How did it strike you on arrival?
Never mind hygge—this hotel takes Danish comfort and contentment to new heights. The formula is simple: smiling staff who seemingly can’t do enough to help, beautiful design, and terrific food and drink. Let’s start with the name. The owner and creator is one of Denmark’s most famous ballet dancers, Alexander Kølpin. Alexander’s…. Xander’s… Sanders. After his successful dancing career, he rejoined the family business and bought the run-down Opera Hotel. Kølpin took it from 90 rooms to 54, and commissioned the London-based design firm Lind + Almond to create the perfect interior for the place. It combines a bit of Danish mid-century modern, a bit of colonial British (wickerwork here and there, plus palms in pots), and a classic French bistro-style restaurant in a way that achieves the Holy Grail of hotel design. Instead of a pastiche, the hotel feels like it organically got this look over many years of collecting. Look out for the photos of famous dancers on the walls; you may spot Kølpin himself. The area is also ideal. It’s on a side street, so there isn't much traffic outside, but just walk to the end of the street and you are at Kongens Nytorv, the heart of downtown.
Nice. What’s the crowd like?
While no doubt there will be successful business execs staying here, it feels a waste (especially since most rooms don't have desks). This is a place for—and filled with—families and couples visiting over a long weekend. (Rooms 101, 201, 301, 305, and 405 all have connecting rooms, ideal for people with kids.) Both the bar (Tata) and the restaurant (Sanders Kitchen) have access from the street, which was deliberate, so locals can drop in without feeling they have to go through the lobby under the watchful eye of the concierge. The staff wants this place to be part of the neighborhood, which it is.
The good stuff: Tell us about your room.
I was in Room 405, one of the larger rooms—a master apartment, they call it—which has a connecting room, a living room, and a fireplace. When I arrived, the fire was crackling away behind the glass screen. I never worked out how to turn it on or off (I had to ask room service to pop up and turn it off as I went out) but it was a lovely arrival. There are also some big rooms with mini-kitchenettes (again, good for folks with kids).
Let's talk about the small stuff. Were there in-room amenities or little touches that you'd rave about? If we lived in a lawless hellscape with no rules, what is the first thing you'd steal?
The bath products are from Ortigia, a Sicilian brand, that suited the colonial vibe of the place. There was free Wi-Fi of course and a nice mix of books on the shelves.
How was the food?
I ate in the lobby, which is a good option when you’re solo, as I was surrounded by the bustle of the place and didn’t feel like Sad Stanley sitting by myself. The menu has smaller items, just what I wanted: a slider, a croquette, and a potato cake. I also had a lovely dry martini—perfectly made, and in a tulip-shaped glass that was a nice change from the usual. There are also pastries served as breakfast to-go in the mornings.
Lightning round reaction time! Tell us something short but important.
During the day, I borrowed one of the hotel's bikes and pedaled around town. With Copenhagen being one of the world’s great cycling cities, it’s amazing that more hotels don’t do this.
If you had to award a trophy to a member of the staff, who would you award a trophy to and what did they do to earn it?
Returning from a bike ride around town, I talked for a while with a staff member about what I’d do the next day. I explained I was going to meet a friend at the House of Finn Juhl, a store that sold the architect's stuff, a little out of the center toward the Little Mermaid area. Off I went to bed. Next morning, I came down and he had printed off a Google map of how to get there and said, “I laminated it for you in case it rains.” Similarly, at dinner in the lobby the previous evening, I’d chatted with the waitress and mentioned I really liked a Danish magazine they had on a shelf there. Two minutes later she returned with a spare copy for me to take. The staff got the tone exactly right—friendly but not too much so, and anticipating what you might need.
Bottom line: Worth it, and why?
From now on, if I’m visiting Copenhagen—and can justify the cost—this is my place. It is, to my mind, incredibly close to being a perfect small-city hotel.
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