The best budget hotels in Copenhagen, from hip locations to secret courtyards

Copenhagen is such a fascinating, fun and all-round fabulous city that it’s rare to hear anyone complain about it – until it comes to cost. The Danish capital is notoriously expensive and there’s no denying the fact that your holiday money won’t stretch as far here as it would in many other European capitals. That’s not to say, though, that you have to spend a fortune. Here's our pick of the best budget-friendly hotels with good-looking rooms at consistently reasonable rates.

Ibsens is well placed on Nansensgade, a boho street that’s home to small cafés and specialist shops. Despite having 118 rooms, the hotel retains a boutique feel, with an arty, funky, slightly retro vibe that’s perfectly in keeping with the individual nature of the neighbourhood. There’s a buzzy lounge/bar area, with a daily Cosy Hour (5pm-6pm) when guests can pop in for a beer or wine on the house, and outside seating in the courtyard. Several Nansensgade shops offer 10 per cent discounts to Ibsens guests.

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The citizenM ethos is all about providing everything you need but leaving out unnecessary frills. So there’s no spa, gym, room service or formal reception desk; you check in and out at self-service screens instead. However, there are always plenty of staff (‘ambassadors’) standing by to help, and they seem unfailingly cheery and enthusiastic. iMacs and a printer, ironing stations and a mini shop are all available. Rooms are cleverly designed with mod cons, ample storage space and bathroom pods.

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It may be just a two-star but this central budget option is made up of high-quality ingredients, with well-designed rooms, an excellent location (less than 10 minutes’ walk from the metro station at Kongens Nytorv) and keen-to-please staff. Inside it's modern and minimalist with a no-frills approach – which means few facilities but there are computers for guests to use, you can rent bikes, and they offer reduced rates at the car park next door. There’s a garden to sit out in in summer, an ironing room and a left-luggage facility (for a fee).

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Axel Guldsmeden, on the edge of trendy Vesterbro, shuns Scandi minimalism in favour of a more colourful, eclectic look, driven by the owners’ love of Bali and commitment to an eco-friendly approach. Bikes can be hired and there's a small gym room where equipment includes rowing machines and weights. If you'd rather just relax you can book the cosy candlelit spa, complete with sauna, cold tub, steam bath and hot tub. The Balinese theme continues to the plant-filled courtyard and boho-style rooms. Café du Nord feels like a French brasserie and serves Meditteranean-style cuisine – mostly organic.

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This two-star budget hotel – Copenhagen's original Wakeup outpost – keeps prices down by keeping services limited. But its affordable credentials don't mean a compromise on style or service: in the large, double-height lobby you’ll find Poul Henningsen lamps suspended above Arne Jacobsen chairs. There’s plenty of on-site parking, computers for guest use and bikes for hire, and left luggage lockers are available for a small fee. There’s also a basement ironing room and a same-day laundry service.

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When the hotel first opened, this part of town (Vesterbro) was fairly gritty. Now it’s decidedly hip. The buzzing Meatpacking District is 10 minutes’ walk away, WestMarket (the city’s newest food hall) even closer, and the little foodie street of Værnedamsvej just round the corner. Equal parts reception, bar, café and lounge, with cow-hide bucket chairs, trailing green plants and lantern-lit balconies, it’s an appealingly laid-back place to hang out. Rooms come with wooden floors topped with Persian carpets; the recurring dragonfly motif; the big bottles of organic toiletries.

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Walk out of the central train station's front entrance and the hotel is right there in front of you, meaning you can be in your room within half an hour of leaving the airport. The look is classic and traditional – step into the lobby and you enter an old-school world of dark wood panelling, fleur de lys-patterned carpet and a great, glass-walled vintage lift that glides up through the central stairwell. Rooms are fresh and clean, and you’ll find a small fitness room in the basement, bikes to hire, and a computer for guests to use, free of charge.

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First Hotel Mayfair combines a convenient location – with bars and restaurants of the Meatpacking District on one side and the fairylights and fairground fun of Tivoli on the other – with very friendly service and comfortable rooms at competitive prices. There’s quite a personal feel to the place, and the little lounges off reception have a residential, English country house look, mixing antique tables and grandfather clock with classic armchairs and Asian artefacts. There’s a 24-hour fitness room in the basement, and little touches like help-yourself bowls of fruit on each half-floor landing.