Review: Copenhagen Marriott Hotel

While spending some time in Copenhagen on my recent European trip, I spent four nights at the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel.

The earlier part of my trip to Iceland and the Faroe Islands was an action-packed adventure. On the other hand, for my time in Copenhagen, I simply needed a good home base from which I could work, relax, and explore the city at a leisurely pace before heading onto the next leg of my trip. 

In the end, the Marriott very much ticked those boxes for me. Let’s take a look at my experience.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – Booking

In general, Copenhagen and the Nordic region have a relative dearth of major chain hotels compared to other parts of the world. This is especially true when it comes to Marriott’s portfolio.

Here in the Danish capital, there’s the Marriott, the AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen, the Nobis Hotel Copenhagen, Design Hotels, and The Socialist, Tribute Portfolio. Other than these, there isn’t much else in terms of choice.

Many of the better hotel options in town are affiliated with local Danish or Scandinavian hotel brands, such as the Arp-Hansen Hotel Group. Since these are independent chains, there aren’t many opportunities to earn or redeem points, nor to leverage elite benefits such as free breakfast.

After giving it some thought, I eventually settled on staying here at the Copenhagen Marriott, booking four nights at a favourable travel agent rate.

The average public rate during this summer’s high season was $500+ (CAD) per night for this modest but not overly luxurious property.

If you’re making an award redemption here at the Copenhagen Marriott Hotel, a one-night stay at this property will cost you 48,000–55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

With our current valuation of Bonvoy points at 0.9 cents per point (cpp), you can get decent, but not necessarily outstanding value by redeeming points.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – Location

The Copenhagen Marriott is located in Kalvebod Brygge, a waterfront area in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen.

The property is nestled just next to the Kalvebod Bølge, an urban boardwalk jetting out over the waterfront, and an ideal spot for a leisurely stroll.

It’s a short 10-minute walk to cafés, museums, and nearby popular attractions, such as the Tivoli Gardens, which are just north of the hotel.

The Central Station is also within a 10-minute walk, while Copenhagen Kastrup Airport is a 15- or 25-minute journey by car or bus, respectively.

The iconic Nyhavn waterfront is within 20 minutes on foot, where you can find a peaceful spot by the canal to eat and drink or simply admire the famous colourful houses by the water.

Other attractions in the capital, such as the Little Mermaid statue or the star-shaped Kastellet fortress, are only a short distance further northwest from Nyhavn.

I felt the Marriott’s location was suitable for a relaxed stay in Copenhagen, as the hotel is a convenient walk away from the city’s most popular sights and sounds, but isn’t immediately next door. This allowed me to take a pleasant stroll each day when I was heading out and exploring the area.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – Check-In

We arrived relatively late at the hotel after our flight from the Faroe Islands, making our way from the airport to the hotel by bus.

The hotel exterior has a reasonably modern façade. Both the front and back of the building are made of glass, and the back of the hotel beautifully reflects the river views in front of it. 

There are two entrances: the front entrance faces the street and allows for vehicles to pull right up, while the back entrance faces the river, providing direct access to the riverfront promenade.

Upon checking in, we were informed that there was an Executive Lounge which we’d have access to on the ground floor. Breakfast is served here in the morning, and evening hors d’oeuvres are served from 5:30–7:30pm.

I inquired about upgrading to a suite; however, there was nothing available at the time. They mentioned we had already been upgraded to a room with a river view, and I was pretty happy with that, feeling relatively unfussy about this particular property in terms of getting an upgrade.

There’s some seating options scattered throughout the lobby lounge, illuminated by sunlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

We were given our room keys, and headed to Room 426, located on the fourth floor.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – King Room with Water View

The hotel’s hallways and guest rooms were quite dated, and reminded me of some of the older-style Marriott hotels I’ve come across in the past.

Immediately entering our King Room with Water View, the patterned carpets and the beige and yellow colour scheme struck me as a relic of a bygone era. 

As we’ll see later, the Executive Lounge downstairs does indeed reflect Marriott’s newer design principles. I’d imagine this property is currently in the middle of a transformation, and in the coming years, one might expect the guest rooms to be refreshed, too.

