Gay Copenhagen Copenhagen City Guide

Tiny but mighty, Copenhagen is one of the world’s most sought after travel destinations tantalising travellers time and time again with its innovative New Nordic food scene, effortless minimalism and legendary Norse history. Despite its size, Copenhagen bursts with an abundance of distinct districts, from the cobbled streets of Nyhavn, where old pastel-coloured townhouses lean ever-so-slightly towards the canal below, to the industrial hipster district of Nørrebro lined with high-end eateries and indie boutiques. Danes have a proud history of progressing gay rights, as the first country in the world to enact registered same-sex partnerships in 1989. It’s clear that Copenhagen is a city where queer spirit rules the streets and anybody is welcome. Wondering what to do in Copenhagen? For your definitive Copenhagen gay travel guide, you’ve come to the right place.

The best hotels in Copenhagen

Let’s kick off this Copenhagen travel guide with a roundup of the best places to stay in Copenhagen. In a city strongly influenced by the stunning design and impeccable taste, every aspect of your trip will reflect this effortless take on décor, including your accommodation of course. One of the best new hotels on the block is Hotel SP34, a boutique hotel decorated with Danish design classics and custom-made furniture. The style is typically Scandinavian, but with a warm and welcoming feel. Perfectly located in Central Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter, this cool hotel offers friendly staff, two great restaurants, and a rooftop terrace with a view of the famous colourful terraces that line the canal. Nearby, just 200 meters from the Nyhavn harbourside, is Hotel Sanders, an elegant offering in the heart of Copenhagen’s bustling tourist district, with stylish rooms, complimentary breakfasts and a glass-enclosed rooftop conservatory garden. This find is popular among gay clientele for its upscale bar, outdoor fireplace and loaner bike scheme.

Travellers seeking serenity may want to step outside the harbour area to find accommodation in calmer locales. Hotel Skt. Annæ, situated near the Amalienborg royal palace, is one such choice, giving off a calm residential feel while also being luxurious as hell. While the front terrace is reserved for warm-weather wine tastings, the fireplace-featuring indoor lounge and the chandelier-lit atrium ensure there’s always a comfy spot to relax. Another royal retreat is available at the Hotel Alexandra, whose design and artwork serves as a homage to Denmark’s mid-century design achievements. Oozing retro charm and featuring locally sourced relics from the 1940s-‘70s, this hotel offers rooms that each tribute a different national talent, from the Ant, Egg and Swan chairs in the Arne Jacobsen room to the psychedelic pink plastic walls of the Verner Panton suite.

Another of Denmark’s unique as ever offerings is the Hotel Herman K, set within a circa-1963 transformer station near the busy Kongens Nytorv Square. Lux yet with understated industrial vibes, this property (part of the Brøchner Hotels Group) features a façade of dark bronze which opens up onto a lobby dominated by a 3D-printed installation by artist Pio Diaz. A dream abode for design freaks, each room from its ‘Tiny’ category to its penthouse effortlessly contrasts surface and texture to blissful effect.