Hotel Wakeup Copenhagen

The hotel is located close to the Arp-Hansen congress centre triangle together with the Tivoli Hotel, also an Arp-Hansen property. The area is between the city centre just behind Central Station and the main canal where you will find Islands Brygge on the opposite bank. There isn't much in the immediate surroundings, but there is a shuttle bus to the city centre, which takes 10 minutes if you want to walk.

Wi-Fi access is free through-out the hotel. There are also six computer terminals that are free for guest use. The hotel has access to the congress centre car-park (120 Kroner for 24 hours), which is cheaper than parking in town (can cost an average of 200 Kroner), however it's worth noting that parking is free in town at the weekends. Guests can also rent bikes for 24 hours at 115 Kroner - however you'll find that renting a bike from an independent store can be as little as 50 Kroner for 24 hours.

The hotel, opened in 2009, is the second-cheapest hotel in the city (at the time of writing July 2011) and although the hotel is clearly a budget hotel, the concept stays true to Danish design in that the building itself may be basic but an effort has been made to make it look attractive. Sort of industrial-looking, the interiors are grey with touches of lime green. With 510 rooms, the hotel is fairly large for Copenhagen, which renders the atmosphere impersonal. However, the staff is friendly and efficient, despite there being a long wait during check-in and check-out times. To the right of the entrance you will find the reception area with a few Arne Jacobsen chairs, including the Swan and the Egg - they are chained to the floor. Opposite the entrance you will find automatic check-in machines - as this is a new concept, they often break down, but the system is gradually improving. To the left is the lounge area (open 24 hours) with seating and a couple of large flat screen televisions showing sports and music videos. In total the hotel has twelve floors of rooms. The vast breakfast room, which is on the first floor above the reception, is actually very pleasant due to the architect's design, which lets in plenty of natural light. The breakfast room was actually design by Kim Utzon, the same architect who planned the Tivoli Hotel and son of architect extraordinaire, Jon Utzon, who did the controversial Sydney Opera House. Otherwise, in terms of facilities, there is nothing more - no spa or gym or bar, but there is plenty to see and do around the city.

There are 510 rooms split between several categories: single, standard, sky, heaven, large, and connecting rooms. The rooms are all decorated the same - they differ in terms of size and view. Single rooms start at 12m² and a standard room is 15m². There have been some complaints about the size of the rooms from guests, but we thought that they were very well appointed and for the price (approx. £70 per night for a standard). The walls are also quite thin, meaning that if you happen to find yourself next to noisy neighbours, then it's best to have a pair of earplugs with you. The walls are white, the carpets grey, the sheet crisp white and all rooms have windows with views of the surrounding city. Rooms have flat-screen televisions but no mini-bar. There is plenty of storage under the beds. Family rooms also have sofa-beds. The bathrooms all have showers (no bath tubs) and as the hotel is part of the Green Key association for its green initiatives, there are no toiletries as such, just a few packets of shampoo; just soap dispensers on the walls. The rooms may be small but they are compact and if you are on a budget this is a good option. There is no room-service.

The hotel only has a breakfast room, as it is the case with most hotels in the city. The breakfast room however, is a lovely space, despite being enormous. At breakfast it can get quite hectic and noisy, but the room itself is pleasant. The jagged roof lets in plenty of natural light, which gives this canteen-like room a lot more charm than it should have. It was actually designed by Kim Utzon, son of Jon Utzon, architect of the Sydney Opera House. Kim also designed the congress centre and neighbouring Tivoli Hotel, which you can see just across the roof terrace while up here in the breakfast room. The furniture here is basic but nevertheless has that sleek Danish design look - a giveaway are the chairs that look very similar to Arne Jacobsen's first mould-breaking chair: the ant, which you can see in some of the city's upscale design store and at the city's Design Museum. Breakfast is served from 7:00am-10:00am Monday-Friday and 7:00am-10:30am Saturday and Sunday. You can order your breakfast upon check-in or in the dining hall itself.