The Bella Grande Copenhagen Brings a Vibrancy That Goes Beyond Danish Minimalism
Situated in a restored 1899 building near City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Hotel Bella Grande blends old-world glamour with modern sophistication. Cofoco and Tonen Agency designed the property to contrast muted, intimate private rooms with lively, Italian-inspired public spaces
Situated just a few steps from City Hall Square, Hotel Bella Grande occupies a historic Copenhagen building from 1899 that has been restored to welcome new guests. The hotel is a recent development from Copenhagen Food Collective (Cofoco), adding to its award-winning sister property the Coco Hotel and amost 20 restaurants spread across the city. For the interior designers, Malene Bech-Pedersen and Mette Bonavent of Tonen Agency, the project was about balancing the 125-year-old building's classic architecture with a vibrant new narrative. Guests can expect a mid-century Italian influence and a considered combination of vintage and modern.
Bech-Pedersen and Bonavent describe their overarching vision for the project clearly: ‘The concept was to create a contemporary grand hotel with an Italian soul and a Copenhagen heart.’ This vision comes to life on the ground floor, where the atmosphere is intentionally distinct from the surrounding city. The designers moved away from the expected local aesthetic to create something warmer and more layered, utilising carpets and textiles in bold colours, alongside mirrors and floral arrangements, and even tasselled room keys. The designers acknowledge that this richness might surprise some travellers. ‘The ground floor can be a bit “too much” for guests searching for Danish minimalism,’ says Bonavent.
Similarly, colourful patterns fill the atrium courtyard, and deep green ivy crawls down pink and white walls. Bech-Pedersen and Bonavent view this space as the true heart of the hotel. ‘We imagined it as the “living room” of a palazzo — open, social and filled with life,’ says Bech-Pedersen. The ground-floor restaurant, Donna, is a vibrant spot for Italian-inspired fare. Here, a dark red ceiling, blood-toned couches and pink curtains create an atmosphere that is simultaneously romantic and mildly surreal.
While the public areas are lively, the 109 rooms and suites, some with outdoor courtyards and connecting rooms, offer a rather different energy. These spaces are decorated in a more muted style with tones of cream, burgundy and gold, featuring dressing tables instead of desks to create a sense of vintage glamour. Sophisticated touches include bespoke vanities and upholstered armchairs to ensure the spaces feel personal. ‘We wanted every space to express a certain “grandezza” while still feeling intimate,’ says Bonavent.
Ultimately, the renovation was designed to evoke a reaction, encouraging guests to slow down and notice the details, from vintage objects to contemporary pieces by brands like &Tradition and Tom Dixon. And this is all the designers could hope for. ‘For us, that’s the most flattering response; it means the design speaks for itself,’ says Bech-Pedersen.
Text by Katherine Ring
Images courtesy of Bella Grande
