Copenhagen is home to the best almond croissant I ever tasted, amazing pickled herring, and a wonderful public library and coffee shop combo. However, the one thing it lacked was a clear-cut choice for my hotel stay. First I looked for a Hyatt property. Nothing doing. I saw the city had a Raddison Blu, but in asking around no one I spoke with gave it a glowing recommendation.
I was hoping to use hotel points or if paying cash, keeping the rates as reasonable as possible, which in Copenhagen is no small feat. It’s a pricey hotel market, for sure. And of course, availability for my nights would come into play.
In the midst of working on figuring this all out, my friend James told me he wished he had stayed at the Copenhagen Marriott. He loved the location on the water and that the property was within walking distance of just about everything in the city I’d want to see. Somehow he caught me in the right Marriott mood and I booked my room.
Water everywhere you look from the hotel.
Good example of the neighborhood architecture across the canal.
My Arrival, Room Assignment and How I Paid
I arrived at the Copenhagen Marriott rather late at night so check-in was quick and easy. With my Gold status I had received an email prior to my arrival, letting me know that the hotel extended me a complimentary upgrade to an Executive King room with a view of the canal.
The room turned out to be a corner room and was much larger than I was expecting. I knew the minute I walked in it would prove to be a comfortable space and would work really well for me. And it did! Let’s dig in to the particulars.
Actually, I booked two rooms!
I booked my stay on points and then made a booking paying cash using the Citi Prestige 4th night free benefit. I was still undecided and wanted to wait until SPG was fully under the Marriott umbrella to see if using points was a good deal for me. It came down to the wire and a few weeks before my trip to Copenhagen, I canceled the booking using points and kept the Citi Prestige 4th night free booking. The all-cash rate at the Marriott is $343 a night, so I found this rate worked better than using Marriott points. The Copenhagen Marriott is a five star property and at the time of my booking was 40,000 Marriott points per night. I didn’t have quite enough to cover the whole stay in points.
When I’m short on points I find the 4th-night free benefit often works better. When I pay cash for my hotel stays I let Pruvo monitor my rate for price drops. In this case, the price of the hotel actually went up from when I originally booked it, so even though it was what I’d consider to be expensive, I felt like I had booked early enough to get the best deal possible.
Using my Hotel Room Scorecard I broke down the individual elements of my Executive King Room, which scored a 34 of 40 points.
Location (5/5)
This Marriott has a great location. I’d venture to say the best in Copenhagen. The hotel is near the canal, downtown and the central train station. Apparently, the property gets very busy with people from the Baltic cruise ships, but the time of year I was there was not cruising season.
The hotel was busy with business travelers though, so I think it gets a lively hum all year long. There is nothing immediately around the hotel except other businesses, so a 10 minute walk is required to Tivoli Garden or the central station area.
The highlight of the location is being right on the water, which for me is relaxing. The location provides lovely views, and because there are walking paths along the canal right outside the hotel, it’s great just to be able to be outside and stroll alongside the water. It’s an active canal with boats and people in kayaks, so lots of fun just to hang out and people watch. I was told this about the hotel location beforehand and it played a big part in my hotel choice.
Water everywhere you look from the hotel.
How can I not mention all the bicyclists in Copenhagen. Although the path outside the hotel was not heavily used.
I will offer one caveat which I often mention when I do these hotel reviews. I walk a lot, every day. Rarely do I walk less than 10 miles a day when I’m on holiday. If you’re not walking longer distances or able to enjoy the bikes the hotel rents, this hotel may seem a bit far from some of the sites. I did not use public transportation in Copenhagen, so I can’t really comment on it, though I would think it’s more than adequate. Taxis are expensive and there is no Uber, so consider how you’ll get around.
Again, the location is a bit off the beaten path if you like to go right outside and have some street action such as shops and restaurants. If you enjoy being more in the thick of it, you’d probably want to be closer to the center of the city area.
Lighting (5/5)
The lighting in the room is excellent. The hallway entrance is lit by overhead lights, there’s strong lighting from the desk, a standing lamp by the seat/ottoman combination, and strong lights by the bedside, each with a lower light switch to take the brightness down. The windows not only provided beautiful views of the water and across to other side of the canal, but plenty of natural lighting as well.
The inner curtain was lace and the outer curtain functioned well as black-out curtains. As a corner room, it was at the end of the hall so it was altogether a very quiet, bright room.
Carpet in good shape, curtains worked well, and enjoying the view kept me from getting my work done!
Double windows, double the view.
Window Access (5/5)
It took me a day to realize one of the windows opened! An open window, even if only for a few inches, coupled with fantastic views of water and boats going by had me feeling like I was living on a boat!
Being able to open a window in a hotel room is a big plus…….even if only for a few inches.
Bed Comfort (3/5)
The bed was too hard for me. And I didn’t like the pillows. I contacted housekeeping to ask if they had foam pillows. They replied that they did. But they delivered the same pillows I already had in the room, which were not foam. Oh well. I don’t often stay at Marriott properties so I have no idea if this is their standard bed or not. Just wasn’t comfortable for me.
Simple room design for the bed and side tables, with only one piece of art on the walls.
Bathroom (3/5)
The bathroom seemed like a regular bathroom, nothing fancy, with one sink, but there were a few both good and bad quirky things I’ll mention. It seemed strange that there was only one light switch and not different levels of brightness. It’s much better to have two levels of lighting in a bathroom because, after all, we don’t always need ALL the lights on.
There were ample hooks for towels and a great ledge space for sundries. Besides the lighting, the other not good aspect was the BIG step required to get in and out of the shower/tub. Watch your step and hold on to something. I’m of average height and my balance is fine, but every time I got in and out of the shower I thought of all the people I know who would have trouble. Can’t imagine who designs shower/tubs like that.
