Stordalen has a roof in Kongens next to Villa Copenhagen

This article was first published in capital.

Copenhagen, fall 2021: – I’ve been through some crises before. I have been working in Egypt for several years now, going through tourism crises and financial crises. You just have to reorganize a little bit, says hotel manager Peter Hogg Pedersen.

For now, he’s eyeing the bustling atrium of Villa Copenhagen – Stordalen’s major Copenhagen investment – also the largest in Scandinavia in recent years.

It’s September last year. Afternoon, the main hall of the train station was already filled. Women in business suits, deep coffee mugs, middle-aged men in loose-fitting ties, and young men with their laptop perched on the coffee table, battle to break the salon’s sound barrier. A live band at the end plays so loud that you have to fight hard to be heard. The first meeting with Villa Copenhagen has something very special. Energy and chaos in a kind of harmony. Feel free to call it Stordalen’s signature.

Villa Copenhagen was completed at the end of summer 2020. After three years of renovation, the billionth Nordic Choice project had time to finish before the pandemic hit Denmark. Expectations were high in the sky. In 2018, one could read headlines like “Norwegian billionaire rich in luxury hotel in Copenhagen” in Berlingske Tidende.

But after the opening, it was quiet around the huge luxury hotel in Vesterbro. In Norway, the billion dollar investment went almost unnoticed – in the billions in amounts, despite famous architects and star chefs. It’s finally time to remind travel-loving Norwegians of what the Norwegian Hotel King has accomplished in King’s City.

in depth

The hotel consists of 390 rooms spread over 25,000 square metres. The classic building was formerly the main post office and telegraph center in Denmark. It was built in 1912 and served as a nerve center in Scandinavia when mail was passed through horse and wagon. Recently, the building became empty.

Together with the Varner brothers, Stordalen purchased the building for DKK 750 million through Strawberry Brothers AS in 2017. The responsibility for operating the hotel rests with Nordic Choice.

Dining: The Contrast Brasserie is equipped for evening guests. This spring, you can walk straight from the train station to a continental dining room specializing in a blend of Nordic ingredients, adding a touch of the Middle East. Cosmopolitan Brasserie they chose to name it. Photo: Evind Jeseth/Capital

All original details have been preserved in a contemporary way. The contrasts between solid steel, thick wood, oak floors and sumptuous furniture look undeniably luxurious. Each room meets the strict requirements of design and comfort required in a higher price range. Nordic Choice is by no means the first to come up with such a concept, but the 390 rooms in this sector are unique – not least impressive. After breaking the budget several times, the price ended up at around NOK 2.2 billion in total.

At the top there is a 25m, 1200m2 swimming pool where you can enjoy refreshments all year round. The balcony was nicknamed the “Hidden Garden”. There is something strange about the so-called on the roof In one of the coldest cities in the world. In the past, these concepts were reserved for luxury hotels in the Southern Hemisphere, in cities like Barcelona, ​​Palma, Singapore or Los Angeles.

in the water above the surface

The world’s fiercest wind city has gained more hotels offering pool experiences in beautiful surroundings. Places like Manon Les Suites or Nimb have been offering Instagram-friendly pools for a few years now. Perhaps the Copenhagen villa is a little more reminiscent of SoHo’s home in London or Raleigh in Miami with its striped awnings designed after inspiration from mid centurya period.

What immediately distinguishes a Copenhagen villa is the clients. In September, there were few tourists so far. The “Hidden Garden” has become a gathering place for local Copenhageners. Here they were on top of the Danish capital for four seasons, and they were completely undisturbed by tourists. Now they will face competition from bathing Norwegians. After all, the property is in Norwegian ownership.

HIGH LEAD CIGAR: Hotel Manager Peter Hogg Pedersen displays throughout the hotel. Inside the old conference room of the old post office, it still smelled of cigars. The room is still used as a meeting room for companies who want to rent a private cabin. Photo: Evind Jeseth/Capital

– I think it’s cute. Only Danes have booked the hotel so far. 95% of our guests so far are from Denmark. Hugh Pedersen said at the time that this is likely to change over time.

– We had to reduce the number of employees from 180 to 90 employees in one day

local pleasures. According to the hotel manager, the market changed drastically when we stopped by this fall. A few weeks before opening, they had to take drastic measures.

– We had to reduce the number of employees from 180 to 90 employees in one day. Not many of them started working here. It was a very bad feeling. But he continues: But we were very keen on implementation, despite the strange situation we were in.

When he visited Kapital, the hotel had only been open for three months. no work no comfort Of the neighboring countries she was especially significantly represented. But the Danes clearly appreciated the hotel in Kongens Tivoli. The salon gradually became a “after work” gathering place. The pool was a favorite place for an evening swim throughout the winter. The hotel was also awarded Project of the Year during the Denmark Real Estate Days in 2020.

According to Stordalen, he will not make money from this hotel during his lifetime. Perhaps investing is more about legacy. Perhaps it is a kind of retaliation for the previous hotel investments that went into decline in Denmark. In 2010, it was forced to sell outside the Danish market after losing about NOK 800 million. A few years later, he bought the luxurious Pearl St. Petri and the public hotel Comfort Hotel Vesterbro. The two hotels were sold to US investment firm Starwood Capital earlier this fall.

Perhaps he will succeed with Villa Copenhagen?

Those who party at The Thief in Oslo might think the Copenhagen Villa has some similarities. The furniture and the party feel are remarkably similar. Perhaps even closer to the new initiative Sommerro, which will soon open in Sommerrogaten later this year. There is no denying that the hotel has an old-fashioned charm (which cannot be bought) for the money. Kind of a new signature for Stordalen, who has seen his plot to purchase historic buildings in Scandinavia in recent years.

Copenhagen Villa, Copenhagen Rooftop Pool Photo: Evind Jeseth/Capital

on the paper

All inclusive hotel stay experience. If you like, you can stay here for 2-3 days without moving outside the hotel. In theory, you can switch between the Kontrast restaurant, the Rug café, the T37 bar and the swimming pool in the “Hidden Garden”. You will undoubtedly feel like you are in the center of the action in Copenhagen. If you have a desire to explore, you can rent a bike at home that can easily take you to the many gastronomic experiences for which Copenhagen is famous. The suite – the old director’s office – is supposed to be the most expensive in Copenhagen.

The standard hotel rooms still provide enough comfort. Following a contemporary manuscript, we encourage you to take care of the towel and fill the jug with water yourself. Villa Copenhagen is proud to be an eco-friendly hotel. If you wear sarcastic spectacles, it is impossible not to think about all the financial benefits. But strictly speaking, don’t wash the bedding at home every day either, maybe it will work fine?

The cacophony of guests struggling to drown out the loud music inside the lounge increases in decibels, minute by minute. The foyer, formerly an old backyard, is now glazed, transformed into a lively lounge, surrounded by pastry shops, restaurants, and cocktail bars. It’s hard not to think that Stordalen made such a small gift to our neighboring town closest to the continent.