The Danish capital has plenty to draw the Grown-up Traveller. Whether you want to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Lund (The Killing/Forbrydelsen) or eat at the best restaurant in the world (Noma), Copenhagen can oblige. There’s all the fun of the fair at Tivoli Gardens and a recent craze for craft beer is also attracting enthusiasts.
Plenty to do for a weekend – or longer – then. But where to stay?
I’m on it. There’s no shortage of hotels or you could look into short-term apartment rentals; but the Adina Apartment Hotel offers a third option. In addition to the facilities of an apartment (fully equipped kitchen, washing machine and dryer etc.) you get daily cleaning and concierge service and there’s a bar, restaurant, fitness room and a swimming pool in the building.
I’m guessing this comes at a price?
Surprisingly the Adina charges about the same as a mid-range hotel. Book early or catch a special offer and it may even be cheaper. Families travelling with children will find an Adina apartment a much better deal than having to book two hotel rooms.
Okay, let’s have the low-down then…
Coming right up:
Adina Apartment Hotel
Amerika Plads 7, DK 2100 Copenhagen Ø, DENMARK +45 3969 1000
Website: http://www.adina.eu/adina-apartment-hotel-copenhagen/home
Email: acph@adina.eu
When?
Late July 2011
Vital stats:
Four stars. Built in 2005. 128 rooms over 8 floors
Location, location, location?
The apartment hotel is located in a new and attractive harbourside development in Nordhavn and is such very convenient if arriving by boat. In any case it won’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the city centre using the regular bus service that stops close to the hotel. If you so desire you can walk it in about 30-40 minutes and take in the mystifyingly popular and staggeringly overrated Little Mermaid on the way:
As a brief digression when we were returning to the hotel we met two American cruise ship passengers who absolutely had to see the Little Mermaid even though their boat was due to leave less than half an hour later. Let’s get this straight here: it’s a statue. Of a mermaid. And it’s little. That’s it…
What about parking?
The hotel offers both indoor and outdoor parking, but fees are high.
Why choose this place?
We were travelling as a family on a two week holiday visiting several countries so the opportunity to wash clothes was a big plus. Also the rate was good for a one-bedroom apartment; it would have cost us more to stay at a hotel. Our daughter really wanted a pool too, so that kind of sealed the deal.
Room
Three different types of room – or ‘suite’ as they call them – studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom. Studios do not have full kitchen facilities (but do have a fridge, kettle and microwave) or washing machine/dryer The one-bedroom we stayed in was perfect for the three of us but we needed to pay for an extra bed which was set up in the lounge area. The suites are modern, stylish and have everything you need. Washing powder can be purchased in single-use packs. There is a supermarket next door to the hotel and you can even request that your fridge be filled for your arrival.
LCD TV in both bedroom and lounge, work desk, CD player, hair-dryer, mini-bar, safe. All rooms are non-smoking.
Carpets?
Actually yes, but scrupulously clean. I still prefer wooden/laminate floors in hotels but when they are kept in perfect condition I have no real issue with carpets. Could potentially be a problem for those with allergies but I highly doubt it – and of course the hotel is non-smoking.
Bathroom
Modern bathrooms with underfloor heating and complimentary toiletries. Washing machine and tumble dryer (with powder and instructions). Combined bath and shower.
Free internet I hope?
Yes, but only in the lobby area or via a shared PC. Should be free, fast and in every room in our opinion but it will be a while before all hotels offer this I guess.
Bar and restaurant?
Both. Good selection of food and drinks.
Pool, sauna?
Yes, a very nice pool with jacuzzi and sauna.
Like all hotel pools it isn’t huge and would be impossible to use if all guests decided to jump in at the same time. However this is rather unlikely and overcrowding was not a problem. The opening hours are such that you can take an early dip before breakfast too, when you’ll likely be on your own. Relaxing in the pool after a day’s sightseeing is a real treat.
The breakfast was included, right?
Not with our rate, but it can be added to your bill. We tried the breakfast buffet one day and it was excellent, you could save money by going elsewhere (or indeed making it yourself) but we had no regrets about splashing out given the wide range of hot and cold food on offer.
Service
Very friendly reception staff. Slightly slow check-in due to receptionist having to answer a lot of calls, but no big deal. Great local knowledge which we made use of and very efficient in ordering taxis etc. Check-out was smooth and speedy.
Any points/miles to earn?
No, as a small chain (at least in Europe) Adina has no loyalty programme, but we were offered a 10% discount on our next Adina booking if made within the next few months. It is definitely worth joining their mailing list as they have frequent special offers – a recent case in point being suites for just 50 Euros…
Can they look after your bags after you check out?
They can indeed and are happy to help out.
Green or mean?
There was no specific environmental information provided but given the young age of the building I would assume that it meets or exceeds the strict green standards in force in Denmark. This entry will be updated if we receive further details.
The Damage
The one-bedroom suite with extra bed cost DKK 1550 per night excluding breakfast. This was midweek and high season – rates are substantially cheaper at the weekend or at other times of the year. At the time of writing the same suite was available for DKK 915 for two persons (i.e. excluding extra bed).
Click here for video footage and images of the hotel courtesy of TVTrip.com.
The verdict please your honour…
The Good
Excellent facilities. Clean room, comfortable beds, plenty of power sockets. Relaxed atmosphere, friendly service.
The Bad
The location may be a little too far for some (rather lazy) visitors but it’s an attractive and quiet area.
The Ugly
In this day and age internet access should really be free and available in all areas. This is the only real complaint and will not affect all guests, yet surely one selling point of an apartment hotel is the provision of working facilities for business travellers? That means broadband internet…
Closing comments:
This was a real find and we really had a great stay. Indeed we went on to use one of Adina’s apartment hotels in Berlin (separate review coming soon) which confirmed the excellence of the brand. The Adina Apartment Hotel truly gives guests the best of both worlds and will be particularly of interest to families or longer-term visitors. I will soon be returning and am very much looking forward to going back. The Adina is currently the best mid-range option in Copenhagen and the first hotel to earn the top rating on Grown-up Travel Guide.
Final score: 6/6
Images (c) Adina Apartment Hotels
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