First Hotel Skt. Petri, Copenhagen
Its design gives it character but its hospitality is its most outstanding feature. In the heart of medieval quarter, the Skt. Petri is a lesson in modernity.
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Look around you. You’re in the heart of the Latin Quarter, directly opposite one of the medieval university buildings, on the corner of the Skt. Petri church and a stone’s throw from Copenhagen’s old synagogue. The Modernist building, which was built in 1928 as a department store, now houses the trendiest hotel in the Danish capital, which was inaugurated in 2003 after extensive rebuilding and renovation.
Welcome to minimalism. At the entrance, an escalator takes you up to a grandiose lobby of simple design but a battalion of staff dressed in black and with easy demeanour. They have orders to satisfy any guest’s request: a toothbrush, a bicycle, the address of the Thai restaurant with the spiciest food in town.
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To the right, there is a terrace that overlooks the backs of residential buildings, allowing you to feel the pulse of the neighbourhood. King-size sun loungers, tables and chairs where guests can hold meetings, small fires ready to be lit as soon as night falls, anything that’s an excuse to take advantage of the mild weather of the most southerly Scandinavian capital. To the left is Bar Rouge, ne of the Danish capital’s hotspots, lit up in tones of red and with a mixing desk for the international DJs who reside at the weekends. Here, guests share the bar with the city’s night owls, which is an oasis with no dress code or entrance fee. Those in the know say that Bar Rouge knocks up some of the best cocktails in town. By chance: Skt. Petri’s motto is “stimulate the senses, improve your mood and entertain”. There must be a reason why the lively Paris Hilton chose this hotel when she stayed in Copenhagen.
The huge restaurant, separated from the lobby by flowing white curtains, served Italian-inspired cuisine. At breakfast – which is paradise for those who like Nordic specialities like smoked salmon, raw herring, dark bread and smoked meats – we come across Norwegian families on a trip, super-blond babies seated in designer high-chairs, groups of Swedes on a shopping safari and, moist of all, business people. It’s no coincidence that Skt. Petri was recently voted “one of the three best business hotels in Europe” by CNBC.
In short: 268 rooms, 55 with different-sized verandas. All have comfortable beds, television, desk and phone, wireless internet, mini-bar, safe, robe and slippers. On the ground floor, the State of the Art public gymnasium welcomes guests at the Skt. Petri at no charge. But a whole day pedalling in the city of bicycles is probably enough exercise.
Krystalgade, 22, Copenhagen
+45 3345 9100
€129-€2730
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by Manuela Carona
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