(P)review: 25hours Hotel Copenhagen Paper Island, part of Accor Live Limitless

This is my pre-opening review of Accor’s 25hours Hotel Paper Island in Copenhagen.

It is the first time in 12 years that HfP has reviewed a hotel before it opened to the public. We weren’t sure it would make sense, but Accor (via its Ennismore subsidiary) invited us and the date fitted conveniently around my other summer plans.

Not everything was fully operational during my visit but it was a unique experience watching the finishing touches being applied.

The 25hours Hotel Paper Island website is here.

What is a 25hours hotel?

One of 40+ brands in its stable, Accor describes 25hours as:

25hours hotels offer more than simply accommodation and breakfast. They are a colourful potpourri of contemporary services from restaurants, bars and cafes to carefully curated shop product ranges, florists and pawn shops. Hotels are tailor-made for their location in collaboration with alternating designers. Every detail, every antique, forms part of the narrative of the hotel and guarantees surprises and a touch of adventure.

I recently stayed at the 25hours hotel just opposite Gare du Nord in Paris (the old Mercure). As well as a VERY convenient location for Eurostar travellers we loved the creative and funky interior (think Parisian Bohemia meets Africa) and the unconventionality of it all – whilst also being comfortable and quiet despite the busy location.

This experience made me curious to see other 25hours properties and was a key reason why I accepted the invitation to Denmark.

That said, as the brand has the slogan “you know one, you know none”, I wasn’t sure what to expect the second time around.

Where is 25hours Hotel Paper Island?

The new 25hours hotel in Copenhagen is located on Paper Island. This is a waterside square where paper warehouses for the publishing industry were located. The area is being redeveloped with the new buildings designed to be modern interpretations of the traditional Scandinavian summer house.

The picture below shows the view to the island from the bridge opposite. The island will eventually be surrounded by wooden terraces – already partly built – which allow people to hang out and sunbathe in the summer. The whole island has a cheerful Scandinavian holiday feel to it.

Paper Island is the second 25hours hotel in Copenhagen so be careful which one you book.

The original site, 25hours Hotel Copenhagen Indre By, is in the heart of the city centre. I stuck my head into the lobby and it has a totally different feel to Paper Island (remember the slogan – “you know one, you know none”) although the 25hours trademark of a carefully curated interior is clearly present.

Arriving at 25hours Hotel Paper Island

I arrived at Copenhagen airport mid-morning and I was in the hotel in just under a hour from landing. I took the train M2 for DKK 30 (approx. £3.50) to Christianshavn metro station and then walked 15 minutes along the canal.

I rolled my small carry-on on the flat strip of the otherwise cobbled streets but if you have anything bigger I would catch a taxi.

Paper Island is very convenient for the key tourist areas. A foot/cycling bridge connects you to the colorful houses of Nyhavn, 10 minutes away, and the wider city centre. On the way you will pass a busy street food market where you can get your smørrebrød fix for the day!

This is the view from the eighth floor of 25hours Hotel Paper Island towards the neighboring island with the ultramodern Royal Danish Opera. There will be a bar here but the decorators were still out in force during my visit.

Below is a shot of the front of the hotel. There is still construction (albeit far advanced) on the pier, but whilst it looks very close to the entrance this is distorted by the camera angle.

My room was on the third floor looking out to the right hand-side. I didn’t notice any noise or disturbance whatsoever and once it is finished guests and the public will have a lovely area of wooden decking to sit on.

On the second floor is a roof garden pointing towards the central square of the island. It is accessible to all guests but some rooms have direct access via a small private terrace. I’d book one of these if I returned.

This is how the reception looked four days before the official opening. There was still quite a lot going on in the lobby with furniture arriving to be unpacked and various trades coming and going. When I accepted the invitation I wasn’t fully aware of how much work is left to the last minute.

In front of the reception desk is the lobby area. It is modern but very cosy with a fireplace in the middle – Scandinavian hygge is (metaphorically) written all over it.

The area below was very inviting and flooded in light from the XL windows. It felt airy and bright in summer but will be homely and cosy in Scandinavian winter with the fire burning.

Even the meeting rooms looked stunning – below is a picture of one of the larger ones:

Copenhagen is a small capital and I walked everywhere. However, cycling is very popular and the hotel offers bicycles for hire. These will apparently be free for larger room categories and charegable for others.

Next to the reception is the 25hours shop. It offers an eclectic mix of items including fishing gear, toiletries (very useful) and Freitag bags to name a few.