I don’t know if this is the brand Marriott typically uses, but I rather like the brand.
Good water pressure and an easily adjustable shower head.
Watch your step getting in and out. It’s a challenge.
Extra ledge in the bathroom and NO, that’s not my hairdryer!
Bathroom with marble countertops and single sink.
Interior Appointments and Furnishings (5/5)
The room was spacious and one whole corner of the room was empty. There is room for a couch or another chair and ottoman, but the room had only one chair and ottoman. This always strikes me as odd, especially when there’s room for a couch in a hotel room. What are we supposed to do when more than one person occupies a room, flip a coin to see who gets the chair and who gets the ottoman?
Maybe that’s why I saw the lobby and executive lounge full all the time. Kidding aside, given the size of the room there should be more seating options. There was only one piece of artwork on the wall and a full-length mirror outside the bathroom as well as a mirror over the desk.
I very much liked the color scheme of the room. It’s done in light browns and beige colors. The desk chair and lounge chair were both comfortable. It’s not a modern room with modern furniture and I heard some people talking about the hotel seeming old and in need of a refurb. My room was fine and in good shape. Old, if it’s in good shape, is fine by me. The design and color schemes used in these rooms suited my taste. I did find out that the last what the hotel describes as a “soft” refurb was done nine years ago. Currently, there are no remodeling plans.
View of the room from the entrance way.
Work area at the desk was plenty big and got good light.
Strange that the chair and ottoman didn’t match, but they were comfy.
Electronics (5/5)
The desk outlets are sufficient. The only USB port is by the desk. The internet seemed a bit glitchy at first going on and off, but it worked better over time. There are two standard European outlets by desk, however only one plug on one side of the bed. The other side of the bed had no outlets. I guess that side of the bed is for the person with less gadgets! The TV screen was medium sized so it didn’t feel, as large screens often do in a hotel room, to be the center of attention.
Snack and Minibar (3/5)
There was a kettle on the minibar but no coffee maker, which I found odd. I can’t remember the last time I was in a hotel room without a coffee maker. Even a crummy one. There was instant coffee, though. Once you moved the glasses and instant coffee setup off the counter, there was ample counter space. The minibar had an empty shelf, which is a nice idea so people can put some of their own food in the fridge. As my welcome amenity the hotel gifted me delicious chocolates and a large bottle of still water. I appreciated them both……especially the chocolates!
Hotel Service
The Copenhagen Marriott is a five star property. Having stayed at so few Marriott properties in the past few years, I’m not quite clear on what that means, or how this property measures up.
I enjoyed Executive Lounge access. The offering at the breakfast buffet is the typical European assortment of bread, fish, meat, eggs, cheeses, yogurts and sweets. I wish there had been fruit salad, but maybe it was not the season. Decor in lounge is nothing special. I found it too dark, with dark carpet and chairs. The coffee was very weak, but there were two different coffee counters at opposite ends of the lounge. The morning rush for coffee was easily accommodated!
The evening assortment of food included bread, hummus, chicken or some other protein dish, potatoes, cheese, tomatoes, and of course dessert. Would have liked some greens. Please, hotel lounge chefs, if you’re reading this PLEASE put out a bowl of greens! I promise they won’t go to waste.
Just outside the hotel you’ll find a walking path along the water. It stretches for miles.
The service at the hotel was excellent. Zsuzsanna Kotnyek, the Guest Relation Supervisor, Ali the concierge, housekeeping, and the staff in the Executive Lounge were wonderful, very accommodating, and couldn’t do enough to ensure my stay created a great memory. If this is what happens at a five star Marriott property, then this hotel earns its five stars.
Upshot
I’m definitely recommending the Copenhagen Marriott to others. The price does vary widely according to season. It may turn out to be the most I pay for a hotel this year. The general cost of traveling to Copenhagen is high. I knew that going in. The real question then becomes did it meet or exceed my expectations. How much did it influence whether or not I enjoyed my time in Copenhagen? I hope I demonstrated in this Copenhagen Marriott review that this property exceeded my expectations. It very much contributed to the success of my holiday. The hotel has set a bar for any other Marriott hotel stays going forward. It was a great choice for me…….thanks to James!
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7 comments
[…] room was a kettle and instant coffee. No coffee maker at all. Not even a crummy one. And this was a Marriott hotel. I cannot recall having seen that in ages. Even low end hotel rooms seem to have coffee makers with […]
Just by your pictures and description, this looks less than a 5-star property. I have booked for early this September, I am going to continue to look for better quality properties. Marriott’s are hit and miss and this does look like a miss.
Hi John, I actually do recommend this hotel. I liked the location on the water and the lounge, if you have access, was great. I wouldn’t say it’s a five start property, but it’s still a good choice. The staff at the hotel is excellent. If you have any questions, concerns, or special needs, I’d reach out to them for feedback and assistance. Enjoy Copenhagen, it’s a fun city!
I don’t commonly comment but I gotta admit thanks for the post on this great one :D.
Thanks for reading!
Great review as you talk about the bed being too firm which so many reviewers/bloggers leave out of their information.Instead saying comfortable or not with no explanation.
FYI the Radisson has spectacular plush soft beds as you expect in Scandinavia and while the public areas aren’t new the hotel has iconic design and architecture by a legendary architect worth staying or touring.Unfortunately the Radisson program is in shambles so I will likely stay at the Crowne plaza an dine at the Marriott in the morning!
The Marriott’s one claim to fame is a solid breakfast
I was going to try staying there but unless they get a foam topper I’m out
Thanks again
Glad the hotel review was helpful. Enjoy Copenhagen!