HOTEL SANDERS, Copenhagen
WHAT MAKES IT HIP?
There are few places that demonstrate the Danish art of “hygge” quite as perfectly as Hotel Sanders. Immaculate low-level lighting, ’60s jazz on the sound system, a glossy piano in the corner window waiting to be tinkled, and a room full of smiling Danes in good knitwear with excellent orthodontistry… It doesn’t get more hygge-licious than this. A beautiful townhouse right in the middle of the city, Hotel Sanders is where chic locals come to unwind, and where stylish tourists rest their heads. Everything is a walk away – the theatre, the city’s hippest bars, the picturesque Nyhavn area for a beer by the water – but glossy green bikes are parked out front for those who need them.
There is a cute little roof terrace for breakfast or evening cocktails, and a bistro downstairs for dinner that has all the charm of an age-old Parisian pavement café. Bedrooms are big and pared-back – wooden floors, modernist-inspired sideboards and tables, as well as a complimentary minibar (soft drinks only, however) whose Danish treats will make your heart flutter. In a city that is famous for cool – cool design, cool art and the coolest restaurant in the world, Noma – it can be hard to stand out. The fact that the Sanders stands out after only 18 months in business is testament to quite how special it is.
WHO GOES?
Bohemian types (the hotel was founded by a former Royal Danish Ballet dancer) in minimalist Scandi eyewear, beautiful couples in tonal separates, stylish but understated members of the European elite, and lots of people who look like architects, even if they aren’t. Locals also flock to both the restaurant and bar, so while you’ll certainly want to head out and scour the streets in search of both the perfect pastry and Danish style inspiration, you don’t have to. Just sit at the next table, subtly not reading your book, and people-watch to your heart’s content.
DON’T MISS…
Yes, Noma is a pretty 30-minute walk away but you’ll need to book many months in advance to get a table there. Their more affordable sister restaurant, 108, is a 10-minute stroll from the hotel, however. Or get a cab and head out to the much buzzed-about Amass, one of the few zero-waste restaurants in the world.