Hotel Snapshot
Most hotels have a founding story. Hotel d'Angleterre ups the ante and has a founding love story. In 1755, a young French servant named Jean Marchal fell for Maria Coppy—daughter of the royal chef, talented cook, and by all accounts exactly the right person to go into business with. They opened a restaurant by the lakes of Copenhagen, moved it to Kongens Nytorv, survived a fire in 1795, rebuilt it, and created what is now the oldest and most storied hotel in Denmark. The Michelin-starred restaurant is named Marchal. Denmark's first champagne bar is in the d’Angleterre, and it’s named Balthazar. Even the hotel’s founding story has been curated with taste.
Two hundred and seventy years later, the hotel sits in the same spot on Copenhagen's central square—white neoclassical façade, Royal Danish Theatre directly opposite, the colored townhouses of Nyhavn visible in the near distance—and is in arguably the best shape of its long life. A major renovation completed in 2014 brought everything up to the standard the address demanded without disturbing the atmosphere of a place that has witnessed most of Danish history firsthand. Hans Christian Andersen was a regular in the 1860s and has a suite named after him. The first draft of the Danish Constitution was presented here in 1849. Roald Amundsen celebrated his return from the South Pole in the ballroom in 1912. The d'Angleterre has simply always been where Copenhagen's most significant moments happen to take place.
Design & Character
Ask the d'Angleterre what year it is and you'd get two honest answers simultaneously. The white neoclassical façade, the stained glass dome, the soaring chandeliers and marble floors; all of it speaks to the 1870s building it inhabits, and it makes no attempt to pretend otherwise. But then you notice an Andy Warhol portrait of Queen Margrethe II above the reception desk. A meticulously detailed Lego model of the hotel in the corner. Seasonal flowers in the entrance. The d'Angleterre is very comfortable existing in multiple eras at once, which is probably what 270 years of practice gets you.
The palette throughout is quietly Nordic—soft silver greys, shades of blue, dove white—applied against period architecture in a way that feels fresh rather than at odds with it.No dim corridors, no fusty corners, no sense that any part of the building has been left to age gracefully while the rest moved on. Every room in the hotel has its own artwork chosen specifically for the space. The whole thing reads as genuinely considered, right down to the night-light in the toilet bowl and the separate his-and-hers duvets on the bed. It's that kind of hotel.
The Rooms
All 92 rooms and suites are individually styled. The shared palette runs through warm neutrals: cream, buff, dove grey, muted gold, silk curtains, deep-pile carpets. Bang & Olufsen on the walls, Diptyque in the bathrooms, original artwork chosen specifically for each room. The DUX mattresses deserve a special shoutout, and the separate his-and-hers duvets, standard across all rooms in the Scandinavian custom, is something that'll keep you and your travel companion happy.
Some suites carry the names of Danish luminaries—Hans Christian Andersen among them, in whose suite he reportedly wrote one of his fairy tales. The fourth-floor suites with balconies overlooking Kongens Nytorv are the ones worth requesting: the Royal Theatre directly opposite, Nyhavn rooftops in the distance, and a front-row seat to whatever is happening on the square below. The Royal Corridor—all four Royal Suites across an entire floor, with the longest private balcony in Copenhagen running the full length of the facade—is available for those occasions that are fit for a king (literally).
Food & Drink
Marchal, the hotel's main restaurant, holds a Michelin star and has retained it across 13 consecutive years (!). Head chef Alexander Baert's menu brings contemporary Nordic instincts to French classical technique—gougères with comte and truffle, Danish turbot with champagne and caviar sauce, pigeon with foie gras—served in a room that feels like a private members' club that happens to let you in. (I enjoyed lunch here and think the gougères were one of the best bites I’ve ever had.) The breakfast buffet, served here each morning, is one of the great hotel breakfasts: pastries, cheeses, smoked fish, made-to-order eggs, fresh honeycomb, and champagne on ice.
