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As city-centre hotels vie for ways to stand out from their competitors, few could compete with the magic of a hotel set inside the enchanting Copenhagen pleasure gardens, Tivoli – the world's second oldest amusement park, which inspired Walt Disney to start his. An inspired choice for family stays, but if it seems absurd to imagine that a five-star retreat inside an amusement park could be genuinely serene and sophisticated too, think again, writes Eleanor Cording-Booth.
BY ELEANOR CORDING-BOOTH | CABANA TRAVEL | 21 DECEMBER 2025
They say you can’t please everyone, but it would take a dedicated killjoy not to be utterly charmed by Nimb Hotel in Copenhagen. And if you’re travelling to the city with children, it’s somewhat of a unicorn in its paradoxical ability to delight the whole family with both a rollercoaster-adjacent location and a tranquil, grown-up atmosphere.
If it seems absurd to imagine that a five-star hotel inside the iconic Tivoli amusement park could be genuinely serene, then you must be new to Nimb. In the most unlikely of settings, it really feels like an elegant, sophisticated retreat in the middle of the city.
When Tivoli Gardens first opened in 1843 (it’s the second-oldest amusement park in the world and said to have inspired Walt Disney), it was built outside of the city’s boundaries. Now, 182 years on, it’s a uniquely central tourist attraction in a much larger Copenhagen, directly opposite the Central Station (and a merciful 15-minute metro ride from the airport). All signs should point to noise and overstimulation, yet once ensconced inside, it’s a quiet escape from the world, and a door into another one (literally – hotel guests can walk freely into Tivoli through a private door, with full access to the rides).
When seen from inside Tivoli, Nimb is instantly recognisable as a white Moorish-inspired palace that began life as a restaurant when it was built back in 1909. Ornate and adorned with lights, its fairytale exterior is a popular backdrop for photos, and looks especially mesmerising around Christmas, when Tivoli is transformed into a whimsical wonderland. Unlike a typical amusement park, where the focus is on luring visitors with the biggest rides, Tivoli has a nostalgic, storybook sort of charm, and its humble beginnings as a pleasure garden still hold importance, especially to the Danes, who treasure its history.
In late summer, the park hosts a flower festival, and in winter, it closes temporarily to unveil a display of Christmas trees, light shows, faux snow and traditional decorations. It’s abundantly charming to all who visit, including Walt Disney, who is said to have taken inspiration from Tivoli when first creating his Disney park. For those who don’t care for spinning rides, there are twinkling trees, marching bands, and old-fashioned Pierrot pantomime shows held on a small stage, where the peacock tail curtains open like folding fans – a process still operated manually.
For children, it’s pure magic, and directly outside their bedroom window. They will undoubtedly love it if they’re lucky enough to stay, and the staff will make them feel special, but, crucially, Nimb isn’t geared towards their preferences, and that’s evident in its sophisticated atmosphere. You just so happen to be sleeping inside the walls of an amusement park, but unlike Disney’s themed on-site hotels, it wasn’t created to be a novelty base for families to crash after a day on the rides. Many hotel guests might never set foot inside the park, because access to Tivoli isn’t why they choose to book (this perpetually motion-sick writer hates rides and has stayed twice already).
Inside, Nimb is less about how it looks and more about how it feels. The interiors and 38 bedrooms are chic but not showy, with a muted colour palette, the occasional antique, and decor inspired by Scandinavia and the Far East. Though the design isn’t why you’d pick Nimb over other five-star stays in the city. Nor is it the basement spa, the rooftop bar, cozy working fireplaces in some bedrooms, or the gloriously efficient soundproofing in the hotel’s contemporary extension. It’s greater than the sum of its parts; the overall experience and special staff – without exception – is what makes guests return.
The hotel’s sensational breakfasts are up there with the best you’ll have, and their style of service is particularly memorable. It’s the kind that’s warm and proactive but low-key – you’ll feel well cared for, and your needs anticipated, without any stuffy formality. There’s a quiet ease to staying at Nimb, so it wasn’t surprising to notice a beloved but private Hollywood actor checking in at the desk without being bothered.
Where else could you have a peaceful night’s sleep in a blissfully comfortable bedroom, wake up to pillowy cinnamon buns, whisk your fully-charged children directly into a historic amusement park as the first guests of the day, and in the afternoon, walk 15 minutes to Copenhagen’s high-end shopping district, world-class museums and Royal Palaces? There might not be another hotel in the world quite like it.
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