Hilton Hotels plans to back Copenhagen in 2020

Hilton is set to open a new hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark through a franchise agreement with BC Hospitality Group. The Hilton Copenhagen City Centre will open in the city center in 2020.

The seven-story Hilton Copenhagen City Centre will have 400 guestrooms with 44 suites. The property will be on the quayside of Copenhagen Harbor close to the Kgs Nytorv old square, the Old Stock Exchange, the Nyhavn waterfront and the Strøget shopping street. It is also near Copenhagen's Central Station, the city's airport, the financial center, the Tivoli Gardens, the Copenhagen Opera House, Christian's Church, Copenhagen's Old Town and the National Museum of Denmark.

Hilton currently has six properties in Scandinavia, and another two in the pipeline. “By 2027, Denmark is expected to attract more than 14 million international arrivals, making it one of Europe's fastest growing travel destinations," Patrick Fitzgibbon, SVP of development, EMEA at Hilton, said in a statement.

Hilton originally operated a 382-room airport hotel in the city since February 2001, but Copenhagen Airport, which owns the hotel building, ended its partnership with Hilton. Norwegian hotel company Nordic Choice began operating the property in April 2017. The hotel underwent an extensive renovation and was renamed the Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport.

The company's interest in the region—and the city in particular—is understandable. Copenhagen has seen growth in the hotel sector in recent years, aided by an increase in foreign visitors. Last year, Peter Winther, managing partner & CEO, Sadolin & Albæk, said that occupancy in 2017 was up at around 85 percent, “so the city needs more capacity, or 250 days of the year there is no room.” The city is seeing a lot of interest from the global operators, he added. “Marriott International is looking, AccorHotels is looking.”