Hotel d'Angleterre

Rooms and decor

Picture a grand white neo-classical building anchoring Kongens Nytorv in the heart of old Copenhagen, windows lined up so perfectly symmetrical the place reads like a palace — that's Hotel d'Angleterre, open since 1755, making it a 270-year-old hotel and one of the oldest continuously operating in the world. The 92 rooms and suites are styled Danish-classical with contemporary touches — soft greys, creams, hints of gold, heavy theatre-style curtains, and real-wood traditional furniture. Many rooms include chandeliers and decorative fireplaces that make it feel like staying in an old noble's townhouse. Beds are deeply plush — reviews keep using the word "sinking". Front-facing suites overlook the Royal Danish Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater) directly opposite, with locals sipping morning coffee along the square as the standard view. Bathrooms run on marble and polished chrome, with oversized tubs that easily fit two for a long soak, stocked with Skandinavisk products — the boreal-forest-scented Danish brand also used in top-tier luxury hotels worldwide. Overall the rooms don't chase modern Scandinavian minimalism; they lean into stately heritage you can actually touch.

Food and amenities

The food story revolves around Marchal, the hotel's in-house Michelin-starred restaurant, serving contemporary French-Nordic cooking in a warm gold-toned room with windows opening onto the square. Paired with it is Balthazar Champagne Bar, famous for holding the longest champagne list in Denmark and staying open late — ideal for a nightcap after walking Nyhavn. Breakfast also happens at Marchal: a not-huge buffet but every item is carefully done — freshly baked Nordic breads, smoked salmon, Danish cheeses, eggs to order. Downstairs is Amazing Space, a sprawling spa set under the building's original stone vaulted ceilings, with an indoor pool, sauna, steam, and multiple treatment rooms including a couples' suite. Atmospheric, beautifully quiet, and consistently rated one of the city's best. The most-praised extra is the concierge — they can land tables at Noma, Geranium or Alchemist when those restaurants look fully booked to the public, and they arrange private access to Christiansborg and Amalienborg palaces that's only available through hotel partnerships.

Location and getting there

Location is the ace no other Copenhagen hotel can match — the building sits on Kongens Nytorv, or "the King's New Square", in the heart of Indre By, the city's most stately square, ringed by 17th and 18th-century buildings and facing the Royal Theatre. Walk right out of the lobby roughly 200 metres and you're at Nyhavn, the iconic colourful-house quay that defines Denmark on every postcard. To the left starts Strøget, Europe's longest pedestrian street at over 1.1 kilometres, stuffed with luxury brands and Danish design houses. Keep going and you reach Rådhuspladsen, the Tivoli Gardens theme park (about 15 minutes on foot), Rosenborg Castle, and Amalienborg Palace where the Danish royal family actually lives. For transit, the Kongens Nytorv metro (M3/M4) station is on the square itself, putting Copenhagen Airport (CPH) about 25 minutes away via the M2 line. The building's own history is the bonus track — opened in 1755 by Jean Marchal, a French butler to the Danish court, it has hosted Tchaikovsky (while he composed), Marlene Dietrich, Winston Churchill, and successive European royal houses until it became the definition of Danish luxury. Today the Danish royal family still chooses it for major occasions.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The most common complaint is price — the highest in Copenhagen, and some reviews feel you're paying for the name and the history more than measurable room quality. Compared with Nobis Hotel or Hotel Sanders, both modern 5-stars in the same neighbourhood, d'Angleterre runs hundreds of dollars more per night, with front-facing suites pushing into US$1,700+ a night. Second, the decor style is heavily classical-royal — thick fabrics, dark tones, traditional real-wood pieces. If you prefer the clean-lined modern Scandinavian look, this room style can feel weighty. Third, side-street-facing rooms catch morning traffic noise; ask for a room facing the square or the inner courtyard for a quieter night. Last, Wi-Fi is free and works fine, but a few reviewers find the in-room tech slightly older than newer 5-stars — TVs run smaller than expected. If you're planning to work seriously from your room, count on the business centre desk rather than the in-room one.

Our take

Working through hundreds of guest reviews, Hotel d'Angleterre is unmatched at selling 270 years of history, the most stately square in Copenhagen, royal-grade name-remembering service, a Michelin-starred restaurant in-house, and a spa downstairs that reviews call one of the most beautiful in the city. If your mental picture of the trip is walking 200 metres to Nyhavn for a morning photo, returning for a spa soak, dining at Marchal, and closing the night at Balthazar — this is the only hotel in the city that can deliver that loop without leaving the building. If you instead prefer modern Danish minimalism, or value price over heritage, Nobis Hotel or Hotel Sanders will serve you better. Overall we give it 9.2/10 — the right pick for couples, honeymooners, and serious luxury travellers who want to actually sleep in a 270-year-old palace on Copenhagen's best address.