We stayed at Hotel Guldsmeden Axel as my partner had a conference to attend in Copenhagen.
Now I understand the great reviews of this place, but also some of the negative reviews.

Location: This hotel is located only 3 mins walk from central station (Kobenhaven H), very direct. It is on the border of the red light district but I agree with the others, extremely safe. Copenhagen is a safe place.

Hotel: I believe this is a newly renovated hotel, still undergoing renovation. The decor of the entire hotel is very neutral, very natural, bali-oriental furniture, with lots of white and brown. Extremely clean, as you expect for something extremely newly renovated.

Rooms: With some colleagues staying at the hotel, we were able to get an idea of the different rooms. We ask for the standard double room. We asked for a quieter room and were given one on the 5th (top floor) facing the courtyard. Its not a great view, opposing buildings, but they are not very close and lots of light gets through. The curtains block out light well, but we were lucky to have two levels of curtains: to block out light effectively (I note other reviewer had one level of curtains).

Our room was quite large ( but I can understand from previous reviewers about small rooms for the same price). We saw a friends room which was 2/3 our size, with bunk beds instead and no bed tables - our room had double bed tables. We had a proper double bed frame, however with two single comfortable mattress. Fluffly pillow, good quality duvets. Bed comfortable. We also had a couch, fixed to the wall which wasn't comfortable to sit and we used it to put luggage. A nice large red rug gives the place a warm feel. Minibar and small closet for clothing. There were 3 problems with the room: no safe when there should have been one, the room heater was working and no do not disturbe sign - a reflection that I think our room was quite new. I explained this to the reception and they apologised as the hotel is still new.No air con, but I don't think you need them in Scandanavia ( we went in October autumn - 14C average during day). Lots of power plugs. The best thing about the room was FREE wired internet access if you bring your own laptop. fantastic - not sure how long this will last. Room very quiet, being on the top floor. Another great thing, sattelite TV with a large flatscreen TV -40 channels - lots of english channels. A table and 2 chairs provided.

Bathroom: Ours was very large. All brand new and very clean. Quite classy fittings. Hairdryer provided. The shower was an open shower, no shower door, and water would splash on the bathroom floor outside the shower. Not a big deal because our bathroom was big and the most special thing: the tiled bathroom floor was heated and would dry it up relatively quick. The shower was average - good pressure but in the morning, there was only warm water (peaktime). The basin had no individual soap dispenser - not a big deal for me. Other reviews seem to say there is no handtowel to dry hand - ours had a small brown towel (located with in the hairdryer basket) and also we were given 3 towels. One gripe, there is no curtain/shade for the window in the shower - so we had to use the spare towel over it.

Because the heater wasn't working in our bedroom, they offered us a Junior Suite. I had a look at the JS at turned down their offer. The JS had a small foyer entry and would split off at 90 degrees into the bathroom and bedroom. The bedroom was the same size as ours (although I think we had a larger than average room) and the JS bathroom was a lot smaller but with a classy looking inspired egg-shaped bath-tub and a shower head attached to taps. I dont think there was a place to affix the shower head to take a shower in the bath. If you prefer baths then this shouldnt worry you. The lack of heating in our room wasn't a big deal - we were able to use the heating of the tiled bathroom floor which dissipated into our bedroom. The other potential gripe was the JS offered to us was on the lower floor, and I could hear people walking around upstairs so I agree with the other reviewing about sound-proofing. Also the TV in the JS was awkardly placed - perpedicular to bed, so could not watch TV in bed.

Breakfast: I agree with previous reviewers about the fantastic organic breakfast. We could always get a seat during the weekday mornings 8-9am, I saw on the Saturday that ppl were lining up for bfast at 10am. Anything not finished during the day is left out in the afternoon free. Also to note: we were offered a free welcome drink (?will this last).

Reception: Wouldn't say the best service, maybe as another reviewer said there are no fake smiles - but helpful and the staff are young/relax and laidback. Maybe might explains some negative experiences by another review, but we had no problem with them. Umbrellas available to take out.

Price: We paid 90 pounds per night for 5 nights for 2 adults, via a special deal with expedia.

Overall: This is a newly renovated hotel, doings it best to impress during its opening months. For the price we got and lucky enough to have a bigger room - great value. Apart from the heater not working yet and the lack of safe specifically in our room, I would definitely stay here again. I would give it 4.5 stars. hopefully teething issues will be sorted out in the next few months.

