AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen

We had a 20-hour layover in Copenhagen and in the past I stayed at Hilton at the airport which was one of the better airport hotels I have come across.  Unfortunately it has been deflagged so I considered other alternatives not far from the airport while providing easy access to the city the next morning and I booked AC Hotel Bella Sky which was much cheaper than hotels in the city.  I had a mixed stay but I can recommend it in some circumstances.

AC hotel is only 5km from the airport and the hotel provides a shuttle bus.  The problem is that it’s not operating after 11pm and there are still some flights landing after that time so it was a drawback for us, but it would work for most travellers.  We had to take a taxi from the airport which cost 170 DKK for barely a five minute drive – welcome to Denmark.  The hotel is within walking distance of the Bella Center metro station which is on a direct line to the city center which I found to be quite useful.

I booked the entry level room and I saw on the Marriott app that I was originally upgraded to a corner room but on the day of arrival the upgrade got down a notch to a deluxe room.  During our stay the hotel was completely full so I was pleased with the modest upgrade although for just one night it would not have been the end of the world to be stuck in the basic room.  Our deluxe room was one of the better ones because it was at the far end of the hallway (in the corner, but not a “corner” room type) and one or the larger deluxe rooms that they have.  I am not familiar with the AC brand but I have to say for a somewhat basic hotel the design was quite unique.  I liked the odd-shaped windows and the bathroom was well done with a walk-in shower, although having only partially frosted glass separating the bathroom and the bedroom with the toilet almost in sight is far from ideal if not travelling solo. Generally speaking you can tell the room is not brand new as there are some nicks here and there but the modern design gives the feeling of the hotel being more recent than it is.  

Even more striking is the design of the building from the outside which makes it look like it’s some new modern hotel in the Middle East rather than a mid-range hotel in a western country.

The view from the room was quite nice especially since we were on a high floor.  We had windows on two sides of the room with a view of the city in the distance and it made the room bright and pleasant during the day.

It has been written about several times already so I am not breaking any news here, but the Platinum breakfast benefit of 10 USD per person at AC brand is way short in major European cities (same as Courtyard brand).  As a couple we had 20 USD credit and that is not even enough to cover the cost of only one breakfast in the restaurant which we skipped anyway.  The good news is that you can use your 10 USD or 20 USD credit on any food & beverage at the hotel and it does not have to be breakfast. We ordered avocado as room service and including the delivery charge it came to 20 USD on the dot.  It was probably the most expensive avocado I have ever had – fortunately it was covered by the F&B allowance and not out of pocket.  However the hotel did not take out the charge from my bill as they should have, and I had to ask my ambassador for this small issue that she should not normally be bothered with.

Service was better than I expected for this brand and relative to Scandinavian standards as well, where sometimes service levels are lower in this part of the world.  The hotel was quite responsive and helpful before my arrival to explain the options to reach the hotel in late evening.  Also upon departure I had a nice conversation with a new manager at the hotel who used to work for many years at the Marriott hotel in Amsterdam.  We talked about the differences between various hotel chains including Hilton which I told her I used to go at the CPH airport, and she informed me that Hilton is now building a new hotel in Copenhagen which coincidentally will be part of the same ownership group as AC Hotel.  

Overall my stay was fine for one night because I did not need anything fancy and expensive in the city for such a short trip and the hotel is close to both the airport and the city which was convenient.  I might not book at AC on a longer stay however and I might rather try a more centrally located and more upscale hotel instead. In addition on a longer stay I would prefer a hotel with a more meaningful breakfast benefit and a hotel which does not have a strange set up with the not so private toilet.  That said, the hotel does have some strong points such as an interesting design, competitive price relative to the city center, and easy access to the airport so I can recommend it to some travelers.