First Hotel Twentyseven

The hotel’s modern interior and neutral-toned facade contrasts with the historic brick buildings that surround it. The functional but stylish lobby sports a striking red color palette that complements the gray slate tile floors and festive light fixtures. Even the public toilets are worth a mention, decked out in slate floors and wall tiling, a central mosaic sink in red and black topped with a decadent disco ball. But hallways feel dull and uninspired, with plain white walls and dark-patterned carpet, and the stairs leading up to them garishly combine dated red-and-black patterned carpeting with more red walls. The simple but elegant breakfast room has floor-to-ceiling windows, and some gorgeous hardwood communal tables, while the moody cocktail lounge takes a more daring approach to decor -- including a Brigitte Bardot ceiling fresco. The hotel draws mostly couples and business travelers, but solo travelers and families have checked in here too.

The hotel’s central location is among its standout features. It sits on a quiet side street, which means slightly less noise, but street noise can still be a problem. The hotel is a few minutes' walk to Tivoli Gardens, Stroget (one of Europe’s longest pedestrian streets), and public transportation connections, including the central train station.

• Three-minute walk to City Hall
• Four-minute walk to Tivoli Gardens 
• Four-minute walk to the National Museum
• Four-minute walk to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum
• Five-minute walk to Gammel Strand public square
• Seven-minute walk to pedestrian street Stroget
• 12-minute walk to Kongens Nytorv subway station
• 12-minute walk to Copenhagen Central railway station
• 18-minute walk to the Nyhavn entertainment district
• Six-minute drive to the Christiania neighborhood (12 minutes by public transportation)
• 15-minute drive to Copenhagen Airport (26 minutes by public transportation)

The 200 rooms at First Hotel Twentyseven are bright and sleek, with laminate wood floors and comfortable beds with wooden headboards, although some rooms are small. The least-expensive rooms are fairly basic, with plain white walls and curtains, and functional bedside tables and foldout desks that are part of a space-saving storage suite. They lack such extras as minibars and coffeemakers. Standard Doubles add chic gray armchairs, while Deluxe Rooms have a wall of windows behind their enormous beds. The single loft-style Junior Suites have a more boutique vibe, with gray throws, wall-mounted bedside tables, prints on the walls, and a row of picture-frame windows. They also have large, well-designed desks, and minimalist Scandinavian-style armchairs plus small tables in reds and grays. Bathrooms are sleek and stylish across the board, with elegant black wall and floor tiling, though they’re on the small side (except in the Junior Suites). White vanities hold modern ceramic sinks and individual toiletries, and walk-in showers have power showerheads (Junior Suites add whirlpool bathtubs); but some of the shower tiling is stained.

Rooms have pleasant views of neighboring buildings, but none have balconies. Standard amenities include individually controlled heating and air-conditioning, plus wall-mounted phones with unattractive dangling wires. There are also small flat-screen TVs, safes, hairdryers, and free Wi-Fi, though only the higher-end rooms have coffee- and tea-making facilities, minibars or snack trays, bathrobes, and slippers. Some guests complained about wear and tear in the rooms, and noise -- from neighboring rooms, the street, and the cocktail lounge -- which even reaches rooms on the top floors.

The First Hotel Twentyseven is missing some of the usual features of an upscale property -- there's no gym, for instance. The hot and cold breakfast buffet (served in the oddly named Wine Room) is popular, though it’s not included in all rates. There’s also a kiosk selling basic food and drink items in the lobby, and room service is available. The pleasant cocktail lounge has a lively atmosphere, particularly when it plays host to DJs on weekends, and a smoker-friendly outdoor courtyard is open in the summer months. Meeting facilities are available, and there are Apple Mac computers for guests to use, as well as free and reliable Wi-Fi throughout. Bike rentals and limited secure parking are both available for extra fees.