For a hotel that is advertising rooms at GBP 200+ per night, ‘The Socialist’ definitely doesn’t feel the right name when taking in the most literal of terms. Having recently joined Marriott’s Tribute Collection hotel range, which allows premium independent hotels to be part of their marketing scheme, this is likely one of the first reviews under the new name and after some light refurbishments. We visited in mid-October whilst on our trip to Copenhagen and they had only just launched - with there being a few hiccups in getting booked in.

Booking the room

Usually I wouldn’t call this out in a review but actually managing to stay here was a feat in and of itself. Despite being on the Marriott Bonvoy website for several months prior to visiting you couldn’t actually reserve a room at the hotel - so instead I contacted the reservations team via email. Although they were really helpful, I couldn’t actually get a room booked until about 10 days prior to visiting thanks to my them integrating their systems with Marriott. This was important because it would synch up with my Bonvoy account…more on that later.

Aesthetic and design

The Socialist is an achingly modern and distinctive hotel in the city, visually standing out with its industrial hotel front when compared to the surrounding quaint streets. This is quite endearing because it creates a trendy hotel atmosphere whilst simultaneously not quite following the rest of the crowd and being a little bit different.

The lobby isn’t really that at all. It’s a bar area that on weekend evenings turns into a club atmosphere with a live DJ - and it’s great! You’re greeted by an impressive array of alcohol on shelves (which must be a nightmare to dust) as well as a continuous of the industrious vibe with greys, blacks, dark greens and metal over the place.

The room

We booked a Compact Double room at 2095 DKK/240 GBP per night - but thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Gold status, I got a free upgrade to the Superior King Room which I’m quite glad for. The Compact Double is quite small, so we appreciated this extra space. The room we stayed in was on the first floor of the hotel and was incredibly private with a private entrance for the two rooms in this wing. This meant you needed to key in with you card twice to get to your room.

Starting with the bed, The Socialist presents you with a huge King Size bed that’s backed with a headboard covered in a grey suede-like material that’s really nice to the touch. The mattress is memory foam and I slept really well, if only I wanted more thanks to a late night out, alongside what felt like premium material used for the duvet.

Surrounding the beds are electrical outlets, USB ports and controls for the TV and Bose sound system. When you first arrive in the room and sit on the bed, the TV is covered by a see-through curtain which partially covers it up - this can be opened using the above controls. Once the curtains open, there’s a large Samsung television wall mounted and Chromecast that works unlike almost every other Marriott/Marriott-aligned hotel I’ve visited!

In a feature I’ve not seen since staying at Hong Kong’s Cordis Hotel, the room features a Bose surround sound system both in the main bedroom and bathroom! NGL, I can never get used to speakers in bathrooms but it always makes me impressed!

In-room drinks are found underneath the television on slight strange tables that are not particularly stable. Coffee is served from the Nespresso machine as well as tea and coffee whilst the mini-bar was pretty misleading thanks to having no price or menu in-room. Initially I thought it was free but thought I would check before taking anything - I’m glad I did otherwise I’d be in for a hefty bill!

Next to the bed is also a lounger chair which is pretty nice to sit on if you want to sit down and relax somewhere that isn’t the bed. This is next to the window which is obscured by the distinctive external metal work - but one pane is kept open to let some daylight in. Unfortunately an attachment from the window to the wall had broken and was hanging off which would need to be repaired by the hotel.

Heading toward to room entrance, there’s a large wardrobe which holds dressing gowns, safe and a hairdryer - although not the advertised Dyson hairdryer.

In an effective use of the room, they’ve used what would otherwise be a dead space into an in-built desk. Although not the roomiest, it makes more sense to have this here than take up more space elsewhere - but as I’ve said in many of my other reviews at other hotels, I probably couldn’t spend hours working hear. It is nice and bright though, thanks the a lamp here.

And finally, ending on the bathroom that is clad in classy marble from floor to ceiling. It’s visually beautiful in a classic way and makes the space feel light and airy. The hotel are using local premium amenities which look a little like Aesop but are actually by Munkholm and are formulated specifically for The Socialist. Slight safety hazard though as they’re made of glass and are not secured down… The shower like my other hotels was powerful and hot. The only improvement here would be a heated mirror which I’ve seen at hotels at a far lower price range - this just makes shaving a lot easier!

Odds and ends

We didn’t have breakfast at The Socialist but it is provided by their partner restaurant Bobo Food Studio. I can report that their bar is pretty decent and they do a very good Mojito! There is also an outdoor area accessed via the staircase round the back of the building where you can catch some sun during the short Danish summer.

Video room walkaround

Should you visit?

There is a reason why I only stayed one night at this hotel - it isn’t cheap. Am I glad that I had the chance to visit? 100%. It is beautiful and a pleasure to look at with a vibe that makes it a nice place to stay around. If you have the budget, try to spend at least one night here when visiting Copenhagen. If you don’t then why not drop on into their bar for a drink in the trendy atmosphere, you will definitely have a good time.