Sometimes you just hit very lucky when you search on the internet for accommodation – and this is exactly what we were when we stumbled up Axel Guldsmeden in the achingly hip district of Vesterbro, Copenhagen.
Definitely not a chain, but with hotels also in the Latin Quarter of Aarhus (Denmark), Reykjavik, Oslo, Cote d’Azur & Bali, they are described as “sustainable boutique hotels”. The Copenhagen website states that the hotels are :
…founded on the basis of love of good hostmanship, the hotels are all operated by dedicated – but untraditional and unorthodox – guidelines within sustainability and ecology…
And certainly, Axel Guldsmeden operates this way. The first thing we saw on arrival was a basket of apples – a seemingly small gesture, but not many hotels offer guests something for absolutely nothing 🙂
Sustainability is key in this hotel. As well as the notices you generally come to expect regarding towels & saving water etc, the hotel has also introduced its own line of hair & skin care products – I Love Eco Essentials. These beautifully package products are available in the rooms and if you love them as much as we did, you can buy them at reception, or online.
Everything about this hotel ticked our boxes – and it especially helped that design-wise, it was quite beautiful…
Like many hotels in Copenhagen, you can hire bicycles – income from the bike rental goes to support selected projects and charities, in particular the Children’s Heart Foundation. Bike rental costs 150 DKK per day – 300 DKK for 3 days. (approx £16 – £32, but do check current exchange rates).
The Axel hotel is located in Vesterbro, about 5 minutes from the Central Station so very handy, but there are three other Guldsmeden hotels in the city. There is a spa for guests to use (approx £30 for full use of all facilities & products), but to be honest, there was so much to do & see in Copenhagen, that we never got round to investigating it. Maybe next time. We spent four nights in the hotel and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it – definitely a little slice of sustainable luxury at a very affordable price.
