Hotel Radisson Blu Scandinavia

The hotel is located just across the canal near Islands Brygge, where there is a small lido on the water in summer. The area is mainly residential and very quiet, especially in the evenings. During the first ten days of July there are usually lots of free concerts in this area for the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Otherwise you will find a handful of trendy bars and cafés, but the bulk of the action happens in the city centre on the other side of the canal. The city centre is about 15 minutes' walk. The hotel adjoins a casino; practical if you like a bit of a gamble after a long day's work or sightseeing.

There are two Radisson Blu hotels in Copenhagen; apart from this one, there is the Arne Jacobsen-designed Radisson Blu Royal Hotel just across from Tivoli Gardens in the city centre. There is complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel. The hotel has designated parking, which comes at a fee. Although it may be more convenient and cheaper to park here in the week, don't forget that parking is free all over the city at weekends. The hotel has a smoking floor, so enquire about this at the time of booking.

The hotel originally opened in 1973 and was owned by Scandinavian Airlines, as was the entire Radisson brand back then. This hotel acted mainly as an airport hotel along with the more designer Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in the city centre. The hotel has 26 floors, with all the shared areas on the ground floor and rooms in the rest. The hotel has a strong Art-Deco influence that is most obvious in the lobby. Complete with traditional marble floors, columns and abstract shapes and paintings, the hotel is far from the contemporary Danish design you may be looking for. The lobby bar, built on a varnished wooden dais is open throughout the day and serves snacks and beverages. A major advantage here at the hotel, is its range of restaurants. Whereas most hotels in the city tend to have one main restaurant, here you will find a branch of the renowned Thai, Blue Elephant, a Japanese restaurant, Kyoto, the Dining Room, as well as Mamas and Papas the hotel's main restaurant.

The hotel adjoins a casino, which can be accessed independently as well as through the hotel. Otherwise in terms of other facilities, there is a business centre, where computers and internet can be accessed free of charge for guests. There is also a good-sized wellness centre, where guests can book a range of treatments with advance notice of at least 24 hours. The gym is free for guests and is found on the 4th floor.

In total there are 542 rooms split into five categories: standard, business class, family, junior suite and suite. The rooms vary in style - there are six different styles: Italian, Chinese, Hi-Tech, Urban, Oriental and Maritime. We liked the fact that the hotel has tried to modernise its room styles by having the different designs, some of which are pictured. In the 'High-Tech' rooms, the decor reflects a more modern style with glass walls, graffiti and contemporary colour photography. In the urban style rooms for example, the desk chairs have a 1920s glamour girl's face printed on them and the arm chair's buttons are multicoloured. The rooms start at 13m²-17m² for the standard and business class rooms, and can accommodate a couple and child. Junior Suites come in next at 35-42m² and accommodate four people. Family rooms are simply two interconnecting standard rooms. In terms of decor business class rooms are red and a lot more conventional. You may want to keep in mind that in Copenhagen it is common that double beds are made up of two single beds pushed together along with two single duvets, which is true to Scandinavian tradition. Something else that we liked was the views offered on the higher floors - it is possible to see over the city and its greener outskirts, which provides a nice break from the conventional city view. Otherwise all rooms have the expected mod-cons, like a flat-screen television, hairdryer, mini-bar and room service. Business class rooms have extra facilities such as access to the business lounge (included in the room rate). The bathrooms are all otherwise quite bland, but they are stocked with toiletries by Anne Semonin, as in all Radisson hotels over the world.

The hotel has seven food and beverage outlets in total, including the Busstop Bar in the lobby; open all day for snacks and beverages, the Dining Room bar on the 25th floor and the casino bar, which you'll find just next door. There are four restaurants: the casual hotel restaurant, Mamas and papas, a branch of the upscale Thai restaurant, Blue Elephant, a Japanese restaurant, Kyoto and the evening dining option up on the last floor, the Dining Room. Mamas and Papas, managed by the hotel, looks a little drab but is lined by a bay window, making it bright and light. The Dining Room is a good option if you want to eat whilst looking over the rest of the city in the evenings.

Breakfast is served in Mamas and Papas every morning 6:30am-10:30amand it is also open for lunch and dinner. The other three restaurants are open for dinner only.