If Copenhagen Is On Your 2026 Travel List, Bookmark Villa Copenhagen
From a world-class food scene and the charming twinkling lights of Tivoli, to incredible Scandi fashion, enviable interiors, and history by the bucketload, Copenhagen kind of has it all.
The Handbook’s Contributing Fashion & Lifestyle Editor, Astrid Carter, headed there for 48 hours with children in tow, staying at the impossibly chic, but hugely family-friendly Villa Copenhagen. Read on to see why this achingly cool city is actually a brilliant choice for travelling with little ones…
What sets it apart
I knew the hotly talked-about Villa Copenhagen was going to be packed with style, but what I found was a masterclass in genuine hospitality and warmth, too. Checking in for two nights in the Danish capital on what was potentially the rainiest week of the year, this beautifully renovated 2020 hotel became the perfect base for 48 hours in the city.
The exterior – a towering behemoth of red brick – felt distinctly New York, yet within those walls was pure, intentional Scandi cool. Everything here feels thought-out, from the sun-drenched, olive-lined courtyard (complete with daytime DJs) to the renowned in-house bakery, and even a rooftop pool that’s open year-round, even as the snow falls.
Everything here feels thought-out, from the sun-drenched, olive-lined courtyard (complete with daytime DJs) to the renowned in-house bakery, and even a rooftop pool that’s open year-round, even as the snow falls.
The crowd was a fascinating mix of the fashionable and the famous, including a world-class football team sitting casually in the foyer when I checked in (much to the delight of my football-mad partner). But the true magic? The way they treated little ones. From the moment I arrived, the team made my four-year-old feel super special – fresh cookies on arrival and a tiny, perfectly folded dressing gown hand-delivered to him in my room. A sweet and truly memorable touch.
The location
The hotel’s location is a major asset. It sits directly across from Copenhagen’s Central Station, which makes navigating the city via train or Metro straightforward. You also have the iconic Tivoli Gardens just across the road – it’s one of the world’s oldest fairgrounds and certainly the most charming, especially when it’s lit up at night.
Beyond the immediate doorstep, the hotel provides easy access to some of the city’s best neighbourhoods. You are well within walking distance of the cool boutiques in Vesterbro and Frederiksberg (a quick stop at Ganni is essential), and the vibrant scene of wine bars, breweries, and restaurants in the Meatpacking District, also known as Kødbyen. It’s a very central and convenient base for exploring Copenhagen.
It’s a very central and convenient base for exploring Copenhagen.
The rooms
As with all big five-star hotels, there are a variety of rooms and suites to choose from. We were in a family room in the building’s eaves, which felt very cosy with the rain lapping against the windows and the grey hue of the city in autumn below. Cosy it was, but it wasn’t cramped with a casual seating area and desk that transformed into my little one’s bed for the night, and a decent-sized bathroom with a walk-in shower room on one side, a loo on the other, and a beautiful big marble top and chrome sink at the centre.
Style-wise, the room was decked out in a simple, monochromatic palette, with attention to finishes – herringbone floors, black-and-white artwork, and soft furnishings in creams and grey. A decent coffee machine and a Steamery steamer in the closet were a nice touch. All very Scandi, all very chic.
I knew it was going to be packed with style, but what I found was a masterclass in genuine hospitality and warmth, too.
Colour is used with more confidence elsewhere in the hotel, starting with the jewel-hued, velvet-drenched Rug Bakery and its welcoming banquette corners and brasserie-style lighting – it’s perhaps the chicest and most opulent bakery I’ve visited, with myriad pastry-based goodies that match its high bar. Then there is the rooftop swimming pool, built into the dominating backdrop of the property’s red bricks. The icy blue pool, with plumes of steam coming off it into the crisp Copenhagen air (it was October, after all), and yellow and white striped loungers lining it, offer a pop of colour in the depths of winter.
Food & drink
You’re in no short supply of great bakeries in Copenhagen – I came home 86% cardamom bun – but Rug Bakery is by far the most stylish one I tried. It’s perfect for a quick breakfast or a light lunch before heading out to see what the city has to offer. By evening, the menu changes to relaxed sourdough pizzas and cocktails, making full use of their masterful way with dough of all kinds.
The main bar sits right in the hotel’s spectacular Courtyard. It’s a communal space hosting everything from business meetings and quick coffees to guests in transit and stiff drinks late into the night. The space itself is something special, crowned by a sweeping, curved glass atrium ceiling that exposes the neo-Baroque building above – a seamless marriage of the old and new that Copenhagen does so effortlessly. Sadly, with a four-year-old in tow, my usual city break penchant for midnight Negronis was off the table, but it’s a beautiful spot to relax no matter the time of day.
But in terms of dining at Villa Copenhagen, it is the breakfasts that really stood out. Served in the basement of what was the former headquarters of the Danish post office, dating back to 1912, here I found the upper echelons of the most important meal of the day. It was a spread so good it would persuade even the most staunch of intermittent fasters.
