When they renovated the Ibsens Hotel in Copenhagen, they kept the iconic red neon Hotel sign, which perfectly captures the hotel’s vibe: a mix of retro charm, modern design, vintage touches, and a strong connection to the neighborhood.

The hotel is located in Nansensgade, just a short walk from the Copenhagen lakes, which resemble a broad river, and only five minutes from Norreport station. Nearby, you can explore the Botanic Garden, Rosenborg Castle, and a park where you can buy local food from market halls and enjoy a picnic by the lake.

Nansensgade itself is a narrow street filled with unique artisan shops, cafes, and restaurants, each with its own quirky charm. For example, there’s a cozy coffee bar on the corner where you can step down a few stairs into a kitschy haven.

Adjacent to the hotel are two eateries associated with it: La Rocca, an elegant Italian restaurant with white tablecloths, and Pinxtos, a more relaxed spot serving Basque-style tapas. Although we didn’t dine at either, they looked inviting. Instead, we opted for a nearby place that served Moules and Chips, which my partner had spotted.

After a day of biking and visiting the Karen Blixen Museum and Tivoli Gardens, we were ready for some simple, homely food. With 500 Swedish Krona in cash, we managed to have a delightful meal at a restaurant called Nice.

Back at the three-star, boutique-style Ibsens Hotel, where we stayed for three nights during our spring visit to Copenhagen, the entrance leads to a reception desk that doubles as a coffee bar where breakfast is served. The lobby features wooden painted tables, red leather banquettes, and small artworks for sale. You can relax on a comfy purple velvet sofa or a lime wool wing chair by the fire.

The hotel’s design incorporates elements from local shops and artisans. For instance, chairs are covered with brightly colored textiles by local designer Krestine Kjærholm, and there’s a vintage wood and glass coffee table from Lauritz.com. You can even play records on a gramophone from Würtz Radio.

If the weather is nice, you can sit in the internal courtyard or have a meeting in the library, which features a classical bust and travel guides from a nearby second-hand bookshop. Near the reception, there’s a graffiti-colored metal cupboard by artist Sunny Asemota for storing valuables, and room keys come with leather fobs made by The Last Bag, a local shop.

We took the lift to our sixth-floor room, which overlooked the street. The room, decorated in battleship grey with bright accents like a lime green chair, was compact and reminded me of an upscale student hostel. The bathroom had a shower that drained into the floor and a steel soap dispenser but lacked other toiletries. The hotel’s commitment to being CO2 neutral explains some of these choices.

Our room was quite dark, with minimal lighting from bedside lamps and a desk lamp. There wasn’t a proper wardrobe, just a space to hang clothes, and the beds had storage space underneath. Despite the quiet street, noise from building works woke us up early, so we requested a quieter room overlooking the internal courtyard. This room was slightly larger but even darker, with inadequate lighting for the desk area.

The rooms were modern and comfortable, with cozy duvets and bedcovers, but they served best as a base for exploring the city. Breakfast downstairs was much more cheerful, with a variety of teas, coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and “breakfast in a glass” options like fruit compote, yogurt, and muesli. The food was served on plastic trays, likely to reduce washing up as part of the hotel’s CO2 reduction efforts.

We rented bikes from the hotel, making it easy to travel from Norreport station and explore the coast, including a visit to the Karen Blixen House at Rungsted. We enjoyed using Ibsens Hotel as our base for a long weekend in Copenhagen, appreciating the neighborhood-inspired design and tasty breakfasts. The rooms were comfortable and modern, though they could benefit from better lighting.

We stayed as guests of Ibsens Hotel and Wonderful Copenhagen, but a quick online check showed that rooms typically cost from £100 per night, including breakfast for two. If you book a room-only rate, breakfast costs 155DKK (£17) per person. Considering Copenhagen’s reputation as an expensive city, I found the hotel to be excellent value.