Copenhagen

Copenhagen makes good design feel remarkably ordinary. Colourful harbour houses, royal palaces and historic warehouses coexist with Functionalist landmarks and some of Europe’s most ambitious contemporary architecture. The legacy of Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl and Hans Wegner remains deeply embedded in the city, but Copenhagen is no design museum. Former industrial waterfronts, harbour baths, cycling infrastructure and adventurous new buildings reveal a city still experimenting with how architecture can improve everyday life.

Food and drink are equally central to Copenhagen’s identity. The city helped transform Nordic cuisine into a global movement, yet some of its greatest pleasures are much less formal. Exceptional bakeries, traditional smørrebrød, neighbourhood restaurants, natural wine bars and specialty coffee shops sit alongside destination restaurants that continue to push culinary boundaries. Craft beer has its own strong culture, while many of the city’s best places blur the distinction between restaurant, wine bar and neighbourhood hangout.

Copenhagen’s most interesting hotels share that combination of design and informality. Modernist icons, historic townhouses, converted warehouses and contemporary boutique hotels showcase Danish furniture and craftsmanship without feeling like showrooms. At DNA Hotels, we curate the places where architecture, interiors, food and Copenhagen’s relaxed approach to living well come together—hotels that make good design feel like part of everyday life.