Why book?

For the opportunity to sleep within a piece of Copenhagen history, to wake up alongside iconic pieces of Danish design, and to experience the Danish capital’s hottest new hood before the crowds move in.

Set the scene

The 1881 Maltmagasinet malt storage tower that houses Ottilia Heritage is a testament to Carl Jacobsen, the brewer-philanthropist that commissioned it. His belief in functional beauty can be found throughout the hotel’s 14 suites, which wow with their industrial bones, Nordic design staples and soulful bronze figures by sculptor Hanne Varming. Ottilia Heritage shares a name and most facilities with its sister hotel Hotel Ottilia, which occupies the adjoining building, but Heritage raises the bar with luxury extras that make the experience feel all the more indulgent. Inside, the shared lobby is chrome-on-chrome, with Niclas Hoflin’s winding tube-light installation spiralling through the atrium like a glowing spine. The shared lounge, Dipylon Hall — once the brewery’s entrance gate — acts as the hotel’s hygge heart, with a rotating exhibition of local artists, cosy sofas and a roaring fire. Soaring ceilings, original steel columns and benches made from salvaged grain silos (some with grains of original barley still stuck between the gaps) lend the hotel a unique sense of place.

The backstory

Once the heart of the Carlsberg district, the Maltmagasinet was an industrial powerhouse so advanced it operated its own power station, lighthouse and even provided critical backup for the nearby hospital. The hotel’s origin story begins with a heated father-son dispute. While Carl’s father J.C. Jacobsen founded the original Carlsberg brewery in 1847, a bitter split led the brewer’s son to establish his own, ‘new’ Carlsberg in 1882. A devotee of the arts, Carl laid the groundwork for the now ubiquitous Nordic philosophy that utility and beauty are inseparable. To him, even a factory chimney was art, leading him to commission architect Vilhelm Dahlerup to design this malt warehouse with the castle-like grandeur it retains today.

Following a sensitive renovation starting in 2015, by architect Poul Schülein from Arkitema Architects, in collaboration with professor Christoffer Harlang from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Hotel Ottilia opened in 2019, with its sister property, Ottilia Heritage joining in early 2026. Both are named after Jacobsen’s wife, a Scottish-born grain merchant’s daughter. In a subtle nod to her heritage Scotland’s national flower, the thistle, is a recurring motif — found on the in-suite carpets designed by Karen Lund, the light boxes which illuminate the restaurant, and in 15 delicate ceramics by local artist Hiiri hidden throughout the hotel. The ‘heritage’ part, meanwhile, takes its cue from the 86-page heritage document that dictated every detail of the hotel’s lengthy restoration.

The rooms

Designed by Morten Hedegaard and Mette Fredskild in collaboration with Brøchner Hotels, the suites are led by the building’s industrial architecture, letting existing features act as the primary statement. Some rooms feature listed steel staircases, while others have lofty vaulted ceilings or large arched windows. Each has a sleek, tiled bathroom with chrome counters and a rain shower. Stylistically, a muted palette of taupe and grey allows the building’s various textures to breathe, softened by bespoke bed frames and side tables handcrafted by Blinkenberg CPH using reclaimed Dinesen Douglas fir salvaged from the original site. The suites are split into three categories: the Heritage Suites celebrate the brewery’s industrial grandeur; the Silo Suites feature original malt silos preserved as striking architectural centrepieces; and the Elephant Suite, the hotel’s headline act, offers a direct view of the iconic Elephant Gate with its life-sized granite elephants.

We stayed in the latter, and loved the room’s high-design feel, with a Marcel Breuer Wassily chair placed compositionally next to brushed aluminium coffee table by RÅM, topped with a considered selection of art and design books. Layered LYFA lighting helps the space feel cosy despite its warehouse-like proportions and small luxuries elevate the experience: exclusive Nose and Partners scents, soft slippers, sheet masks, and a free minibar stocked with soft drinks, wine and pilsners brewed by Carlsberg specifically for the hotel.

