Fodor's Expert Review Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen

The world's first 'design hotel', the brainchild of legendary Danish designer Arne Jacobsen, was also Denmark's first skyscraper (a modest 20-stories), and the property still celebrates modernism at every turn. It was fully updated in 2018 by Space Copenhagen, who made sure the new look continued to showcase Jacobsen's work and mid-century design, alongside modern comforts: some of his most famous furniture pieces, like the 'Egg' chair, were designed for the hotel and still sit proudly in the lobby.

room

Rooms are paneled in light maple and outfitted with Jacobsen chairs and lamps. Even the heavy door handles, functionally designed to fill the palm, were created by Jacobsen, and the cool modernist aesthetic works beautifully in the spacious bedrooms. Many have views over Tivoli and the city center's copper-top buildings.

The most famous room is 606, looking precisely as it did in 1960, with all the original furnishings, including a nifty desktop that opens to reveal a lighted makeup mirror.

bathroom

Bathrooms, in grey tones with showers rather than baths, are pleasant and light, and some even have windows with great views too, if you want a vista while you conduct your ablutions.

lobby

The hotel's lobby is almost a work of art, combining Jacobsen's iconic furniture with his suspended glass staircase in the center (when it was built, something of an engineering marvel). The new design highlights the curving steps, which lead up to meeting rooms, with a halo-like light fitting at the top.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The meeting rooms continue the Jacobsen aesthetic, making them more interesting than the average hotel business area.

spa

The large fitness center described below includes separate men's and women's dry and steam saunas, as well as treatments and massages.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The location of the saunas in the fitness center means that using them doesn't always feel like the most luxurious of experiences.

gym

There's a huge gym run by Fitness DK, with personal trainers, classes, and a range of equipment. They'll even watch your children while you work out.

dining

The newly remodeled Cafe Royal is also quite the looker. It serves classic bistro dishes as well as Danish smørrebrød, but its showstopper is the afternoon tea themed around - you guessed it - the designs and colors used by the hotel's founding father, Arne Jacobsen.

drinking

Design-themed cocktails are available in the Cafe Royal, which has a buzzy feel and outlook onto the street.