), and these were Chateaubriand, monkfish served on the bone, fried pigeon and lobster. My companion and I had the last, which was served “two ways” and priced at Kr 500 (£48.50) per person.
The first dish was a delicate bowl of shredded lobster, piled on top of thin wafers of green apple and pillows of potato gnocchi in a rich, creamy, cheese bisque. It was utterly delicious.
The second serving was lobster tail baked in pine needles and served with braised lettuce, a deep green parsley purée, shaved raw broccoli and hollandaise sauce. Together with the firm lobster flesh, the accompanying components brought every mouthful to life. A meal to savour.
Copenhagen’s first and only champagne bar, Balthazar, opened at Hotel d’Angleterre in 2012. It can be accessed both from the street or via a secret underground corridor (past the spa), through a door that can be unlocked with a room key, and then up a flight of stairs.
The first thing you see is a giant glass cabinet of Dom Pérignon. When I visited, there were several groups of jovial professionals enjoying after-work drinks, and contemporary beats playing overhead. It’s moody and opulent with lots of purple and black, but not overly formal. The menu lists 160 different champagnes from Kr 135-380 (£13-£38) a glass, and caviar and oysters are also available.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES
The prestigious Louis XVI ballroom is the oldest venue in the hotel, which this year celebrates its 260th birthday. Featuring double-height windows, soft drapes, parquet flooring, crystal chandeliers and gilded mirrors, it can host up to 180 guests.
As with the rest of the property, all the meeting space was tastefully renovated, and the elegant Palm Court, adjacent, can accommodate 400 people (the two can easily be opened up and combined). It has attractive marble pillars, potted palms and a stunning stained glass ceiling that lets in light.
For smaller events, there is the Gallery for 100 people, the Empire private dining room that can seat 50 delegates, and four Salons (I, II, III and IV), three of which are interconnected. Each has a capacity of 40 guests. There is no business centre but laptops can be borrowed.
LEISURE FACILITIES
The 400 sqm subterranean spa has five treatment rooms and is open to both guests and the public from 7am to 9pm weekdays and 8am to 7pm weekends. It is dimly lit and smells wonderful.
The d’Angleterre is the only hotel in the city to have a swimming pool. Measuring ten metres by 12 metres and accessed via the spa, it is for guests-only – when I was there early one evening, there was no one else using it.
There are also saunas and steam rooms, as well as a small 24-hour workout studio with Technogym equipment.
VERDICT
The historic Hotel d’Angleterre has been restored beautifully, making it a very special hotel to stay in. It is well-located near Nyhavn, although on-going construction work on the square in front spoils the view from the ground floor a bit. For business people, there is a choice of luxurious event space, and the spa and pool are a plus when you need to unwind at the end of the day. It also features a Michelin-star restaurant. Highly recommended.
FACT FILE
The current owner of the hotel decided to close the property in 2011 to allow for an ambitious two-year restoration project that saw the addition of a champagne bar, the rebirth of its Palm Court ballroom, a spa and an indoor swimming pool, as well as renovated and expanded bedrooms (the room count went from 120 to 90). The property reopened in 2013.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
The result of the extensive facelift, which has preserved as many of the original features as possible, is a stunning, five-star hotel brought up to date with all the comforts of the 21st-century. Plenty of attention has been given, too, to fresh floral displays in the entrance that change throughout the day and night, real wood fires in the lounge, Denmark’s state-of-the-art B&O technology, and warm service.
WHERE IS IT?
On Kongns Nytorv (King’s Square), near the pretty coloured canalside street of Nyhavn in the centre of the city. The square itself is currently being excavated for the building of a new metro station, so much of it was behind hoardings when I stayed at February. It is a 20-minute drive from Copenhagen airport.
ROOM FACILITIES
All rooms retain a level of classicism, but with fresh new soft furnishings, paintwork, carpets, marble flooring, and Bang and Olufsen technology. The gentle colour schemes revolve around purple, green, blue, gold or grey themes. Everything feels very well designed and comfortable.
Entry-level, 25 sqm Superior rooms have walk-in showers but no baths. Suites start from 40 sqm and have both rainshowers and tubs, along with living areas, walk-in wardrobes and media hubs. Some also have access to small outdoor terraces with city views. (At night it can be quite noisy so you might want to keep your windows closed.)