Food and drink

The hotel’s restaurant, Tramonto, is set on the top floor of the building, with floor-to-ceiling windows that survey the city. Breakfast is served here; an organic array of meats, cheeses, pastries, yoghurts, fruits, cereals and — being bakery-mad Copenhagen — a whole lot of bread. For guests of Ottilia Heritage, special à la carte options like berry-topped pancakes or cheese omelettes are included in the rate. By night, the restaurant takes a Mediterranean turn, with a menu of Italian classics made with high-quality ingredients. The rooftop bar, which skirts the edges of the restaurant, comes alive in the summer when locals gather for cocktails and live music under the Scandi sun. Downstairs, Dipylon Hall and its surrounding spaces make for the most hygge of sipping spots, with cosy arm chairs to sink into while enjoying something from the bar, which is stocked with a vast selection of international gins as well as plenty of wines and beers. Guests of the hotel can take advantage of complimentary wine hour, from 5pm-6pm, and nightcap hour, 10pm-11pm, with tipples like Loche whiskey and Bad Boy Danish coffee liquor. Plus, there’s live music on the first Thursday of every month.

The spa

Guests of Ottilia Heritage receive daily access to AIRE Ancient Baths on the ground floor of the building, where they can take advantage of a 90-minute thermal journey. Inspired by the bathing rituals of Ancient Rome and Greece, the circuit features thermal pools ranging from bracing cold plunges to toasty caldariums, alongside a salt exfoliation area, jacuzzi pool and steam room. The space also pays homage to Carl Jacobsen’s legacy as one of the era’s most prolific art collectors. Several items from his personal collection (the same collection that founded the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum in Central Copenhagen) are dotted across the spa, from busts which stand sentinel over the water, to a sofa and two chairs in the waiting room which Carl used when hosting finer guests, from Walt Disney to Laurel and Hardy and various royals. For those wanting to fully immerse themselves in the site’s history, the spa even offers ‘beer bathing’ treatments, as well as more conventional spoilings. Though access is included in the stay, advanced booking is required.

The area

The area is named after the famous Danish brewery whose large-scale operation once occupied these streets with the scent of hops and the rattle of horse-drawn beer wagons. In 2006, after 160 years of production, the iconic Carlsberg brewery moved its operations to Jutland, leaving this quieter corner of Vesterbro ripe for urban reimagining. That came thanks to a trio of Danish organisations, Entasis, Briq, and Carlsberg Byen, who oversaw a new masterplan for the area which honoured the site’s industrial heritage while introducing a mixed-use ecosystem of commercial, residential and educational spaces.

Today, the district is on the up; there’s a contemporary art gallery, Von Bartha, housed in a disused lighthouse, a boutique cinema, Reservoir, where you can wine and dine in front of the silver screen and a wave of lifestyle brands like Henrik Vibskov and the Carl Hansen & Søn who have taken root here. Being the Carlsberg district, the original brewery remains a cornerstone; visitors can meet the resident horses and dive into the brand’s surprisingly dramatic history. For a change of pace, J.C. Jacobsen’s Garden offers a lush botanical escape laid out by the brewer himself, while Frederiksberg Park — with its boating lake and views into the Copenhagen Zoo’s elephant enclosure — is just a short stroll away. Nearby, the subterranean Cisternerne gallery offers an eerie, atmospheric art experience in former water reservoirs. Between the artisan bakeries and intimate wine bars, the neighbourhood feels like a self-contained village, but the buzzy heart of Vesterbro is just a short stroll away.

The service

Check-in is seamless and warm, with staff who feel more like well-connected locals than traditional concierges. Service is relaxed and unintrusive, but present when it matters, whether that’s to navigate you through the building’s history or guide your selections during nightcap hour.

Eco effort

Brøchner Hotels is the first B Corp certified hotel chain in Copenhagen, and its eco-commitments are woven into the fabric of Ottilia Heritage. The building itself serves as a masterclass in architectural reuse, preserving original industrial features to avoid the hefty carbon footprint of new construction. The group is currently working toward 68 ambitious sustainability goals set for 2028, ranging from a total reuse strategy for furniture to CO2-neutral units and voluntary community days for staff.

This social consciousness extends to the local community, where excess inventory is donated to city shelters. Beyond the walls, the hotel’s electricity is powered by 100% renewable energy from Danish wind farms.

Accessibility

Unfortunately, the suites at Hotel Ottilia are not suitable for those with reduced mobility.