Thankfully, I wasn’t too concerned with the visual aesthetics during my four-night stay, as I mainly planned to work and relax on my own – my partner Jessy would be heading home to Vancouver the following day.

The king bed is tucked into the left-hand corner of the room as you enter through the entryway. Opposite the bed is a TV, which sits on a small dresser.

Just to the right of the TV is a small area stocked with coffee and tea.

In the back right-hand corner of the room is a desk with two outlets and a reading lamp. I spent a lot of time here working during my stay, and found it to be a functional setup. 

Opposite the desk is an armchair, ottoman, and side table, should you want to catch up on some reading.

I loved the floor-to-ceiling views of the picturesque waterfront while working from the desk, which encouraged me to explore this beautiful city whenever I needed a break.

When it comes to the bathroom, it’s also your standard, old-school Marriott bathroom. The space is limited to just a vanity, toilet, and shower, as well as more yellow and beige.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge is situated on the first floor of the hotel, and it’s undoubtedly a strong point of this hotel.

Access to the lounge is for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members and above.

The ambiance of the lounge was warm and pleasant. The dark hardwood floors and walls, marble cladding, and modern light fixtures made it quite an appealing space. 

There were several separate areas for lounging, eating, and working. As you enter the lounge, there’s more of a casual setting, consisting of couches and armchairs.

In the central area of the lounge, there are mainly two- and four-person seating options for dining.

Towards the back, there is a dedicated business centre, with Apple computers, some benches, and dining seats.

Breakfast is hosted here in the morning, and then a snack spread in the evenings. I found both to be quite impressive, and was pleasantly surprised by the well-appointed offerings.

The breakfast selection consisted of juices, coffee, and tea, along with a cold spread of charcuterie, salmon, pastries, and cereal and a wide selection of hot western breakfast dishes.

Overall, the quantity and quality of the hotel’s breakfast offering surpassed my expectations for a Marriott Executive Lounge.

For the evening spread, there was a rotating series of dishes, including one soup dish per night, both a meat- and veggie-based item, and more charcuterie, including cheese and salami.

Furthermore, snacks and refreshments were available until 9:30pm, including unlimited wine and beer, which made the Executive Lounge an ideal spot to relax in the evenings.

The evening spread was more limited in terms of the quantity for each portion; however, if you wanted to use it as a substitute for dinner, you could load up on several portions during your visit to the lounge. 

Overall, I found the hotel’s Executive Lounge to be a welcoming space with an interior décor that reflected the new direction of Marriott’s brand. I’m looking forward to seeing these refurbishments carried out through the rest of the hotel.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel – Other Facilities

The elevator leading down to the hotel’s fitness centre was undergoing repairs during my visit, so we had to take a staircase from the outside of the hotel down one level to access it.

I went down for a workout on a few occasions, and found the space to be well-appointed and brightly illuminated. Cardio equipment consisted of treadmills and bikes, and then there were some weight machines and free weights.

The Midtown Grill is the hotel’s in-house restaurant open for dining from 6:30–10:30pm on weekdays and 7:00–10:30pm on weekends. Alternatively, you can order 24-hour room service from the restaurant.

It’s a stylish space with views overlooking the river. The menu offers a breakfast buffet in the morning and various European cuisines for lunch and dinner.

Other facilities at the hotel include the Marriott Waterfront Wellness Spa, which has a steam room and a variety of massage and facial treatments, as well as a small gift shop with snacks, drinks, and other essentials you might need.

Conclusion

The Copenhagen Marriott Hotel has an ideal location, whether you’re just passing through the city or looking to explore in depth. Most must-see attractions are within a 20-minute walk, while waterfront access is only steps away.

The Executive Lounge is where this Marriott hotel shines. It’s a reflection of Marriott’s modern visual brand, and it over-delivered in both the quality and quantity of its food and drinks spread.

The interiors of the rooms are outdated, but still have enough functionality for a comfortable stay. And since there aren’t too many options for major chain hotels in the part of the world, I’d recommend the Copenhagen Marriott if you’re looking for a routine and unfussy stay here in Denmark’s capital.