Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Alexandra

If you love Danish design, you'll love Hotel Alexandra; it's as simple as that. This hotel is almost more of a modern design museum than a place to stay - rooms are themed around certain decades or designers, and the owners spent 15 years collecting original furniture pieces, from Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair to Finn Juhl’s teak coffee tables. Their dedication has paid off. The hotel is gorgeous, but we haven't been taken in by looks alone: it's also recommended for the friendly, capable staff and central location.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The hotel has taken steps to bring its soundproofing up to the 21st century (double glazing and so on), but the busy street below means there is some noise, particularly when windows are open.

room

Half of the rooms, all of which have the expected modern amenities despite the retro vibe, are '50s-themed, and half are '60s-themed, with one from the '70s. All have meticulous attention to design detail but this focus really pays off in the themed designer rooms, in the de luxe class, where each room is a tribute to a famous Danish designer. Some of the standard rooms are not large, but the hotel does make that clear on its website.

The suites are something else: in the Collector's Suite, all the gorgeous retro pieces are for sale, and the crazy bright Verner Panton suite (complete with an orange ceiling and a men's knitting spot, because men were apparently supposed to knit in the '70s), is great too - Christian Louboutin agreed when he stayed there.

bathroom

Bathrooms have Orla Keilly cosmetics and continue with the design feel, although they are quite small. Twenty of the rooms have bath tubs.

lobby

The seriously hip lobby feels like being in an artist's house in the mid 20th century, all dark wood, bookcases, Beatles music and a red leather sofa. It's all original, of course. The walls in the hotel corridors have facts about the designers featured in the hotel inscribed upon them.

dining

The Alexandra is about to re-imagine its restaurant, currently Vietnamese, into something more Nordic, in keeping with the rest of the hotel.

drinking

Guests are offered a free glass of wine at night, and there's a snug mini-living room area to drink it. There's also an honesty bar. In summer, there's a BBQ space.