Standard features and amenities throughout all rooms include free wifi, air conditioning, workdesks, 40-inch televisions with complimentary movies, minibars, Nespresso machines, safes with laptop chargers, robes and slippers, and douche toilets with heated seats.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The property’s street-facing Marchal restaurant has retained its Michelin star, and features several sections in which to sit, as well as a large buffet station where food is laid out for breakfast in the morning. (The variety and quality is exceptional and à la carte dishes are available too.) Lunch and brunch are served in the restaurant as well.
I ate dinner here one evening, sitting by the window. Staff were sensitive in that they didn’t not keep coming over the table to ask if everything was okay, but were at the same time present when needed, and explained dishes in detail when presenting them.
The food was artistic, surprising and flavoursome, with a menu listing exclusively meat and fish dishes (apart from the desserts – try the French toast with vanilla ice cream and cloudberries).
As well as caviar, there were nine starters to choose from, with a mix of modern European and Danish elements. Examples included brown crab with celery and green strawberries; razor clam with radish and dill cream; and beef tartar with green sorrel, horseradish and leek ash. (Prices from Kr 160-200/£15.50-£19).
There were only four main courses (to share), and these were Chateaubriand, monkfish served on the bone, fried pigeon and lobster. My companion and I had the last, which was served “two ways” and priced at Kr 500 (£48.50) per person.
The first dish was a delicate bowl of shredded lobster, piled on top of thin wafers of green apple and pillows of potato gnocchi in a rich, creamy, cheese bisque. It was utterly delicious.
The second serving was lobster tail baked in pine needles and served with braised lettuce, a deep green parsley purée, shaved raw broccoli and hollandaise sauce. Together with the firm lobster flesh, the accompanying components brought every mouthful to life. A meal to savour.
Copenhagen’s first and only champagne bar, Balthazar, opened at Hotel d’Angleterre in 2012. It can be accessed both from the street or via a secret underground corridor (past the spa), through a door that can be unlocked with a room key, and then up a flight of stairs.
The first thing you see is a giant glass cabinet of Dom Pérignon. When I visited, there were several groups of jovial professionals enjoying after-work drinks, and contemporary beats playing overhead. It’s moody and opulent with lots of purple and black, but not overly formal. The menu lists 160 different champagnes from Kr 135-380 (£13-£38) a glass, and caviar and oysters are also available.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES
The prestigious Louis XVI ballroom is the oldest venue in the hotel, which this year celebrates its 260th birthday. Featuring double-height windows, soft drapes, parquet flooring, crystal chandeliers and gilded mirrors, it can host up to 180 guests.
As with the rest of the property, all the meeting space was tastefully renovated, and the elegant Palm Court, adjacent, can accommodate 400 people (the two can easily be opened up and combined). It has attractive marble pillars, potted palms and a stunning stained glass ceiling that lets in light.
For smaller events, there is the Gallery for 100 people, the Empire private dining room that can seat 50 delegates, and four Salons (I, II, III and IV), three of which are interconnected. Each has a capacity of 40 guests. There is no business centre but laptops can be borrowed.
LEISURE FACILITIES
The 400 sqm subterranean spa has five treatment rooms and is open to both guests and the public from 7am to 9pm weekdays and 8am to 7pm weekends. It is dimly lit and smells wonderful.
The d’Angleterre is the only hotel in the city to have a swimming pool. Measuring ten metres by 12 metres and accessed via the spa, it is for guests-only – when I was there early one evening, there was no one else using it.
There are also saunas and steam rooms, as well as a small 24-hour workout studio with Technogym equipment.
VERDICT
The historic Hotel d’Angleterre has been restored beautifully, making it a very special hotel to stay in. It is well-located near Nyhavn, although on-going construction work on the square in front spoils the view from the ground floor a bit. For business people, there is a choice of luxurious event space, and the spa and pool are a plus when you need to unwind at the end of the day. It also features a Michelin-star restaurant. Highly recommended.
FACT FILE
- HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 90 rooms including 60 suites.
- HIGHLIGHTS The sumptuous décor, free wifi, excellent service and indoor swimming pool, as well as top-class options for entertaining.
- PRICE Internet rates for midweek stay in June started from Kr 3,000 (£291) for a Superior room.
- CONTACT Hotel d’Angleterre, 34 Kongns Nytorv, Copenhagen; tel +45 3312 0095; dangleterre.com
