7/10 for The Audo
A hybrid place, The Audo is located halfway between the hotel residence, the office and the exhibition space dedicated to design. In addition, there is a concept store and a lounge-coworking . It will be understood that The Audo is shaking up the conventional lines of the hotel industry. The reason is simple. By setting up its new headquarters, Menu, the Danish furniture and lighting brand, has imagined a “live” showroom. On the second floor, the initial offices have been replaced by ten minimalist rooms inviting to tame design in everyday gestures.
To the Menu signature are added those of many partners offering a total immersion in this universe created to measure. Everything is for sale in this boutique hotel. The decoration changes regularly, especially on the occasion of the 3daysofdesign festival which will take place this year from September 3 to 5.
7/10 the situation
A former industrial port, Nordhavn is turning into a chic and promising residential area. In terms of architecture, The Audo is one of the few buildings to have retained its 1918 façade. Almost all the others have recently emerged from the ground in the midst of curiosities. For example, the starred restaurant Silo has set its tables in an old revamped silo. The neighborhood still lacks a bit of life in winter. From 6 p.m. at nightfall, the streets of Copenhagen are deserted. But come back in the summer and you'll find crowds of Danes basking in the sun on the docks, diving in the water or paddling a kayak or relaxing in the harbor sauna.
9/10 The decor
Only the original neo-baroque facade has remained. Norm Architects, helped by Nathan Williams, co-founder of the lifestyle magazine Kinfolk, redesigned all of the building's volumes. In the lobby, which serves as a coworking space and a café, a generous wooden and metal staircase leads to the materials library, open to interior designers and the curious. The raised ground floor houses a lounge and the concept store with hand-picked objects. There is something for everyone between travel bags, coffee machines, nightgowns or tailor-made suits. Everywhere, sofas, armchairs and tables by Menu with soft and refined lines, ergonomic and almost sensual.
IN PICTURES - Open the doors of The Audo hotel in Copenhagen
7/10 The bedrooms
Sleeping in one of the ten rooms is like living an extraordinary experience, that of slipping into the pages of a decoration magazine. In a soothing and calm atmosphere, each room is dressed in a warm color and with different furnishings. The aesthetic comes in an elegant simplicity highlighting the products of the Menu brand. Here a sofa stretches out its arms, there XL armchairs invite you to laze around, a book in your hand. This is without counting on the partner brands that delight the nights (DUX mattresses and 100% organic cotton Aiyayu sheets)… The Scandinavian must go to hospitality products (Frama).
Ideal for the Instagram gallery, these rooms are practical. Room n ° 1 has, to date, no table and forces the host to work in the coworking spaces. The bathroom, in marble and with strict lines, does not invite to stay there. Where to put your toiletry bag? Not a single location is planned. As for bedroom n ° 3, the skylight is so high that we do not want to open it. Not everyone is cut like a Viking!
6/10 The service, the facilities
When we visited, the reception was open from 7:30 am to 6 pm. After these hours, a well-functioning system was put in place: sent by email, the entry codes opened the service door and the safe box containing the room key to be reached on foot on the second floor - the elevator lobby only accessible during opening hours! We therefore had the choice between feeling like James Bond or an Airbnb customer. The minibar was no consolation, totally lacking in creativity. Television was missing (no regrets) but a possible partnership with Bang & Olufsen could be a game-changer. That would be a shame. The lack of image allows you to blend better into the design world. There remains the team, spontaneous and friendly, which makes you forget all the little inconveniences. Doesn't she share her best addresses in town?
7/10 At the table
That day, breakfast was still a little bit hungry - your choice: roll, granola, elaborate porridge (banana, almonds, red berries…) with chia seeds. But the recent arrival of Restaurant Lola at The Audo should encourage us to review this morning menu… Behind Lola hides a collective led by chef Kamilla Seidler, the “Danish of the Andes” crowned with the title of Best Female Chef 2016 in America Latin by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. She then ran the kitchens of the Gustu restaurant in La Paz.
Back in Copenhagen, she opened a first address in Christianhavn and another here. On the menu, local products revisited by its international team: orange and quinoa ceviche; Danish potatoes, cream and Indian podi; kimchi and salad… Her gastronomy is above all social: with her Lola Impact project, she helps people in difficulty regain a foothold in society through cooking.
7/10 The value for money
From 2,800 DKK (around 370 €) with breakfast for the smallest room (and nearly 1,000 € for the penthouse), the night can seem expensive compared to the rather light service. All the more so since it will be quite difficult, in this "catalog of brands" not to crack on an armchair, a sofa or a table ... On the hotel side, some practical details still need to be settled. We can bet that they will be soon. In the meantime, the place remains a magnificent temple of design.
The Audo, 130 Århusgade, 2150 Copenhagen, Denmark. Phone. +45 31 26 30 80.