Book your Flight, Copenhagen is Calling

A dramatic interior courtyard anchors the Hotel Bella Grande building that dates back to the late 1800s.

Thoughtful design touches, such as brass-and-scarlet tasseled room keys, abound

The hotel’s Italian eatery, Donna, is pretty in shades of pink.

Rooms and suites fuse traditional and modern sensibilities, leveraging the building’s historic bones and contemporary designer furnishings.

The lobby’s architecture features coffered ceilings, generous windows, and marble floors.

Two suites feature rooftop terraces with sweeping views of Copenhagen.

Two suites feature rooftop terraces with sweeping views of Copenhagen.

When you arrive in an unfamiliar destination after a long flight, nothing is more comforting than chic, cozy accommodations. Hotel Bella Grande, one of Copenhagen’s newest design-forward hotels, is just such a place.

Motivated by Scandinavian Airlines’ new direct flight connecting Atlanta with the Danish capital, I happily flew the nine hours overnight and took the ultra-efficient Metro from the airport to the City Hall Square stop, a five-minute walk from the property. The hotel is the second lodging offering from Copenhagen Food Collective (Cofoco) that also owns and operates 18 unique restaurants around the city.

The group’s love of Italian culture is evident: a geometric marble floor graces the lobby, vintage framed scarves become large-scale art in the lounge, and enormous coffee table books pay homage to Italian designers. The five-story building, built in 1899, underwent a complete renovation to open as a 109-room and suite hotel in April 2024.

I accepted a brass key with a scarlet tassel and headed to my room. Gold swirls and floral motifs, reminiscent of Versace barocco designs, float on the black carpets lining the halls of guest floors. Inside my home for the next few days, I found that the Tonen Agency, led by principals Malene Bech-Pedersen and Mette Bonavent, had infused the space with a blend of contemporary and vintage style. Muted shades of cream, white, and burgundy with gold accents create an instant sense of glamour. The room’s centerpiece, a bed with a wave-shaped velvet headboard, is clad in a plush white duvet, over which presides a pumpkin-shaped Oi Soi Oi silk shade light fixture. Metallic bedside lamps by Tom Dixon add soft lighting, and a sleek dressing table is both functional and stylish. It’s the kind of room that makes weary travelers feel instantly at ease.

If the guest rooms are muted, the hotel’s elegant Italian restaurant, Donna, is anything but. Feminine and romantic, the dining room features glossy red ceilings and bubblegum pink walls, blood-red sofas, candlelit tables, and pink curtains framing floor-to-ceiling windows. Additional seating spills over into the botanical-filled five-story atrium space in the center of the hotel where a checkered marble floor is done in terracotta and cream and banquettes are festooned in floral brocade. Either space is an Instagrammer’s dream. The food matches the vibe: Think focaccia with whipped ricotta, super-fresh salads, and handmade pastas alongside picture-perfect cocktails.

While travelers can’t miss iconic Copenhagen sights such as Tivoli Gardens, the crown jewels at Rosenborg Castle, colorful row houses lining the canal at Nyhavn, and the royal residence at Amalienborg Palace, the charming Hotel Bella Grande adds another compelling reason to visit. hotelbellagrande.com