Opened in 2005, the 16-story, 1,020-bed Danhostel Copenhagen City trumpets itself as a ''five-star hostel.'' It's a curious boast, like ''gourmet fast-food'' or ''luxury trailer park.'' Then again, in a country that has elevated stereo speakers and sugar bowls into futuristic art forms, a style-conscious youth hostel seems almost plausible. And in a super-pricey place like Copenhagen, any new, affordable place to stay warrants attention.
THE LOCATION
Very practical. On the edge of the Copenhagen city center, the Danhostel is less than five minutes' walk from the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum, the Tivoli amusement park and the Danish Design Center. It's also less than 10 minutes from Central Station.
THE ROOMS
My room, 706, was a four-person room that I had booked as a single. ''Spartan'' is too extravagant an adjective. A barren white box with a blond wood floor, the small space held a hard foam double bed and two bunk beds that folded down from the wall. It felt like a prison cell designed by Ikea. There was no TV, no phone, no closet and not even a freestanding lamp. The room's marquee feature was its view, which looked out over Copenhagen. As for the bathrooms: Remember dorm life? You will. There's no housekeeping service. As is customary in hostels, guests have to rent sheets and a towel (60 kroner per set). A broom and dustpan in the corner are all that stand between you and the day-by-day accumulation of dirt.
AMENITIES
The sleek lobby contains a pleasant cafe-restaurant outfitted with furniture by GUBI, a hip Danish design firm. It was often abuzz with Japanese hipsters, Bulgarian students, British weekending 20-somethings and Danish families. The basement has a TV lounge and six Internet-equipped PCs (29 kroner per hour).
THE BOTTOM LINE
Five-star hostel? Maybe. Put up against bona fide hotels, however, the Danhostel City probably ranks around two stars.
At 330 kroner, about $71, in low season, and up to 800 kroner, or $154, in high season, for a room that can be used by one to four people, the Danhostel isn't especially cheap by international standards. (A Hosteling International Card costs 160 kroner; without it, guests are charged 35 kroner more a night.)
Danhostel, 50 H.C. Andersens Blvd.; (011-45-33) 188-332; www.danhostel.dk. Rooms from $71 per person.
-- SETH SHERWOOD, Travel Times