Sorry for the long review

I stayed at the sister Bertrams 2 weeks before staying at the Axel, so I was very excited about another stay! The breakfast is to die for (try the homemade vanilla bean yoghurt, with honied almonds and dried blueberries!). Beds are from Bali, everything has a touch of oriental quality and comfort, the staff are just super and I had no complaints whatsoever. The products are made for the hotel and are on sale at reception. I reserved this hotel for a large group and I was complimented several times on my great choice :)

I found this to be a decent hotel, but a bit quirky. They've adopted a new wave Asian decor. The sink is a stone container, the towel rack is bamboo, and the other furniture has a similar theme. As I booked a single the room was not large. It had a bunk bed. The lower berth had a long pillow to serve as a couch, but I took that off and used it for sleeping. Each level had a flat screen TV.

While there was a nice desk, and an armoir to hang up clothing there were no drawers and no night table. This room had a small balcony with table and chairs, so I pulled in one chair to use as a night table. The desk is a distressed wood - looks nice, but actually to uneven to write on without using something in between. There were not enough lights in the room - at night it was darker than I'd prefer. Also this room did not have an inner curtain to block light (there was one for privacy of course). That may have been due to the rennovations - I noticed there was a track installed for a second curtain.

Staff was fine. Breakfast was good - breads, cold cuts, fresh fruit. However the breakfast area was very crowded at peak times (around 9AM) so if you can go earlier or later, you should.

The shower is a bit unusual - no curtain so some water gets on the floor of the rest of the bathroom. But it does drain. Also no wash cloths - I never understood that tradition. As part of thier organic theme they have thier own body wash and shampoo (that they will sell you), I would prefer bar soap.

The biggest plus of this hotel is the location - 2 blocks from Central station. While one of the streets leading to the hotel is the "red light district" this is basically a few stores with window displays of adult items. I actually didn't notice it the first time down that block. If you approach from the other side there is nothing similar. I did not feel unsafe. This is an issue for all the hotels located in that area.

This sounds rather negative - would I stay there again? If the price was right, yes. In this case I got a good price (through an online booking service) that worked out to about $550. for 4 nights. That was much better than I was finding in other well located hotels (there are many nearby). So I am satisfied with my stay. If the price was close to that of nearby hotels I might go for one more conventional.

hotel is a 4-5 minute walk from central station, very easy to find. was greeted by a friendly, professional staff who quickly and efficiently got me to my room. the room is definitely small, and had one single bed and then a second loft style bed above. both beds had a 25 inch flat screen TV at the end of the bed, handy if two people are staying in separate beds. decor is modern, with some bamboo accents.
the best part was the little balcony set off of the room...overlooked an alleyway but what a bonus! i would usually take my included breakfast up to my balcony and sit out there for a while. the breakfast was great - 5 different breads, pastries, 3-4 cheeses, suasage/ham, fruit, 3 cereals, coffee/tea/juice all included with the stay!
overall, a great place to stay in copenhagen as long as you dont mind tight quarters. definitely recommend it.

We spent 4 nights at the Axel in a standard double room, booked through a '4 nights for the price of 3' offer Expedia were running... The price was therefore very attractive, given the style and quality of the hotel. I expect that prices will increase once the pool and spa and courtyard are complete.

We have stayed in many hotels (from cheap motels up to 5 star hotels and resorts) in many cities and the price/service ratio in this one was great. We loved the breakfast, our room was comfortable, little touches like a free glass of wine or beer on arrival, free coffee (along with any croissants/pastries left over from breakfast) available on a table in reception in the afternoon, use of umbrellas from a bucket by the door, use of a laptop in reception and free internet in the rooms.... It was all great, for the price, given that hotels (like everything else!) in Copenhagen are expensive.

Another review which complains about the size of the rooms must be comparing with other countries or continents. The rooms were decent European-hotel rooms.
It doesn't have that Marriott/Radisson etc. chain-hotel feel of mass-reproduced quality. It has character and some originality. Any small gaps in the facade (it is still being refurbished) are trivial.
We found the reception staff to be helpful and friendly. Another review complained about the staff's attitude - I expect that they are not used to different cultural traits. Danish people tend to be a lot more laid-back and less effusive - they tend not to 'do' phoney smiles and fake sincerity.
Also, the hotel is not in the red-light district but it does border it. No big deal. There is not a trace of threat in the air anywhere in this city. We were comfortable walking anywhere at all hours.