Rooms at 25hours Hotel Paper Island

The hotel has 128 rooms, each with its own individually created number sign. This is room number 315 (click to enlarge):

I was given a ‘Large’ room which is the second category. It definitely had the feel of a Scandi summer cabin or even a sailing boat. I liked it very much.

The room had a huge window sill to sit on (there will be a cushion here eventually, I was told) and the window could be fully opened.

Some retro items like an enamel bucket used as a bin and an old style telephone gave the space an individual touch.

The open shelved wardrobe provides only limited storage, to be honest, but enough for a city break. A Freitag bag was available for use during your stay.

Tea and coffee making trays are available on request but are not by default in the room.

The bathroom is separated by a window:

I loved the shower. The gorgeous toiletries are by natural product brand Soeder which is based in Switzerland – BUT there is no conditioner (apparently you will never find it in a 25hours hotel). If you need some, the hotel shop sells it.

The minibar is free of charge and has the basics – some crisps, beer, water, fritz-kola and a plant-based snack bar:

Other room categories

I was shown a Large Plus room which was identical in furnishings to mine but more spacious, as you can see below. This is the room category which, in some cases, has direct access to the garden terrace.

Extra Large and Gigantic rooms can have double showers or bath tubs. I made a photo of the double showers as it looks quite special:

Below is a Gigantic Room with lovely views in different directions and plenty of space:

Restaurant Tiger Lily

Breakfast is served in the restaurant, Tiger Lily, which switches to a ‘modern Asian’ focus during lunch and dinner.

The restaurant is on the ground floor and is a beautiful space with strikingly colorful origami birds hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen is open and to the right is the bar.

More origami birds in cages ….

Breakfast

During the pre-opening week the hotel was running a temporary breakfast service so this is not the same as you would receive. Whilst our selection was limited it had lovely Danish pastries and bread.

Fresh juices and non-alcoholic sparkling wine and crémant de loire:

I was told that there would also be à la carte options available once the hotel was officially open.

Dinner

My stay included a three course dinner at Tiger Lily. Copenhagen is well-known as a culinary destination and not short of places to eat very well so I can imagine there is some pressure to impress.

The food presentation was mouthwatering and it was absolutely delicious, although the portion size for the main course was relatively small.

I started off with a Amalfi Spritz:

I had a cold snack for starter with betel leaf / pomelo / nahm jim (DKK 70, approx. GBP 8).

My main was beef tenderloin / luc-lac / caramelised onion / eggplant / thai basil with rice (DKK 260, approx. GBP 30).

For dessert I had coconut tapioca / passion fruit sorbet / mango (DKK 110, approx. GBP 13).

Nomad Day Bar

The cafe was not yet operational during my visit. It is adjacent to the lobby with a lovely painted landscape mural as backdrop.

There will be a number of seating options on shared tables, bar stools or in corners. It has a very cosy (hygge) atmosphere and should work well.

Conclusion – would we do another pre-opening review?

Perhaps! Having stayed in a few hundred hotels over the years, it was fascinating to spend a few days watching one come together around me. That said, I had underestimated how much would still be going on just four days before opening.

If this had been a service-driven five star hotel then I don’t think I would have got a fair view. For a four star such as 25hours Hotel Paper Island, I’m confident that I saw enough to know that it has a lot to offer.

The hotel has a great location on the water and feels light, airy and youthful – but you don’t need to be youthful to enjoy it! The location is very close to Nyhavn and the other key sights in Copenhagen. I would come again any time.

Pricing

In terms of rates, 25hours Hotel Paper Island is currently around £300 per night, dropping to £215 – £250 as you head into September and October. Copenhagen isn’t cheap, unfortunately.

25hours is part of Accor Live Limitless and you can earn and spend Accor points here. Accor Live Limitless has revenue based redemptions so there is no reward chart – you simply get a 2 Eurocents discount for every point you redeem, in chunks of 2,000 points.

The hotel website is here if you want to learn more or book.

Thanks to Anne and the Ennismore team for their help.

PS. I was given a Copenhagen Card by Visit Copenhagen – this was a special gift for pre-opening visitors. The length of my stay was 48 hours which would normally cost DKK 739 (approx. £85). The Copenhagen Card offers free entrance to top attractions and free public transport. I only used it twice, for Rosenborg Castle (saving DKK 140, approx. £16) and Tivoli Gardens (DKK 170, approx. £20 excluding rides).

If you are planning a heavy sightseeing schedule then you may save some money by getting one, but if you are taking it easy then you should do the maths first.

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Accor Live Limitless update – April 2025:

Earn bonus Accor points: Accor is not currently running a global promotion

New to Accor Live Limitless?  Read our review of Accor Live Limitless here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our analysis of what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

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