In the mood for a drink? Balthazar is Denmark's first champagne bar and, architecturally and atmospherically, one of the finest rooms in Copenhagen. It’s got nearly 200 champagne varieties, a well-curated cocktail list, and a food menu that runs to caviar, lobster sliders, and oysters. After dark, with a DJ set running and the bar full, it earns its own reputation entirely separately from the hotel.
Maison d'Angleterre—the hotel's pink patisserie—handles the moments in between: freshly brewed coffee, croissants, hand-crafted pastries and macarons, and a level of visual presentation that makes it easy to spend more than intended. It is Copenhagen's most charming place to have a mid-morning pastry and rethink your afternoon plans; you can also grab something to go, even if you aren’t staying at the hotel.
The Upper Lobby rounds it out with light meals and drinks throughout the day, for guests (or visitors) who want something between the formality of Marchal and the energy of Balthazar.
Spa & Wellness
Amazing Space, the hotel's lower-ground spa, has a strong claim to being the best reason to book this hotel if you're not already convinced. It is the only hotel in central Copenhagen with a heated indoor swimming pool—a fact that becomes more meaningful the longer you spend in a Danish winter—and it's a beautiful one: calm, unhurried, surrounded by creamy stone. I didn't swim on this visit, but I went down to look, and the space earns its reputation. The treatment menu spans massages, facials, and body treatments; the sauna and steam room are properly equipped; the 24-hour fitness center runs on Technogym equipment throughout. The spa's product line, Laura Bonne Amazing Space, is used across all treatments and in the rooms.
Amenities
The d'Angleterre's amenities list is worth going through slowly, because the details matter here. Where the hotel really distinguishes itself, though, is in the service layer around all of it. The concierge team operates like they have a direct line to every restaurant, theatre, and experience in the city—because, at this address, they more or less do. Tables that don't technically have availability. Tickets to things you assumed were sold out. A personal shopper if needed. Valet parking, limousines, bike rental for guests who want to cover the city the Copenhagen way. For young guests, the hotel goes further still: children check the family in at the front desk with their own themed key cards, get their own robes, and—for the very young—beds made up inside a little tent with a duckling soft toy on the pillow. It is the kind of detail that makes adults wish they were kids again.
Location & Neighborhood Recs
The d'Angleterre sits on Kongens Nytorv—the King's New Square—which is as central as Copenhagen gets. Nyhavn is directly across the square (home to the famous colorful fishermen houses that come to mind when someone mentions Copenhagen); Strøget, Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street, starts a few steps from the front door; the Royal Danish Theatre is opposite; Amalienborg Palace is a short walk. The Kongens Nytorv metro station is one minute on foot, with direct connections to all four city lines and to the airport in about 20 minutes. For a city best explored on foot, you really can’t base yourself in a better spot.
In summer, the balcony rooms overlooking the square are the city's best people-watching perch. And during the holidays, tens of thousands gather outside to watch the hotel's Christmas lights—icicles and advent calendar figures across the entire façade.
Fast Facts
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Address: Kongens Nytorv 34, 1050 Copenhagen
Vibe: Copenhagen's grandest and most storied hotel—founded on a love story, refined over 270 years, and still the most elegant address in the city.
Rooms: 92 (including 55 suites)
Pricing: From $1378 a night
Dining & Cocktails: Marchal (Michelin-starred, breakfast, lunch and dinner), Balthazar Champagne Bar (160+ champagnes, evenings), Maison d'Angleterre (patisserie, all day), Upper Lobby (light meals and drinks)
Amenities & Services: Amazing Space spa, heated indoor pool (only one in central Copenhagen), sauna, steam room, 24-hour Technogym fitness center, concierge, valet parking, limousine service, personal shoppers, bike rental, free Wi-Fi
Gathering Spaces: The upper lobby, spa, and Maison d’Angleterre
Nearest Airport: Copenhagen Airport (CPH), approx. 20 minutes via direct metro from Kongens Nytorv station
Copenhagen, Denmark
