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Blogroll
First Hotel Skt. Petri - Copenhagen, Denmark
Given a choice, February is not the time that I would pick to visit Copenhagen. That being said, and despite a snowstorm delaying our flight from Sweden and closing the airport on our departure day, my daughter and I had a great time.
I hedged our winter bet by packing thermal underwear, serious boots and booking a room at the First Hotel Skt. Petri. The Skt. Petri is part of the First Hotel chain founded in 1993 and based in Norway with 47 hotels in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It prides itself as Copenhagen’s “most designed hotel.” (It was voted the best Danish hotel in 2006). I cannot verify that claim, but design is certainly its passion.
The hotel is located on the site of an old department store in the heart of the Latin quarter of Copenhagen. Its soaring glass lobby is punctuated with sculptural staircases and bright accent walls. The lobby, which is vast, light, open and uncluttered can be taken in at a glance. Like a good painting, it can also be studied and appreciated for its structure, details and harmony. The furniture, all of which is Danish design, is rotated frequently to showcase different designers.
The lobby opens onto a courtyard surrounded by some of the oldest houses in Copenhagen. The hotel’s massing and opening toward the courtyard makes the brightly painted houses (repainted at the hotel’s expense I am told) an important part of the hotel experience. The courtyard itself must be a lovely spot for a drink in warmer weather.
Henric Carlsson, the Manager of Operations, was kind enough to show me several of the rooms, all of which were designed by a Danish artist, not an interior designer. Each room features a different color block painting above the bed, a flat screen television, and a spacious bathroom. I recommend asking for the rooms with a view over the street, many of which have balconies looking into the old town. The suites are open and uncluttered with very modern, very Danish furniture blending wood and steel.
However, not all rooms are created equal. I booked our room through Expedia and was given a room that should have been a bedroom for a suite. It was obvious that given the hotel’s pedigree and attention to design, our room was an anomaly. When brought to his attention, the manager was appropriately appalled that our room had been rented on its own. He did offer to move us (we declined) and showed me several of the other rooms that were much better, although some were rather small.
I do recommend the hotel and, at the very least, having a drink at the bar, possibly while listening to live music played in the atrium. There is a restaurant, a café, and a lively bistro which very reasonable and popular with the locals. The hotel is attached to a nice health club, where we got fruit smoothes every morning. If you do book a room, my experience suggests that using an aggregator puts you at the bottom of the good room list. Call first to get a room with a view.
