Scotland on Sunday Travel Wishlist - Generator Copenhagen

Boutique on a budget in the heart of the Danish capital

Located in Kongens Nytorv Square, a short walk from the old commercial port of Nyhavn, and many tourist sites such as the Royal Palace and Opera House, Generator is in a top location to discover the Danish capital

Generator Copenhagen

Generator is one of Europe’s fastest growing boutique brands with hotels located in central locations across Europe and now a foothold in the US.

Located in Kongens Nytorv Square near the main shopping street, Stroget, this Generator is in the heart of Copenhagen. A short walk from the old commercial port of Nyhavn, and many of the tourist sites, including the Royal Palace and Opera House, it’s a great location to discover the Danish capital, especially if you’re on a budget as, like most of Scandinavia, Denmark isn’t cheap.

A choice of private and shared accommodation offers flexibility for friends and family or groups and solo travellers

A choice of private and shared accommodation offers flexibility for friends and family or groups and solo travellers. As you’d expect in a design-led capital it is full of funky Tim Bjorn illustrations, cool lighting and neat space saving ideas.

The overall effect is fuss free and friendly, with communal chill-out areas and outdoor terraces with sofas, tables and chairs where digital nomads can web surf and hungry travellers refuel and relax.

Copenhagen’s Generator is one of the best in the chain for facilities, which include its own Ice Bar, where you can chill out with shots from a glass made of pure ice, and a large terrace where you can enjoy al fresco meals and drinks, and games. Shuffleboard and pétanque facilities make it popular with locals and visitors alike, especially in the evenings.

Budget or boutique?

Budget without scrimping on style, the compact bedrooms and dorms burst with personality. All Generators feature free wifi, female-only dorms, a bar, 24-hour reception, travel shop and café. Generator Copenhagen also has a restaurant, pétanque bar, laundry, bike hire and luggage storage.

Room service

Our superior twin room is clean and comfortable, with practical storage, bedside lamps, fluffy towels, free wifi, Chromecast TV, and an en-suite compact shower room with toiletries. Scandi style and neutrals with pops of colour dominate, with clever space-saving design.

The hotel has twin and double rooms and four, six and eight-person dormitories, including female only, all refurbished last year.

Wining and dining

A canteen lounge bar restaurant serves hot meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner and hot dishes, pizzas, salads, plus all day snacks. Meals can also be eaten outside on the extensive terrace and there are daily Happy Hours from 4 to 5pm and 9 to 10pm.

Stroll along to the busy Nyhavn canal and harbour waterfront where you’ll pay more in the restaurants and cafés to soak up the atmosphere, then just over the Inderhavnsbroen bridge is the Bridge Street Kitchen street food market in the Greenlandic Trade Square. There a huge choice of food and drinks from around the world, including Denmark, can be enjoyed on the trestle tables, with harbour views.

If you’re keen to sample Danish smorrebrod (open sandwiches on rye) try Selma (Romersgade 20, selmacopenhagen.dk) or Restaurant Palaegade (Palaegade 8), for a contemporary slice of tradition.

Worth getting out of bed for

Friendly and knowledgeable staff direct visitors to the top places to eat, drink, visit, and there’s a display of daily activities including a free walking tour of city that led us from the hotel through the city to Freetown Christiania. This community of about 1,000 residents, established when a former military area was squatted in 1971, is famous for its laid-back vibe.

Climb up the vertiginous external helix spiral staircase winding round the spire of the of baroque Church of Our Saviour for spectacular views.

We loved the Design Museum Denmark (designmuseum.dk), full of furniture, product, graphic and fashion design, and a permanent exhibition of Danish chairs, where you can play Goldilocks. Seats in the Klimt cafe are prized too, including those outdoors in fine weather, to enjoy an extensive menu of New Nordic kitchen cuisine.

Little extras

Separate luggage storage lockers are useful and pétanque , shuffleboard and pool mean you are not at a loss for entertainment

Guestbook comments

Even if it wasn’t budget-friendly we’d choose a Generator for the friendly atmosphere, availability of snacks and drinks, hang-out spaces and cool design. Affordability is the icing on the Danish pastry.

Beds in a dorm start from kr125 per night (twin room from kr490 per night) Generator, Copenhagen, Adelgade 5-7, 1304 Copenhagen, Denmark (staygenerator.com/hostels/copenhagen)

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