Comwell Copenhagen Portside Hotel Review
My first stop for my summer 2023 trip to Europe was two nights in Copenhagen. I had previously spent 24 hours in Copenhagen in 2016, so I wasn’t feeling a huge need to see all the tourist sites. There are no Hyatts in Copenhagen so I looked at other options. I decided to try the Comwell Copenhagen Portside as it is located very near the cruise terminal where I would be embarking on my Holland America sailing to Norway.
The Comwell Copenhagen Portside is a “Dolce by Wyndham” property and is part of Wyndham Rewards. There are about 17 Comwell properties across Denmark (and one in Sweden). The Dolce brand has 19 properties; but not all the Comwells are Dolce properties. I believe that Comwell is an independent company that has decided to partner with Wyndham on a few properties.
I have top tier Wyndham Rewards Diamond status through a status match. Diamond doesn’t get you much but the price for the room was right at $160/night after tax (Copenhagen is a very expensive city and hotels in the summer are astronomical). They also have a promo for summer 2023 that allows for 5,000 bonus points for two consecutive nights meaning I would earn about 8,800 points for the stay which is more than enough for a free night at a low end property.
The property is quite large with 482 rooms across five floors.
Location
The Comwell is a new property located in the Nordhavn district — a port area being redeveloped. A brand new Metro stop (Orientkaj) just opened about 50 yards from the Comwell and marks the last stop on the M4 line.
The area is still a construction zone, but the neighborhood has a lot to offer and was featured this month in the New York Times 36 Hours in Copenhagen. It is also only 7 minutes to the heart of Copenhagen by the Metro.
Getting in from the airport, you can hop on the M2 Metro Line with a transfer to the M4 at Kongens Nytorv. It only takes about 30 minutes and is cheaper and nearly as fast as a taxi.
Check In
I arrived around 9:00pm after a long travel day from Seattle on Condor.
The lobby is modern and dark and feels comfortable.
Apparently BYD is using the lobby space to advertise their new car. There were also a robot roaming the lobby not actually doing anything; so I guess the Comwell is aiming to appear high tech (?).
The check in agent I worked with was friendly and offered me an upgrade as a Diamond member from a Standard Double to a Superior Double. I was also told wifi and breakfast were included.
I was first assigned a room on the 5th (top) floor. Unfortunately after doing a bit of unpacking, I started to take a shower, only to find out that the drain wasn’t working (at all) so I had to stop before I flooded the room. I later heard another guest telling the front desk that their sink wouldn’t drain; so the hotel has some plumbing problems.
I packed up and headed back downstairs to switch rooms. The staff member I got was unapologetic (might be a Danish thing?) but did get me a new room. The new room was a nicer room than the first (maybe her way of apologizing) so I was content with the way things were handled.
Room
The first room I was assigned, a Superior Double, was very basic and small and felt similar to a Holiday Inn Express. I can’t imagine a Standard Small room.
As you entered there was a a small closet and open closet space with fold down desk and chair.
The bed faced the TV and, as is standard in Scandinavia, was basically two single beds pushed together with separate duvets.
There was an outlet and reading light next to each side of the bed. However the room didn’t have a telephone; which typically is completely fine with me as I have a cell phone except that in the case of the backed up shower, I had to actually go down to the front desk for any help.
There is no art on the walls and overall it feels a bit like a dorm room. The concrete ceiling is nice and the aesthetic is minimalist and modern but feels quite cold.
Bathroom
The bathroom is similarly minimalist with a single sink and enclosed shower stall with large rain shower and handheld shower.
There are only two bath products — a hand soap at the sink and a combo shampoo/soap in the shower. It is a nice product (Ecooking brand) and local to Denmark. I asked for a bar of soap at the front desk and was told they don’t have that.
Room 2
The second room I was assigned was much nicer. Room 4024 — located on the corner of the 4th floor.
As you enter this room, there is a small entry with similar open closet design.
The room has windows on two sides and has some art on the walls but still minimal. A small desk sits in one corner (still no phone).
The bed is quite comfortable with very nice linens though it is also quite warm (I am guessing it is down). The room during summer never could cool down; added with the warm blankets it made it a bit hard to sleep.
I found the curtains let in a ton of light so as soon as the sun was up, the room was flooded with light. The view is of the surrounding buildings but some rooms only have views of an interior courtyard.
Bathroom
This bathroom is larger and feels more luxurious. It has a fogged window to the outside to let in some light. It also has a single sink but has a bathtub and separate shower (with working drain).
Breakfast
I don’t believe every booking comes with breakfast, however for whatever reason mine did. I found the breakfast, which is in the restaurant on the main floor just off the lobby, to be very good. I was thinking it would be similar to a Hyatt Place breakfast based on the feel of the hotel but was pleasantly surprised.
The hot items included scrambled eggs and potatoes. There was fruit, vegetables and cold meats. The pastries (Danishes?) were fresh and high quality.
The cold beverage service (juices and waters) is built into a wall like beer taps.
Overall
The hotel is a value oriented property with some major flaws that would prevent me from returning. I did find the hotel to be priced very competitively. During my stay, a hotel at the Marriott, for example, would have been 3x more expensive. It is a basic property and I would put it on the same level as a Hyatt Place or Holiday Inn Express. The location is not central but it is easy enough to get into downtown by the Metro in just a few minutes. Once construction is finished in the neighborhood, it will be an area where you can walk along the water and do some shopping without needing to go downtown. I would recommend testing out your plumbing in your room before unpacking.
Have you stayed at a Comwell property? How was your visit?