Hope to return to this lovely hotel. Hope the prices don't escalate out of reach once the refurbishment is complete!

I have been to Copenhagen a number of times staying at different hotels. I read a lot of very postive reviews about this hotel so I decided to give it a try. Boy was I disappointed. My double room was extremely small (barely big enough for the bed). The bathroom was even worse. I actually had to move a towel rack out of the way from the shower area before I could take a shower. The hotel is in the red light district, so getting back to the hotel every night was like walking through an obstacle course. The hotel staff was not helpful at all. They couldn't get the internet fixed for three days, and each time I asked about it the attitude was very much "Well, I called the phone company. What else do you expect me to do." There was not even a hint of being apologetic. They also seemed surprised when I asked them for a restaurant recommendation, and when I finally managed to get one from them, it was really like pulling teeth. Don't stay there. There are a lot of much better hotels in Copenhagen.

This hotel was a very pleasant surprise. Its location was great, close to Central Station, Tivoli and the stroget, with almost everything within walking distance. It's presumably in or on the edge of a "red light district," but we had no problems with unsavory people.

The rooms are small, but the bed was exceedingly comfortable. Our only complaint was the open shower stall, which allowed water to collect on the floor of the bathroom.

The free breakfasts were super, with generous selections of meats, cheese, breads, cereals.

When our voltage converter had problems, the front desk lent us one so we could use our computer in the room -- Internet access was free, and wifi was available in the lobby.

All in all, this was a very pleasant stay.

i decided to stay there after all the good tripadvisor reviews.

usually tripadvisor is always on point, but this time i was rather dissapointed.

the room was VERY small, and paying $200 for a 2 star is not really a bargain. and although it has some decent design features but you can tell its all on the cheap side.

the walls are very thin and you can hear other room doors slamming. this woke me up several times in the morning.

i'd say go for a more traditional hotel like radisson or if you really want boutique go for the petri.

staff was nice, but i will not stay there again.

sorry ;)

Our flight arrived in Copenhagen very early in the morning so we got to the Axel Hotel by 8:00am. We thought we might have to just leave our luggage and return at check in time but were relieved to find our room was available. The kind desk attendant told us to help ourselves to their breakfast as well which was very nice considering technically we were entitled to breakfast beginning the next morning. The lobby is nicely decorated in a contemporary yet warm decor and a separate area provides a comforable place to have a glass of wine in the evening. All of the wine and spirits are organic. The organic breakfast is wonderful with a large selection of bread, soft boiled eggs, granola, cheeses, meats, yogurt, wonderful herb teas...

The standard room and bathroom are quite small but the warm decor made up for the size. The only inconvenience was in the bathroom since only bath towels are provided (no hand towels or washcloths) and there was no soap by the wash basin which meant we had to use their bodywash for the shower and the sink area. Minor inconvenience though.

We found the location to be very very convenient since it is a block from Vesterbragade which is a straight walk to the city center and only 2 blocks from the central train station. In fact we took a cab from the airport to the hotel but we could have taken the train and walked only 2 blocks. We ventured out of Copenhagen several times so having the central train station so close by was great.

It was explained when we arrived that construction is still under
way- they are working on the courtyard and the spa area. The hotel is new and I expect they will have more lighting and a larger sign in the front since it was quite dark at night.

We stayed 3 nights, and returned for one night before leaving the next day. For the one night we had a junior suite reserved but we were upgraded to the suite. I would highly recommend the suite since it was spacious which made it more comfortable. The photos attached are of the suite.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Axel Hotel and would stay there again.

I actually saw two single rooms when I stayed at the Axel from Aug 19-24. I saw two rooms because originally they put me in a single that had a raised bed with a ladder (think college dorm bunk bed!). The room was very small but the raised bed helped give more space and underneath the bed there was a little chaise couch. There were TWO LCD TVs, one up at the bed and one across from the couch. I have a terrible fear of heights, so for the price I was paying (895 DKK or about $165 US - not bad for this very expensive city but still a lot of money to be afraid to go to bed!), I would ask if they could move me to a different room.

They moved me down to the 2nd floor, and the room was COMPLETELY different. The bed was more like a double-sized bed, the bathroom had a tub and fancy sink made of carved stone (the first room had a tiny bathroom with a tiny open shower and normal ceramic sink). This room had only one TV but it was bigger. Both rooms had a DVD player (which I never used). The TV did get many stations, many English options. Needless to say, I was much happier with the 2nd room. Some people might be happier with the first room to have a couch or extra TV but smaller bed. I think on the hotel's website they have 2 different options for single rooms when you book the hotel, so this is why. Anyway, this isn't a huge deal, but if the hotel had been completely full, it would have been a big issue for me, so if it would be an issue for you make sure you confirm the room type with them beforehand.

