Bryggen Guldsmeden gives a Copenhagen city break a rather agreeable extra: an outdoor swim, even in November. The heated courtyard pool was one of the highlights of my visit in 2023.
The setting is Islands Brygge, on the harbour’s southern side. This former shoe-sole factory has been turned into a hotel with Balinese influences and a warm, informal character. It suited a slow Copenhagen weekend, with somewhere inviting to come back to when the weather turned cold.
Rooms and the balcony option
Our room had a balcony, a detail worth looking for when choosing among the hotel’s room types. The current Double Balcony category faces the courtyard; ordinary doubles are described with city views. Decide which outlook you prefer before comparing rates, rather than assuming that every double has the same arrangement.
The room choices also include twins, superior doubles, loft rooms and several family configurations. Families can compare connecting rooms with suites; check the sleeping layout and bathroom provision for the exact category you book.
I liked the patterned Guldsmeden bathrobes. They belonged to the room’s character, and made a welcome change from the usual hotel white. The same attention to design runs through the rest of the building; it was one of the things I enjoyed most about staying here.
There is one practical point to settle before a summer booking: the rooms have fans, not air conditioning. If a cool bedroom is essential to you, take that into account. A balcony is an outdoor space, not a substitute for temperature control.
The heated pool, sauna and steam room
Swimming outdoors in cold weather was a particular pleasure here. The pool made sense in November, which is a useful distinction in a city where an outdoor facility might otherwise seem a summer attraction. It is enclosed by the hotel’s courtyard, separate from the public harbour baths in the neighbourhood.
The hotel advertises the water at 29°C throughout the year, with a sauna and steam room alongside its pool offering. Access is included for staying guests. Currently, children under 15 may use the pool from 09:00 to 18:00 with supervision; the earlier 07:30–09:00 and later 18:00–21:00 sessions are reserved for guests aged 15 and over.
Those age-restricted periods are worth knowing about whether you are travelling as a couple or bringing children. Check the hotel’s current pool information when planning your stay.
The gym
The gym is beside reception, and its design impressed me enormously. I called it one of the most beautiful hotel gyms I had ever seen. That remains the detail I would point out to someone who might otherwise walk straight past it.
There is equipment for both cardio and strength training. The hotel currently includes access for guests aged 16 and over, from 07:00 to 23:00. For anyone who likes to keep an exercise routine while travelling, that gives the gym a useful place in the day without making a special journey elsewhere.
Breakfast and Sole Factory
I enjoyed the organic breakfast very much. In a hotel where so much thought has gone into how everything looks, it was good that breakfast was a pleasure in its own right. It is one part of the stay I would happily include again.
Breakfast is served as a buffet, with breads and pastries, eggs, cheeses, fruit and other hot and cold choices. The hotel offers vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free options, with additional requests best discussed in advance. Breakfast is included in some rates and sold separately with others, so compare the complete cost rather than the room figure alone.
Sole Factory, the hotel’s restaurant, also serves lunch and dinner. Its current menu draws on different cuisines, with organic and Fairtrade ingredients. A dining package may suit a visit when you expect to spend an evening at the hotel; check exactly which meal and drinks it includes.
The shared refreshments are a useful small extra. Coffee, tea, popcorn and marshmallows are complimentary. Drinks from the Trust Bar fridge work differently: take what you want, record it on a slip and leave the slip at reception. The distinction is worth making before treating the whole bar as included.
The shower and the environmental choices
The Orbital shower brings the hotel’s environmental approach into an ordinary part of the stay. It filters and recirculates water during the shower rather than sending all of it straight down the drain. I liked the system, although the controls are different enough from a conventional tap that a quick explanation on arrival would be useful.
Guldsmeden lists Green Key and Green Globe certification for the property. The practical details are more interesting to me than a broad claim about being an eco-hotel: how the shower works, what is served at breakfast and which comforts are shared. Those are things a guest can actually notice.
Islands Brygge and getting around
Islands Brygge gives you a Copenhagen neighbourhood near the water, with the centre reached on foot, by bicycle or by metro. The hotel is at Gullfossgade 4, a short walk from Islands Brygge station on the M1 line. It is near the harbour rather than directly on its edge.
From the airport, take the M2 towards Vanløse, change at Christianshavn to the M1 towards Vestamager, and get off at Islands Brygge. The hotel estimates about 25 minutes for the journey, including the short walk from the station; allow more with luggage or a wait between trains. Bikes can also be hired at reception.
For an afternoon with art, I would look at the Glyptotek across the harbour, with its ancient sculpture and French and Danish collections. For an evening, the programme at DR Koncerthuset is worth checking: its DR Byen station is one stop south on the same M1 line. These are good reasons to consider the district beyond the hotel itself.
Before booking
Check-in is from 15:00 and checkout is at noon. The hotel welcomes families and dogs, with pet charges and conditions to check before reserving. There are lifts and designated accessible rooms, but the courtyard’s cobbles and steps to the pool and spa mean that this part of the property is not fully wheelchair accessible. Discuss the route to the facilities you need directly with the hotel.
For current room options and packages, use Bryggen Guldsmeden’s official website. I would choose it for a Copenhagen visit with time to enjoy the hotel as well as the city. The pool and breakfast earned that time during my stay; the gym’s design was an unexpected pleasure.
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