Hotel capacity in Denmark is booming these days

Hotel capacity in Denmark is booming these days and according to a survey by the Danish Hotel & Restaurant Association, HORESTA, there’s room for more.

According to VisitDenmark, the demand for additional hotel and conference capacity in Denmark is on the up, and the Danish hotel and meetings industry is currently characterised by extensions, renovations and new developments. The average Danish hotel capacity has risen from an average of 43.3 hotel rooms in 2003 to an average of 54.3 in 2012 – a trend doesn’t just apply to the Danish capital of Copenhagen, but across the country.

“In 2013, the hotel occupancy rate in Copenhagen was around 70 % and once we reach 72-74 % we’re actually experiencing an occupancy rate of 100 % in certain periods, and that again leads to even more capacity being added,” explains Allan Agerholm, CEO of the Bella Center, the Bella Sky Comwell Hotel and the Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Tower and Chairman of the local HORESTA branch in the greater Copenhagen Area.

Taking the Danish capital as a prime example, also boosting the demand for more hotel rooms are initiatives such as Copenhagen Airport’s ambitions to double the number of travellers to over 40 million in the foreseeable future. Similarly, a number of new attractions with international appeal, such as the development of a new Copenhagen Arena (ready in early 2016) and the opening of The Blue Planet (which in its inaugural year 2013 has had over 1.1 million visitors) also help boost demand. The same tendencies apply for other Danish congress cities such as Aalborg and Aarhus in Jutland where, for example, the extension of Aalborg Airport, massive re-development initiatives at both Aalborg and Aarhus harbour, and the opening of unique venues such as Nordkraft, ARoS and the Utzon Centre help boost hotel demand even further.

Room for all

In Copenhagen alone, experts estimate over 1,300 new hotel rooms in the next three years, but it is not all happening in the Danish capital only. Take a look below and get updated on some of the latest hotel developments across the country:

Deluxe, design and theme hotels in Denmark

*  Hotel d’Angleterre – Copenhagen’s Grand Old Dame and a 5-star hotel – has undergone a 3-year renovation and is now, after a soft launch in 2013, fully completed and adding another 37 rooms this spring to its already excellent facilities at probably the city’s most prominent square.

*  Stella Maris – Hotel de Luxe, is the name of Funen’s latest deluxe hotel located in Svendborg at the picturesque Svendborg Sound. 36 luxurious rooms, a Bistro Gourmand, a lounge, bar, wine cellar, a terrasse with excellent sea views and, of course, meeting & conference facilities for up to 80 delegates is part of the luxurious hotel’s new facilities.

*  After a major refurbishment Copenhagen’s latest designer boutique hotel SP34, part of the Brøchner Hotels, is ready to launch this April. The 4-star hotel has a capacity of 57 rooms and a two-floor conference center with several meeting rooms with a capacity of up to 80 people. SP34 is already attracting international events due its über-cool style and excellent location in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter.

*  Arp-Hansen’s 4-star Imperial Hotel is also expanding its capacity with 16 new rooms, reaching 304 rooms by June 2014. Imperial is going for a new look in its 17 executive room inspired by the hugely popular TV-series Mad Men.

*  Arp-Hansen Hotel Group is also speeding up the development of its Tivoli Hotel II with 288 rooms and located adjacent to its already hugely popular Tivoli Hotel & Congress Centre at the Copenhagen waterfront. The opening of Tivoli Hotel II has just been re-scheduled to take place already in late 2015.

The Brain Food experts, the eco-conscious and more..

*  Brain Food and Meeting Design expert hotel chain Radisson Blu are expanding the Radisson Blu Scandinavia in Copenhagen with another ten floors or 262 rooms ready for completion in 2016. Total capacity of the venue with some of Copenhagen’s most stunning views already, will be 806 rooms and suites.

*  In March 2014, Guldsmeden Hotels launched boutique hotel Babette overlooking Copenhagen’s picturesque Citadel. Guldsmeden Babette has 98 rooms and is part of the family-owned Danish hotel group already running five eco-friendly boutique hotels in Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, as well as three individual hotels abroad.

*  Rungstedgaard, hotel and conference venue in perfect settings overlooking the Øresund Strait and neighbouring the renowned Karen Blixen Museum and Rungsted Yacht harbor, is ready to welcome guests in its new hotel wing adding another 40 to its existing 140 hotel rooms.

*  Glostrup Park Hotel, a classic among meeting and conference venues outside of Copenhagen is also adding another 54 rooms to its premises ready for use in 2015.

Fancy budget hotels in Copenhagen and Aarhus

* Designed by American architect Daniel Liebeskind and located in peaceful Ørestad, yet just 5 mins. by train from Copenhagen Airport, budget hotel chain Cabinn’s Cabinn Metro is adding another 206 rooms to its portfolio ready for use in late 2015.

*  Cabinn is also doubling its capacity to 400 rooms at its city hotel Cabinn Aarhus in Aarhus, central Jutland. The budget hotel located next to Aarhus’ Theatre, Cathedral and lively Latin Quarter on the one side and to the cafés and eateries at the canals of Aarhus on the other, is scheduled for completion in January 2015.

*  Wakeup II, the latest addition of Arp-Hansen Hotel Group, with 498 rooms opens up in May/June 2014. This is the Copenhagen-based hotel group’s second low budget hotel with first-rate facilities at low prices.

MeetingDesign and Spa hotel chain also expands across the country

*  Comwell Hotels has re-launched its hotel no. 15 in Denmark, Hotel Comwell Køge Strand, with 128 rooms and conference facilities for up to 450 delegates. Located just south of Copenhagen, Comwell Køge Strand is overlooking the Øresund Strait and packed with Danish designer furniture by the renowned Danish designer company HAY.

*  Comwell also launching its 16th hotel, the 4-star Comwell Aarhus in congress city Aarhus, central Jutland, this July. With 240 rooms and conference facilities for up to 475 delegates this will not only be Aarhus’ largest, but also its most sustainable hotel to date.

*  And finally, Comwell has taken over the 4-star Hotel Hvide Hus in Aalborg renaming it Comwell Aalborg and is busy top-tuning its 198 rooms, restaurant and banquet rooms located just a stone’s throw from Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre. The refurbishment finishes in summer 2014.

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