Because the hotel is still very new and undergoing renovations, they didn't charge for the in-room internet (normally 20 DKK or between $4-5 a day, not bad anyway). Because it's all new, everything is spotlessly clean and in perfect condition. The rooms also have a safe and minibar which you can use as a fridge. No a/c or fans but it was in the 50s or even colder at night in mid-August so I just cracked a window. The hotel faces a pretty quiet street but if you want it even quieter, ask to face the courtyard.

The location of this hotel is absolutely PERFECT. Steps away from the train station but quiet, you have the best of both worlds with all the public transportation you need. Most attractions are either a very short bus ride or a pretty short walk away. Even in their welcome materials they warn you about the next street over being the "Red Light District" - maybe I had been desensitized having just come from Amsterdam, but I saw one strip club and one sex shop. I never felt unsafe and saw all kinds of people of all ages walking around. Maybe at night would be a different story but this street is easy to avoid by simply going the other direction to the Vesterbrogade (a major, big street). So I think the hotel would be fine for families, and I saw many at breakfast.

Now to that breakfast. Anyone reading reviews of any of the Guldsmeden hotels knows all about their fantastic fresh organic breakfast. I need not go into details but I'll just say the staff at the Axel working breakfast were very nice and would bring you anything you needed. There's something there for everyone to start the day, and the hours at 7-11 are convenient for all travelers. The only complaint I have is that for over 100 rooms, the breakfast room is way too small. There are 20 tables give or take and I was in there at times between about 7:45am to about 9:15am - probably among the busier times for breakfast, and there were often no tables. Perhaps when the courtyard is complete they will have some outdoor seating, however I was there in August and it was far too cool in the morning to have breakfast outside unless the courtyard was well-heated, and Copenhagen has a pretty long winter, so I think it was just a mistake. Anyway, nothing anyone can do about this, just wanted to warn people that it might be an issue. I stayed at other hotels with way fewer rooms (between 20-30) and the breakfast rooms were about the same size as the Axel's.

The hotel staff is wonderful and will help you with anything you need. You get a welcome drink of a glass of wine or soda or something for free, which is a nice touch. The construction, which you could tell was still going on, did not disturb me one bit, so those going in the next couple months while the work is still ongoing need not worry. They give you lots of plush towels (always nice to have good towels in a hotel!) and a bathrobe, plus big bottles of their lovely soaps and lotions to use.

Now, these aren't complaints per se, but the hotel does have some quirks. In the bathroom (both of the ones I saw) there is no kind of curtain. So it is messy. They obviously anticipated this because there are drains in the floor. In the second room I had (the one I actually slept in) there was nothing beside the bed. No table whatsoever. So I had to put things like my phone (used as an alarm), glass of water, tissues, etc., on the floor. A little tacky for a 4-star hotel and not exactly hard to put some inexpensive little table in the rooms. Also, as I said, the bed in this room was a double-sized bed. But the blanket (just one blanket/comforter, no top sheet) wasn't wide enough, so there were two. The only word I can use to describe it would be bizarre. It's a single room made for one person, so you'd normally only need one blanket, but the one they put on it wasn't wide or long enough. Although there is a nice new fast elevator in the hotel, I would say it is not a particularly handicapped-friendly place, which I found quite surprising considering it is brand new. There are a few steps to get to the front door. And there are little bumps and steps everywhere. My room had steps down immediately into the room, which really seemed unnecessary but would make it quite difficult for someone in a wheelchair. Perhaps they have other rooms that would be better-suited, but the steps on the outside and in the lobby and even things like a little threshold to get over going onto the elevator were a little surprising.

All in all, I would say this is a very good hotel. I was lucky and on travelocity got a very VERY good price. I believe their prices will increase sharply after they finish renovating and were higher on the hotel's website. Copenhagen is an expensive city and I know that a lot of the hotels get very mixed reviews, especially where things like cleanliness is concerned. Well the Axel is clean, friendly, comfortable (great new beds), in a perfect location, the staff is fantastic and helpful, and breakfast is amazing. So I would say the Axel is probably worth it even at a higher rate than I paid, but just be aware of these little quirks so you are not surprised when you arrive!