Urban eco resort with sustainability profile in residential part of Copenhagen

Guldsmeden Hotel Bryggen / Copenhagen / Denmark

When taking city breaks I tend to go for hotels that aren’t located right in the middle of where the action is. It is mainly due to two reasons. The first is that I like me some tranquility, especially when it is time to retreat back to the hotel and call it a day. The other is that these type of hotels are usually located in residential areas which offers such great way to truly get to know a city when you can hang with the locals and visit their favorite restaurants and bars.

Guldsmeden Hotel Bryggen is to be found in an area called Islands Brygge, on the other side of the water in the old harbour where the ships heading to Iceland used to depart. The hotel belongs to the small Danish chain Guldsmeden that was founded by the Weinert couple in 1999 when they opened their first hotel in Aarhus, Denmark. It was on Guldsmedgade and it is the reason for the name of the chain (unfortunately it is no longer part of the Guldsmeden chain but is nowadays under new management and called SOFS Hotel). Today there are 10 hotels where 5 are located in Copenhagen and the other 5 are spread over Europe and one as far away as Bali.

Guldsmeden Bryggen take their sustainability seriously. They go as far as saying that they are Denmark’s most accomplished sustainable luxury hotel. This 211-key hotel is situated in a classic brick building with large industrial looking windows. The style, like in all Guldsmeden hotels I’ve stayed at, is a kind of Scandi/Bali theme where the subtle design of the Nordics is combined with warm Balinese elements.

The sustainability ambition is high and as a consequence all the textiles are from sustainable eco and recycled materials, there are ecological Prolana mattresses in all the rooms and only organic food served in the restaurant. But the most fascinating feature are the Orbital Showers. They are based on NASA technology that save 50-90 % of water consumption.

I hope more hoteliers get inspired by the sustainability level Guldsmeden Bryggen have set the bar on and raise theirs accordingly.

Guldsmeden is situated in a old brick building with industrial looking windows.

The lobby is very warm and rich with leather sofas, colorful carpets and soft lighting.

This lamp is bonkers! And I love it! A different take on a classic Merano chandelier covered with colourful fish.

Real plants is such a great way to add life to any environment.

The stairs leading up to the rooms has an industrial look and feel with different kinds of exposed bricks.

The somewhat battered look of the stairs fit well with the overall casual look of Guldsmeden Bryggen.

Our room and the comfy four poster bed with organic Prolana mattress and bed throw in a Balinese pattern.

The bathroom in our room was exposed and placed in the middle of the room.

Guldsmeden Hotels always have their own ecological products in the bathroom/shower. Kind to nature and they smell divine.

Quirky lamp fixture, exposed brick wall and a view of the courtyard.

The bath robes in our room had the signature Guldsmeden pattern. Great to see something different and not the usual white.

On every floor there is a honesty bar where you get something to drink, get ice or a cup of tea. Love this!

The push for sustainability is everywhere in the hotel. Great with a constant reminder about this important topic.

The gym is located right next to the reception and is one of the best hotel gyms I’ve ever seen. Maybe even **the** best.

I am such a fan of the mix of modern design and vintage exercise equipment in the gym. Makes working out so much more fun.

Bryggen is one of those rare urban hotels that has an outdoor swimming pool. Perfect place to cool off after a day walking around the busy streets of Copenhagen. Or if you prefer…

…you can go for a dip in the sea. Around the corner of the hotel you’ll find Islands Brygge, which is basically the old harbour where the ships for Iceland departed. It has now been totally transformed into a recreational area where people work out, hang out or go for a swim. Like I am in the photo.

The Danes like their fika just as much as us Swedes and luckily there are plenty of great places for it in Copenhagen. This is from Wulf & Kunstali, located around the corner from the hotel. Well worth a visit. Or two.

Curious which is the best coffee in Copenhagen? This is it!

Coffee Collective has a couple of outlets around town. This one is situated in a small kiosk (see the photo above) next to Nørrebro Station. A perfect stop when walking around the old Latin Quarters.

The sun is setting on Copenhagen and Islands Brygge and it is time to call it a night.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…when visiting big cities prefer to stay in a hotel away from the hustle and bustle . If you prefer your hotel to be located in a more residential area where you can mix with the locals and get a feel for what normal life is like in Copenhagen and if you have high demands on the sustainability profile of your hotels, then this is your place.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is that they take sustainability seriously and not just doing some lame green washing attempt. The people behind Guldsmeden have their mind set on running hotels with an as small carbon footprint as possible and this is something worth highlighting and celebrating so others will hopefully follow suite.

What not to miss when staying here is…

… (if the weather permits) to grab something to eat and drink from one of the many restaurants/shops in this area and sit down by the water on Islands Brygge and just enjoy your day. We love picnics and ended up spending hours here eating, reading, swimming and just people watching. A perfect contrast to the rest of the time which was spent running around town.

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