On arrival, a tray of daily health juice shots – the beetroot and ginger was quite possibly the best juice I’ve ever had. This was followed by omelette stations, smoked fish, homemade granola, a cooked but health-conscious breakfast (lots of fresh veggies), and baked goods galore. Cinnamon buns, cardamom buns, buttery flaky croissants, pistachio doughnuts, gluten-free options, you name it, they had it. On paper, it’s nothing new in the realm of hotel breakfasts, but it was just so well executed, with genuine flair, incredible taste, and seriously high-quality ingredients. In fact, the breakfast was so good, I invited family who were also visiting Copenhagen to join us on the second day. It was the perfect crowd-pleaser to set us up for a day of exploring.
Things to do
The beauty of Copenhagen is its versatility – it can really be whatever kind of city you want it to be. Inspired by the foodie spots of The Bear or desperate to try one of the city’s many Michelin-starred restaurants? It’s got you. Want to soak in the relaxed coffee and bakery culture. Absolutely. And in terms of history and culture, there are bucketloads, whether you’re into historic castles or modern art. There is, of course, plenty of incredibly Scandi brands to tempt, from the gorgeous Ganni boutique to Stine Goya and excellent vintage shopping.
But what I loved most visiting this time around – my first trip there with a little one in tow – was just how exceptionally family-friendly the city is. From the play parks (which, quite frankly, the UK does not match) to the relaxed yet still painfully hip restaurants, kids are accommodated everywhere. Here are some of the things we did with two children under six…
Tivoli Gardens by night
Even if you don’t consider yourself a theme park person, you’ll love Tivoli. Open since 1843, the fairy-lit fun fair is utterly charming (this is no Thorpe Park), especially at night when the lights twinkle everywhere. The kids, of course, adored it, but the grown-ups did too – from the vintage-look rides to the genuinely good gift shops, and food that puts our Winter Wonderland to utter shame.
This fairy-lit fun fair is utterly charming, especially at night when the lights twinkle everywhere.
Nyhavn
For first-timers, a wander down Nyhavn, the iconic Copenhagen canal lined with bars, restaurants and those brightly coloured townhouses, is a must. Cosy up under a blanket with a hot chocolate and do some great people-watching.
Rosenborg Castle
From Nyhavn, it’s just a short walk through the King’s Gardens to Rosenborg Castle, Christian IV’s small but by no means unostentatious favourite residence. Inside, you can see everything from his bed chamber, where he died in 1648, to a rather fantastic mirrored boudoir, and, in the vaults beneath the castle, Denmark’s crown jewels.
The play parks
Not my usual travel golden nugget, but if you’re travelling to Copenhagen with under 10s, the Danes truly know how to design a play park. We loved the Children’s Traffic Playground in Fælledparken, where they can hire bikes and pretend to navigate the roads with crossings, traffic lights, and all. We also visited the Konditaget Lüders, a unique 24-meter-high activity park built on a car park roof. It looks more like an art installation with spectacular city views – proving the Scandis can make anything cool.
Take the train to Billund
Finally, from Copenhagen we took the train to Billund, which is the home of Lego (did I mention we were travelling with kids?). Deeply unchic in comparison to Copenhagen, but well worth it with little ones to visit Legoland, Lego House, and the Danish equivalent to Centre Parcs (side note: it was also much cheaper but just as good).
Restaurants
We were only in Copenhagen for less than 48 hours, but other than the excellent food at Villa Copenhagen, we ate at these places for long, lazy lunches and early dinners with the kids.
Gorilla, Vesterbro
This had all the buzz of a Hackney small plates restaurant: slippery plates of pasta, big sharing steaks, and excellent cocktails.
Kødbyens Fiskebar, Flæsketorvet
This Copenhagen institution is the place to go if you love shellfish. We tucked into rounds of oysters and natty sparkling wines. While there isn’t a dedicated children’s menu, if your little ones aren’t too fussy with fish, they are very accommodating. They were also mesmerised by the pillar fish tank and the rather trippy toilets that felt like something out of a David Lynch film.
Gasoline Grill
Coming sixth in the World’s Best Burger 2025 awards is cult favourite Gasoline Grill. They actually have a restaurant inside Tivoli, making it an excellent choice if you’re there for the day or an evening.
The verdict
You can’t really fault Villa Copenhagen for a 48-hour trip to the city. It’s packed with cool public spaces, excellent food, interiors that are luxe but unfussy, and that epic swimming pool. It has a buzz about it that makes you feel a bit like a local, and let’s be honest, locals don’t come much cooler than in Copenhagen.
It has a buzz about it that makes you feel a bit like a local, and let’s be honest, locals don’t come much cooler than in Copenhagen.
Getting there & booking
There are daily flights from multiple London airports to Copenhagen Airport, travelling with all the major airlines. If you’re travelling from another UK city, you may have to get a connecting flight –we travelled through Amsterdam. From the airport, Villa Copenhagen is a 15-minute train ride (the station is right next to the hotel), or you can take a 25-minute taxi. Rates at Villa Copenhagen, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts L.V.X. Collection, start from £170 per room per night, based on two sharing.
For more information or to book, visit www.preferredhotels.com
