Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen review: where opulence meets Danish hygge

At night, the Nimb Hotel’s grand Moorish façade, complete with onion domes and minarets, is lit up by colourful lights, accentuating the fairytale look of its unique architecture. It’s an enchanting Instagram-worthy scene, as if the building is dressed in a thousand glowing gems, bringing to life the history of this hotel originally inspired by the colours and character of a Middle Eastern bazaar.

World famous for its outer opulence and inner elegance, the Nimb remains the grande dame of Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. Home to one of the world’s oldest amusement gardens, Tivoli Gardens is said to have influenced Walt Disney when he was planning Disneyland in California. Like the park, the building was created by Tivoli director and architect Knud Arne Petersen and the hotel has been located there since 1909. 

Unlike some historic hotels that have fallen into hard times at one period or another, the Nimb has maintained its standard of excellence throughout the decades. In 2008, the hotel underwent its first extensive renovation. Its exterior was restored to in Italian marble stucco, while inside, fresh décor championed Danish design and its connection to comfortable Scandi living or “hygge”. Autumn 2017 marked another big milestone with the opening of a new 2,000 sqm wing conceived by New York-based architects Pei Cobb Freed Partners expanding the hotel from 17 to 38 luxurious rooms and suites.

A junior suite

Having only made use of this new space for just over a year before the pandemic hit and forced the hotel to close, the Nimb is enjoying something of a second unveiling as it welcomes guests to discover a host of updates including 20 new luxury suites, plus a sprawling roof terrace with heated pool decorated with Italian mosaic tiles, surrounded by sun loungers and serviced by a beach-style cocktail bar.

On the lower ground floor, dark lacquered walls are matched by a beautiful water feature the size of a small pool equipped with a decorative antique canoe and surrounded by exotic flowers. Here you’ll discover a small gym with state-of-the-art Technogym machines (also used in the UK’s Warner Bros. Studios by stunt actors no less!) and a wellness area, for massages, a steam or the full haman experience.

The Nimb’s rooftop pool with sweeping views of Copenhagen

The rooms

All rooms have a view of Tivoli, so you can people watch during the day and see the gardens magically sparkle when the sun goes down – luckily, any screams emanating from rollercoasters and other adrenaline-rush rides are barely perceptible. Unsurprisingly, the suites are the Nimb’s pièces de résistance, many with their own balcony and fireplace. All rooms riff off a contemporary Nordic style that feels at once luxurious and comfortable, and benefit from a well-informed curatorial touch in the form of handpicked 17th-to-19th century antiques from China and the Far East. The palette is sumptuous with velveteen textures and bright coloured fabrics bringing warmth to the neutral tones of larger furniture pieces. The whitest part of the room is the bespoke canopy bed, dressed in rich handwoven Egyptian cotton from exclusive Danish textile company, Geismars.

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/arts-life/travel/957741/nimb-hotel-copenhagen-review