Hotel review: Copenhagen sustainable hotel with great food and top location

Comwell Copenhagen Portside is a modern hotel with an emphasis on sustainability. Photo / Supplied

Matt Brown spends five nights at the Comwell Portside Copenhagen

Location: The Nordhavn port area. A very easy 30-minute metro ride with one change from Copenhagen's Kastrup International Airport. The metro station is very close to the arrivals hall and it cost 36 Danish Krone one way ($7.80) to Orientkaj station, itself only a 3-minute walk to the hotel. It's a modern precinct with quite a lot of construction going on in the area. However, you don't hear any noise from the rooms and there are plenty of nice restaurants within a short stroll of the hotel and a popular swimming spot in the harbour is nearby.

Style: Modern with an emphasis on sustainability. The hotel has an industrial look inspired by the port's raw character with its warehouses, silos and quays. It's constructed of polished concrete which can withstand the constant exposure to salt and seawater and provides a superb white finish. In a city with a reputation as one of the greenest in the world, this hotel with 400 guest rooms epitomises the values associated with that and there is an emphasis on minimalising waste and sustainability. The rooms are sleek and stylish.

Price: From $177 per night.

Perfect for: Business and leisure travellers alike. You are a short metro ride from the famous Copenhagen landmarks like Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens and the Little Mermaid.

Check-in experience: Seamless. Within minutes of arriving, I was checked in and unwinding in my room.

Room: Small - just 12sq m - but it was designed in a way to feel spacious. Rustic and raw with chic Scandinavian furniture, a perfect working desk, a huge 60-inch television screen and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in at a hotel. There is even a booklet describing the luxurious Danish-made duvet and pillow which is named after Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about Jack the Dullard. Different pillow sizes are included with instructions on which ones to use depending on your sleep position.

Bathroom: Small but designed to feel spacious. Five-star, lovely heated floor and a large vanity.

Shower pressure is important to me and this was perfect. As in keeping with the hotel's conservation efforts the rubbish bins are all labelled with compartments for waste, recyclables etc. The cups are made of recyclable material.

The hotel provides hand soap and body wash which the label says is vegan and made with natural ingredients.

Food and drink: Exceptional. I was in the city for the Sail GP event, and more than 300 people involved in the regatta were staying at the hotel. Sail GP places a huge emphasis on reducing carbon footprint wherever possible and this hotel epitomises that ethos. Much of the food at the buffet was vegan, with some meat options. The breakfast buffet was among the best I have encountered. Options from fresh fruit, vegetables, bircher mueslis, yoghurts, eggs with Danish sausage and bacon served in individual cups and the most incredible array of Danish cheese, beautiful organic breads and decadent Danish pastries.

There were taps built into a wall (like a beer tap) with drink choices such as sparkling water, elderberry, rhubarb, apple juice and orange juice.

Room Service is available via QR code - scan your phone, up pops a menu.

Facilities: A huge lobby with some excellent shared workstations and plenty of loungers to relax in. The hotel has a well-equipped gym and rents bikes for 160 Danish krone ($35) per day.

Accessibility: The hotel is fully accessible with excellent wheelchair access.

Contact: comwell.com/en/hoteller/copenhagen-portside