After 90 years, a Danish seaside landmark says good morning again

45 minutes north of Copenhagen, where the strait between Denmark and Sweden opens to the sea, Denmark keeps a coast that few travellers know. White sand, dune grass, forest, fishing harbours, and a light that painters have travelled to see since 1873. This is the Copenhagen Riviera, and in Hornbæk its landmark hotel opens again, as Scandinavia’s first coastal hotel to join The Leading Hotels of the World. A collection of more than 400 independent luxury hotels across 80+ countries, founded in 1928.

Architect Ole Falkentorp designed it in 1935, in the clean white lines of Danish functionalism, as the largest seaside hotel of its day. It later became a rehabilitation centre and then a hospital, and locals still call it Kurbadet, the old spa house. COPI began the restoration in 2023 with one wish, to return the hotel to the purpose it was built for. It holds 82 rooms, from Comfort rooms to the top floor Sky Suite. 

Seaside life returns the Danish way, barefoot. Five star service without the stiffness, where guests come up from the beach with sand on their feet and salt in their hair, and are as welcome as those in their evening best.

"A building’s story deserves to be felt. I have known this one my whole life, and to see it open its doors again, to neighbours and travellers alike, is the realisation of a long held vision" says Jesper Brunander, COPI.

Danish design has always started with nature and daylight. The interiors are by Afroditi Krassa, whose London studio has designed hotels, resorts and restaurants across three continents for almost 25 years. For CORI she took the palette straight from the coast, dune grass, sand, sea buckthorn and rose hip. The furniture comes from Danish design houses such as GUBI, and there is original art in every room. In the 1870s P.S. Krøyer, Holger Drachmann and Carl Locher settled in Hornbæk for its light. Krøyer painted Morning at Hornbæk here in 1875, with the fishermen coming ashore on the beach below the hotel.

"CORI has a classic Nordic soul, but with appetite, warmth, sensuality and a joie de vivre" says Founder, Afroditi Krassa.

Denmark has become one of the world’s great places to eat, and CORI Table brings that appetite to the coast. Executive Chef Brian Mark Hansen won Bocuse d’Or gold for Denmark in 2023. Here he cooks what lies outside the window. Fish from Danish waters comes first, the dishes follow the seasons and are made for sharing, and meat is served when it is at its best. Citrus and olive oil from the south soften the rawness of the north. 

The Jetty is the hotel bar, with a view of the harbour from inside or from the terrace. It is open from the first coffee in the morning to oysters and cocktails at night.

"Behind every dish is a person. Building a team is about creating an environment where everyone can grow, learn, and contribute" says Executive Chef, Brian Mark Hansen.

Danes swim in the sea all year, then warm up in the sauna and go back in. CORI Spa follows in November and turns that rhythm into a Nordic longevity concept. Heat and cold, rest and movement, sea air and human touch. 

The treatments are carefully selected for every age and every need, from a first gentle facial to deep restoration. A greenhouse inspired indoor pool, saunas and a health club carry the everyday, and the Longevity Lounge takes care of modern recovery, jet lag included.

"Not perfection, but a body that knows what it needs. The sea, the sauna and a caring hand. Feel well, find joy in the everyday, and take a little of CORI home with you" -The vision of CORI Spa.

CORI is made for gatherings, in the belief that the sea helps people think better together. Meetings and boardroom days for businesses, private dinners and parties, weddings by the water, and the big days of the year celebrated in full. Beach and terraces for ceremonies, the Sky Suite for the party above the dunes, and a dedicated planner from the first call.

"The hotel makes the promise. We keep it. The guests who come back are the ones who felt they were somewhere, not just staying somewhere" says General Manager, Luis Valdivia-Skov.

Summer is long light evenings, the beach and days on the water aboard Amarcor, the hotel’s own boat. Winter is empty beaches, forest walks, an oyster season, the CORI Christmas Market and a New Year’s Eve Gala by the sea.

"Bringing the COPI vision to life from concept and design to the guest journey, we are creating a new seaside experience that immerses guests in a transformative stay, delivering lasting value for both guests and investors" says CEO, IHA Management and Operator of CORI, Lucas Johansson.