Copenhagen has become a destination to watch for design hotels and the most anticipated opening has to be the new 25hours Hotel Paper Island Copenhagen. It arrived in July this year on Paper Island, joining its fabulous older sister 25hours Hotel Indre By, just across the water in the city centre.
Paper Island
What makes this hotel truly special is the story behind its unique setting. For 300 years, Christiansholm island was only used for military and industrial purposes, housing shipyards, coal warehouses and paper factories. Only in the past few years has it become accessible to all, following extensive development. The newly-named Paper Island (Papirøen) has become a popular hotspot by the waterside with urban housing, cultural institutions, shops, restaurants and Broens Street Food where you can find the famous Gasolene Grill.
Location
There’s no need to worry about being marooned on a remote island, as the hotel is very well-connected with a pedestrian and cycling bridge to colourful Nyhavn and Christianshavn metro is just a 15-minute walk away. In fact, it offers the best of both worlds – a peaceful, open setting by the water and close proximity to the city’s main attractions.
Christianshavn’s historic cobbled streets and picturesque canals are just moments away, as well as Freetown Christiania and idyllic Holmen. The hotel is also perfectly positioned for a night at the Royal Danish Opera House.
Design and architecture
25hours Hotel Paper Island boldy squares up to ‘old Copenhagen’ across the harbour with fearlessly modern yet whimsical architecture designed by COBE Architects. The hotel evokes the nostalgia of a Scandinavian summer house with seaside and maritime motifs, created by Gothenburg-based design team Stylt Trampoli.
The hotel
Glowing neon signs directed us towards the hotel in the dark and we immediately felt its warm, laid-back atmosphere. The open-plan lobby is adorned with sailboats and wooden oars and has a small shop selling cute souvenirs, snacks and even pick and mix sweets.
The reception reminded me of a boat rental shop at a childhood summer camp – very wholesome and sporty. On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Laura at the front desk and given plenty of information about the hotel and its facilities.
The cosy lounge feels homely and relaxing with a beautifully-decorated Christmas tree and a roaring fireplace. It leads on to the wonderfully-named Lobster Lounge, a cool space for meetings and events.
Dining
The hotel features three different spaces for refuelling at any time of the day. Tiger Lily takes a modern approach to south Asian cuisine and was created by the team behind Hamburg’s popular Vietnamese canteen O-Ren Ishii. Enjoy an array of sharing plates including fresh salads, spicy tom yum soup, Japanese ramen, aromatic Thai curries and smoky grilled meats.
Nomad Day Bar is a chilled out, all-day cafe with Social Brew coffee and freshly-baked pastries where you can read delightful art books and watch the world go by.
Victory is one of Copenhagen’s coolest cocktail bars and it just happens to be on the top floor of the hotel. What could be better than creative cocktails in a seductive space with enviable views over the city, just moments from your room?
The room
The hotel’s 128 rooms range from a cosy medium to the family-friendly gigantic with a separate living area and Schindelhauer bicycle. They all feature a unique room number sign, designed by local creatives.
Our large room on the seventh floor was an absolute delight with large, slanted windows framing spectacular views of the harbour and the Opera House. Curling up on the window seats with colourful cushions and watching the boats go past was ever so relaxing. It’s definitely worth upgrading to a large room and requesting a high floor for this perk.
The room is styled like a Danish seaside cabin with white wood-panelled walls, highlights of maritime blue and pine wood and beachy artwork above the bed.
Room features include a large Smart TV, music speaker, writing desk, plenty of storage space, air-conditioning, free wifi and a free FREITAG bag to use during your stay, which can also be bought on departure. Only the extra large rooms come with tea and and cofee facilities, however all rooms include a free minibar stocked with fritz-kola, beer, mineral water, local craft beer mixed nuts and a bar of vegan chocolate.
The king-size bed was extremely comfortable, covered in high quality linen with 25hour hotels’ signature cheeky embroidered pillows. A stuffed Danish cod was our jolly bedfellow for the night too.
The bathroom
The room is open-plan, so next to the bed is a large sink with underneath storage space and mirror and a powerful walk-in shower with glossy grey tiles (of course, the toilet is separate). The cotton towels are thick and wide and there are full-size organic aromatherapy bath products in stylish glass bottles by Soeder, a Swiss natural bodycare brand.
Breakfast
After a peaceful night’s sleep, we headed down to Tiger Lily for a leisurely breakfast (and wait out the morning storm). The breakfast buffet was generous and inviting, filled with scrambled eggs (or omelettes cooked to order), bacon and sausages, cured meats and local cheese, yoghurt, freshly-baked breads and flaky pastries.
25hours hotels tend to offer a local speciality at breakfast and here, it’s ebleskiver. These traditional Danish pancakes look like big snowballs, but they’re unbelieveably fluffy and light inside. I couldn’t resist a second round and was pleased to see them at the cafe (and at the Christmas markets in the centre).
There’s a self-service drinks bar with freshly-squeezed juices, artisan loose-leaf teas and filter coffee. You can also order a barista-made coffee and indulge in some bubbles. Breakfast is really good here, so I’d recommend adding it for the full 25hours experience.
Around Paper Island
After checking out, we decided to explore the island and ramble towards Refshaleøen, a former industrial site transformed into a cultural hub. Copenhagen Contemporary is a fantastic art space and we were blown away by the immersive exhibitions from Marta Minujín and James Turrell. Lille Bakery is perfect for a hearty lunch with some of the best sourdough rye bread in the city and there’s also local summer favourite La Banchina, Hart Bageri and Michelin-starred Alchemist.
You can also shop like a Copenhagener at GANNI Postmodern in Christianshavn, taste and buy fermented vinegars and oils for your own kitchen in the greenhouses at noma projects and marvel at Danish design at the magical ferm LIVING boutique just opposite the hotel.
To get around town quicker, rent a Schindelhauer bicycle from the hotel and take advantage of their curated cycling map.
Overall
25hours Hotel Paper Island is perfect for travellers that love a quirky, memorable place to stay. The central location, excellent facilities and friendly service make it an ideal base for a fun city break all year round.
While 25hours Hotel Indre By has an ecclectic, bohemian townhouse vibe, the Paper Island house leans into the nostalgic holiday ambiance and it’s really hard to choose between them.
Are you tempted to stay? Use the code 25h_helloautumn for 15% off the best flexible rate when booking direct. For more information and booking, visit: www.25hours-hotels.com.
Chérie City was a guest of 25hours Hotel Paper Island
All photos by Chérie City
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