Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden

Rooms and decor

Picture this — you've walked through cold Copenhagen wind until your nose is red, you push through the door of an unassuming brick townhouse, and everything changes. The lobby is warm and dim, lit by real beeswax candles lined along low shelves. Walls are pale wood and natural cotton in cream and brown tones, with deep soft sofas and a free pot of hot ginger tea set out for guests all day. That's the trick of Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden — an 87-room eco-luxury boutique from the Danish Guldsmeden group, whose founders fell hard for Bali and brought the Bali-meets-Scandi concept back home. Rooms feature four-poster wooden beds draped in sheer mosquito netting, organic cotton sheets, handmade rattan lamps, and Indonesian craft objects laid over the clean lines of Scandinavian design. Many rooms have small private balconies facing the inner courtyard, with exposed wood and brick walls. The result is genuinely warm and odd in a way you won't find anywhere else in Northern Europe.

Food and amenities

If there's one feature that turned this place into an Instagram phenomenon and pushed bookings months out, it's the indoor saltwater pool in the central glass-roofed atrium — a long lap pool, water glittering clear, surrounded by tropical planting that climbs floor-to-ceiling like a real indoor jungle. The glass ceiling pours daylight in; at night, staff light real candles around the rim and the whole space stops looking like a hotel pool and starts looking like a spa resort in Ubud. Salt-water rather than chlorinated, so no sting. Free for guests all day, with sauna and steam room in the same wellness zone. Bathroom amenities are Karmameju, the Danish organic brand with a distinctive scent. Breakfast follows the Guldsmeden 100% organic standard — homemade bread fresh from the oven, Danish farm cheese, free-range eggs, traditional smørrebrød, homemade yogurt and muesli. The unanimous review verdict is that it's the best breakfast of the entire trip.

Location and getting there

The location lands the brief — central Indre By, with Nørreport station roughly 6 minutes' walk away. Nørreport is the city's junction point: Metro M1/M2, suburban S-tog trains and regional rail all converge there, so anywhere in the metro or suburbs is a single hop. Crucially, Metro M2 from beneath Copenhagen Airport (CPH) runs directly to Nørreport in about 20 minutes — no transfers, no station drags. Strøget, Europe's longest pedestrian street, starts 8 minutes' walk away. The Rundetårn Round Tower, a 17th-century observatory you can walk a spiral ramp up, sits 7 minutes' away. Rosenborg Castle and its gardens are close by. The favorite for many guests is Torvehallerne, the city's gourmet food market — about 8 minutes' walk, with smørrebrød counters, smoked salmon, specialty coffee and real Danish bread. Nyhavn, the pastel harbor that's Copenhagen's icon shot, is about 15 minutes on foot or a short ride on one of the hotel's free bicycles.

Things to know before booking

Three honest flags. First, Standard rooms are tight at 15–18 m². Several reviewers note they look bigger in the marketing photos than in person — open two large suitcases at once and you'll be tripping over them. Couples who want comfortable space, or anyone traveling as three or more, should jump to Junior Suite or above. Second, the famous pool is a victim of its own fame — between 5pm and 8pm it's packed and time slots must be pre-booked. If you want that solo-float-with-candles photo, come before 9am or after 8pm. Third, it's an old townhouse: walls run thin in places, one wing has no lift, and rooms facing Bremerholm catch some early-morning traffic noise. Ask for an inner-courtyard-facing room if you're a light sleeper. One more note — the candlelit, slightly fragile boutique vibe doesn't always match very active young kids.

Our take

From hours of reading real guest reviews, Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden sells atmosphere and experience rather than the wall-to-wall opulence of a big 5-star chain. If your dream Copenhagen trip looks like walking through the door into warm candle scent, floating in a candlelit jungle pool with a glass of wine, waking up to warm organic bread, then strolling out to Strøget and Nyhavn in minutes — this place has almost no competition in the city. If you want a sprawling chain suite with full butler service, the boutique scale and tight Standard rooms will frustrate you. Overall we give it 8.8/10, best for couples and design-led travelers chasing warm-weird atmosphere in a cold city, and for anyone who values sustainability, organic food, and rooms that photograph well from every angle.