Skovshoved Hotel
Charlottenlund, Copenhagen, Denmark
Reviewed by
Will Hide
If you've ever wanted to stay in one of those inimitably stylish Scandinavian seaside hotels - airy interiors, seductive lighting, cosy fires, welcoming bar - then you've hit the jackpot here. It's been a hotel in some shape since the 1600s, although the present building dates back to 1860. Despite being only 30 minutes by bus from central Copenhagen, you feel a world away in this pleasantly sleepy, affluent suburb (think the Danish equivalent of the Hamptons).
Head inside the pristine flowerbox-clad frontage, slip past reception and find a candlelit sitting area with an honesty bar and plenty of white sofas on which to lounge; round the corner, the restaurant invites you to feast on premium Hereford steaks and wines. Upstairs are 20 light-filled bedrooms (plus 2 in a separate annexe), and there's a cosy pub bang next door. Five minutes' walk away, the hotel has a private jetty from where the hearty (and hardy) can dive into the sea for a bracing pre-breakfast wake-up, and slightly further on there's a beach for those gloriously long Scandinavian summer evenings.
Head inside the pristine flowerbox-clad frontage, slip past reception and find a candlelit sitting area with an honesty bar and plenty of white sofas on which to lounge; round the corner, the restaurant invites you to feast on premium Hereford steaks and wines. Upstairs are 20 light-filled bedrooms (plus 2 in a separate annexe), and there's a cosy pub bang next door. Five minutes' walk away, the hotel has a private jetty from where the hearty (and hardy) can dive into the sea for a bracing pre-breakfast wake-up, and slightly further on there's a beach for those gloriously long Scandinavian summer evenings.
Highs
- Easy access to some of the area's best beaches, plus the bus from central Copenhagen stops right outside; bike hire is available, too
- A lovely historic feel, with plenty of photos charting the hotel's long past
- Breakfast on your private balcony, overlooking the sea
- Excellent food, both in the restaurant and the buzzy pub; alternate between them according to your mood
- The rooms are generally large and bright
Lows
- The suburban location is very quiet - not ideal for first-time visitors to the city or those seeking nightlife
- Despite the cosy fires, seaside Copenhagen on a grey winter's day is pretty grey indeed
- Access to the sea jetty and beach is across a fairly busy main road
- When we last visited, some areas felt a little worn around the edges, but we've been informed there have been some renovations since then
Best time to go
Ideally summer, to take advantage of the beaches and long evenings. But if you're looking for a romantic bolthole where you can cuddle up with your partner by the fire, the hotel works well even on the greyest winter day.
Our top tips
The lounge area lends itself to kicking off your shoes and curling up with a good book. There are some to borrow, but you'll need to bring your own unless you speak Danish.