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Hotels
Singles,
doubles, and suites are usually graded by hree categories:
standard, medium, and deluxe. ThereÍs perhaps a 15% price
increase per grade. But be forewarned: standard rooms can
reek of the worst sort of Danish efficiency, with modular
chairs and miniblinds. Hotels are also allowed to charge their
customers the cost of any credit card transaction, usually
1 to 3%.
The Hotel
DÍAngleterre is perhaps the finest establishment in Copenhagen,
host to rock stars and heads of state. More monument than
hotel, this white building has stood at the top of the Nyhavn
Canal since 1755. Slightly dowdy and bourgeois, the DÍAngleterre
was remodeled extensively in mid-1980s. Rooms, however, still
vary widely„the deluxe rooms have the canal view, but the
smaller ones facing the back and the garden are quieter. Singles,
from 1995 DK. Doubles, from 2295 DK. Suites, from 4095 DK.
Kongens Nytorv 34. Tel. 33 12 00 95. Or from the US, 800-448-8355.
Fax: 33 12 11 18. 7.5 % discount on internet bookings. http://www.remmen.dk/hda.htm
Competing
for the luxury encomia is the Kong Frederik, a smaller, far
more genteel hotel, located a short walk from the Tivoli Gardens
and the StrÀget, EuropeÍs longest pedestrian shopping street.
Built at the turn of the century, the Kong Frederik still
reflects the Gilded AgeÍs notion of baronial splendor: dark
wood paneling, thick carpets, and overstuffed chairs. The
service here is extremely discreet. But the neighborhood outside
the hotel can be noisy and even a tad gritty. In fact, the
hotel has lowered its prices in 2000 to attract back its former
clients, making it a value in the city with few to spare.
Singles, from 1220 DK. Doubles, from 1320 DK. Suites, from
2220 DK. Vester Voldgade 25. Tel.: 33 12 59 02. Fax: 33 93
59 01. .
A three-star
hotel, The Admiral, sits right on the harbor and quite close
to the Danish Royal Residence. This sometimes faceless establishment,
reminiscent of the better hotels in the former Soviet bloc,
caters to business travelers and leisure sightseers conscious
of value but yearning for service A former granary built in
1787, the hotel has 366 rooms, some with original timbers
exposed. Front rooms have fine water views, but can suffer
from ferry noise. Most are exceptionally pleasant, if dull.
But the best deal weÍve found are the moderately-priced junior
suites on the top floor: a staircase leads from the living
room up to the bedroom-with-a-view. You can see Sweden, if
itÍs ever not raining. Singles, from 1040 DK. Doubles, from
1260 DK. Junior suites, 1415 DK. Toldbodgade 24-28. Tel.:
33 74 14 14. Fax: 33 74 14 16. email: admiral@admiral-hotel.dk
For smaller
establishments in the B and B category, 71 Nyhavn Hotel, despite
its recent hype, remains an elegant choice. Situated directly
on the canal, this former warehouse was one of the few buildings
in the city that withstood the naval bombardments of the early
nineteenth century. Now converted into a luxury inn, the 82
smallish rooms have exposed Pomeranian beams and muted, geometric
fabrics. The bathrooms can be lilliputian, but all include
such amenities as a trouser press. Singles, from 1250 DK.
Doubles, from 1495 DK. Suites, from 2495 DK. 71 Nyhavn. Tel.:
33 43 62 00. Fax: 33 45 62 01. email: 71nyhavnhotel@arp.hansen.dk
Ground floor rooms are wheelchair accessible.
The Hotel
Opera might be more modest, but its convenient to shopping
and the national theater. This 91-room hotel is bright and
cheerful, with a brisk staff and a copious breakfasts. Several
years ago, a former owner remodeled the hotel extensively,
wanting to attract the luxury tourist. He had solid gold plumbing
fixtures installed in ten of the rooms„but stopped immediately
when he discovered the cost! Several of these gilded rooms
have been turned into tr¶s soignÚ suites named for famous
operas. Singles, from 990 DK. Doubles, from 1390 DK. Suites,
from 2490 DK. Tordenskjoldsgade 15. Tel.: 33 47 83 00. Fax:
33 47 83 01. email: hotelopera@arp-hansen.dk
Not wheelchair accessible.
Restaurants
Denmark
is known for smÀrrebrÀd. Take heart: far from a depressingly
bland buffet, the Danish version is black rye bread, slathered
with all sorts of toppings, herring to beef puddings. For
a quick fix, Centrum SmÀrrebrÀd, at Vesterbrogade 6C, is open
twenty-four hours a day. ItÍs take-out only, but the Tivoli
Gardens are just beyond, a fine spot for a picnic.
In the
Hotel DÍAngleterre, the lesser restaurant, Restaurant Wiinblad,
offers an ease that its sterner sister often misses. Bjorn
Wiinblad, an illustrator of childrenÍs fables, designed this
fanciful space with loopy, whirling colors. While lunches
are the filling smÀrrebrÀd, dinners are more formal affairs,
with Asian fusion accents on traditional Danish dishes. For
example, the North Sea shrimp, delicate and tiny, are touched
up with lemongrass and green peppercorns. Dinner for two,
without wine, about 800 DK. Open daily, 11:30 am to 10:00
pm, until 11:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays. Kongens Nytorv 14.
Tel.: 33 12 00 95. Reservations strongly recommended.
The Restaurant
Havfruen, right on the Nyhavn Canal, under a swinging mermaid
sign, is renowned for its excellent fish dishes. Service can
be lax at peak times, but the staff are frequently seen bringing
the fish right in the front door, directly from the harbor.
Lunch features herring, that Scandinavian passion. Dinner
for two, without wine, about 450 DK. Open daily, 11:30 am
to 11:00 pm. Nyhavn 39. Tel.: 33 11 11 38. WA. St. GertrudeÍs
Cloister is romantic to some, claustrophobic to others. No
electricity threads its ways through these fourteen-century
tunnels. Instead, as many as 1600 candles light the rooms
and passageways. Thankfully, the food is far from tourist-themed
fare. Fresh fish is best, especially the turbot; the foie
gras and truffles feels like a bad reach. Dinner for two,
without wine, about 900 DK. Open daily, 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
Hauser Plads 32. Tel.: 33 14 66 30. Reservations required.
Not wheelchair accessible.
Fiskekaelderen
is perhaps the finest seafood restaurant in Scandinavia. The
cold board, a groaning mountain of clams and shellfish, is
simple unrivaled. The restaurant has become so popular, it
now has several fishing boats devoted exclusively to its menu.
There is an obligatory steak on the menu, but the garlic-laden
lobster bisque, with lobster roe swirled into the broth, is
a sensory overload. Dinner for two, without wine, about 700
DK. Open for dinner daily, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and lunch
weekdays, noon to 3:00 pm. Ved Stranden 18. Tel.: 33 12 20
11.
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