FROM THE TIVOLI GARDENS

it looks like a fairground attraction – a faux Moorish Palace that might house a maze of mirrors, a magic carpet ride or a sideshow of undulating belly dancers. But Copenhagen’s best hotel, the Nimb, is all elegant Nordic style within. And you can watch the children’s pantomime from your bed.

The Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world and most popular in Scandinavia. Opened in 1843, it retains its 19^th Century charm, with beautiful old attractions such as a rattling good wooden roller-coaster and an exquisite pantomime theatre with a peacock-shaped curtain that still is hand-cranked. It’s fun to rediscover the wonder of your inner child as you stroll through the 21 acres of ‘pleasure’ garden, artificial lakes, fountains and outdoor restaurants, where thrilling state-of-the-art rides like the frightening Demon exist side by side with pirate ships, toffee apple stands, merry-go-rounds, bumper cars, a Ferris Wheel and amusement arcade, many of these attractions over 100 years old.

We don’t really like amusement parks. A bad experience at Euro Disney years ago still has us trying to banish the annoyingly catchy song It’s a Small World After All from its stubborn place in a corner of our consciousness. But we loved the Tivoli so much we felt it would be rather nice to live there. How astonishing it is, then, to find that you can.

The Nimb Hotel was originally an oriental bazaar, built in 1909 by Tivoli’s head architect Knud Arne-Petersen. Later it became a restaurant, operated by Willhelm and Louise Nimb – the first Danish open sandwich was served there. It has been various things over the years, but in 2008, after a massive renovation, it reopened as a five-star hotel.

What is unique about the Nimb is its position in the gardens.  In the season, when the Tivoli is open (April through September; Halloween and Christmas) you can walk out the hotel’s back door and into the funfair, no entrance fee required. Each of the hotel’s 17 suites (except one) face the gardens and the gardens face you, so it’s rather like being an attraction yourself, in the most enjoyable kind of way.  From our room we could watch the traditional pantomime on the Peacock stage (the costumes were created by Queen Margrethe herself) and the daily parade of the adorable Tivoli Boy’s Band in their snappy red uniforms. Of course, when there are rock concerts on the Open Air Stage you’re part of those too.

Even if it didn’t have a sensational location, we’d be happy to stay in this hotel without ever going outside. The guest rooms are among the most comfortable and stylish we’ve ever slept in, with wood-burning fireplaces, floor-heated bathrooms and bedrooms, a fusion of antiques and modern furnishings, wide plank Dinneson floors, modern Oland granite bathrooms (with generous sizes of Aesop products, our favourite), Geismart goose down comforters and pillows, B&O TV, phone and sound systems, and calming earth colours throughout. Our Junior Suite #10 had a four-poster bed, antique armoir and desk and homey sofa and chairs by the fire. WiFi is complimentary. As we said, we could live here.

The hotel has three restaurants, a wine bar and the famous Nimb Terrasse, which is in the gardens. Upstairs, you can sink into comfortable chairs by a flickering birch fire at the ballroom-sized Bar. Breakfasts in the Brasserie are superb – jugs of fresh-squeezed juice blends and smoothies, homemade cereals, cinnamon buns among the pastries, and good coffee. We ate here for lunch one day, looking over the gardens, and the locally sourced dishes were very good and not overpriced (Eating out in Copenhagen is generally very expensive.) Service is laid back in the best of ways and there’s a sense that everyone is very invested in the beautiful hotel. The attention to detail is first-rate.

We’ve called it: the Nimb is one of the world’s best hotel experiences.

Prices are seasonal. For rates and reservations visit Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

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