Skovshoved Hotel

A perfect romantic seaside getaway, 20 minutes from central Copenhagen

If you've ever wanted to stay in one of those inimitably stylish Scandinavian seaside hotels - airy interiors, seductive lighting, cosy fires, welcoming bar, effortlessly cool but laidback staff - then you've hit the jackpot here. Conde Nast agrees, including Skovshoved in its 2005 Hot List. It's been a hotel in some shape since the 1600s, although the present building dates back to 1860. Despite being only 20 minutes by bus from central Copenhagen, you feel a whole world away in this pleasantly sleepy, affluent suburb.

Slip past reception to a chilled-out, candlelit sitting area with plenty of white sofas on which to lounge; round the corner, the restaurant has received a Michelin recommendation. Upstairs are 20 airy bedrooms (plus 2 in a separate annexe) and there's a cosy pub bang next door. Five minutes' walk away, the hotel has a private jetty from where the hearty (and hardy) can dive into the sea for a bracing pre-breakfast wake-up, and slightly further on there's a beach for those gloriously long Scandinavian summer evenings.

Highs

• Cool, laid-back ambiance
• Breakfast on your private balcony, overlooking the sea
• Excellent food, both in the restaurant (which has received a Michelin Bib Gourmand) and the pub next door
• The rooms are generally large
• The bus from central Copenhagen stops right outside the door

Lows

• Its suburban location is not ideal for first-time visitors to the city
• Despite the cosy fire to warm up by, seaside Copenhagen on a grey winter's day is pretty grey indeed
• Access to the nearby sea jetty and beach is across a fairly busy main road