Month: May 2013

The Hotel d’Angleterre reopened last week following a comprehensive renovation which has lasted for over two years. It was a soft opening with 35 rooms and suites of 90 in total welcoming guests. The remaining rooms will open during the autumn of 2013.

The signs of the renovated ‘New d’Angleterre’ are apparent as you stand on the cobbles stones of Kongens Nytorv in the heart of Copenhagen and look up at the palace’s beautiful new facade. Inside, the new lobby has an entirely different light and everything has been finished with carefully chosen materials of the most luxurious quality. The radical transformation of this historic hotel has been carried out with respect for the building’s history, yet it also meets the demands of contemporary technology and discrete service.

There has been a hotel at this address since 1755. Following the reopening, there will be 120 staff waiting to serve guests who will stay in rooms and suites decorated with silk wallpaper, hardwood panelling, marble and stone. The suites range in size from 45m2, to the Royal Suite, which is 250m2.

The hotel is equipped with meetings facilities, among others the Palm Court, at 300m2, and the adjacent Louis XVI Ballroom. The balconies in the Palm Court have been redesigned and now have space for choirs, speakers or orchestras beneath the impressive mosaic ceiling.

The hotel’s restaurant, Marchal, is in the capable hands of the Danish chef, Ronny Emborg, most recently of the Michelin-starred AOC in Copenhagen, while the champagne bar, Balthazar, offers 160 different champagnes and champagne cocktails.

As well as this, all guests have access to Amazing Space d’Angleterre, a spa and fitness area with fully-equipped fitness room, swimming pool and private treatment rooms.

Copenhagen secures coveted EWEA Offshore congress despite having just 14 days to prepare bid. The congress is expected to draw up to 10,000 delegates to the Danish capital in December 2015.

The bidding process for congresses can last many months or even years, but last week Copenhagen won one of the largest congresses despite having just 14 days’ preparation.

Steen Jacobsen, congress director at Wonderful Copenhagen, comments:

”In recent years we have intensified our efforts to bring international congresses to Copenhagen and have both won and held a large number of mega-events. As a result, today, we have a great deal of experience and some strong, broad alliances, which means that we as a destination are always in the starting blocks if we need to make a fast bid. That is why we were able to win a major congress like EWEA Offshore with such a brief preparation.”

Copenhagen had originally intended to bid to host EWEA Offshore in 2017, but when the host city for 2015 withdrew, the Danish Wind Industry Association were approached by the EWEA to hear if Copenhagen could bid. Together with Wonderful Copenhagen, and in close cooperation with, among others, Bella Center, State of Green, Københavns Kommune and the city’s hotels, a bid was put together which was judged superior to those of the competing cities, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Paris.

Last year Denmark hosted the first ever sustainable European Union Presidency, achieving the first ISO20121 certification in the meetings sector. The sustainable actions lead to a €40mio saving compared to previous Presidencies. Now the legacy and learning are shared in a new report entitled ‘Driving Change Through Collaboration’.

Leadership: Nicknamed the ‘Tap Water Presidency’ by the press, due to the focus on environmental and cost saving actions, the Danish government implemented an ISO compliant sustainability management system for the 100 meetings which hosted 15.000 participants in Copenhagen and the city of Horsens. Local organic food was served – with no additional cost – accompanied by tap water; 100% of all hotel rooms and meetings venues were eco-certified; all suppliers were compliant with the responsible procurement policy; all signage, carpets and branding were made from sustainable materials; and sponsorships were created to install innovative new sustainability technology into the venues and power them through Danish Wind Energy.

Copenhagen’s restaurants were awarded a total of 15 stars in the 2013 edition of the Michelin Guide. Among them was restaurant Geranium, proving that their innovative Scandinavian kitchen is ‘worth a detour’.

With a lucid, light and dynamic kitchen, Geranium draws on innovative techniques using 100% organic or biodynamic produce supplemented with wild herbs, flowers and other foraged produce from forest and beach. The restaurant was recently awarded its second Michelin star – as a result, Copenhagen now has two two-starred restaurants.

With a total of 137 international congresses held in 2012, Copenhagen has consolidated its position as one of the world’s most appealing congress cities. And that success looks set to continue: the city has never had so many congresses on its order books.

According to the latest report from the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Copenhagen is now the eighth most popular destination for international congresses in the world. 

The report is based on figures from 2012, during which Copenhagen hosted the European Wind Energy Congress with more than 10,000 participants, among numerous other major international events. Steen Jakobsen, director of Wonderful Copenhagen Convention Bureau, comments:

”We are proud of our excellent placing up among some really strong players in an extremely competitive market. Over recent years in Copenhagen we have intensified our congress work and increased the strategic cooperation between public and private partners. That means that we also have a record number of major congresses confirmed for the coming years. As many as 30 congresses with more than 2,000 participants are already on the order books. We have never experienced demand like this before.”

The secret of Copenhagen’s success as a congress city is partly explained by the fact that the Danish capital is able to meet all the fundamental infrastructure requirements and has an international reputation for its low crime rate; general efficiency levels; its cultural and entertainment attractions; and its selection of world class restaurants – of which 13 currently boast Michelin stars. 

As well as this, Copenhagen is one of the greenest capitals in the world. The region’s dynamic research and scientific environment is internationally renowned, and is particularly strong within the medical, IT and cleantech industries. Furthermore, the city’s facilities have expanded significantly during the last decade and continue to do so. 

‘The ICCA Statistics Report’ is based on the ICCA Association Database. The figures below cover meetings organised by international associations which take place on a regular basis and rotate between a minimum of three countries.

Lisbon Wine festival 2013 was held over the 10-12 May, with wine producers, experts, chefs and connoisseurs from the world of wine and fine cuisine.  Dedicated to the wines from the Demarcated Winemaking Regions (CVR) of Lisbon, Vale do Tejo and Setúbal Peninsula, the event featured 40 wine producers, winemakers and sommeliers and a concert on May 11.

The 6th Lisbon Fish & Flavours was one of the busiest ever with 25,000 visits during the 11 days of the event which has become a major attraction in the city’s annual calendar.  This is the largest food festival in Portugal dedicated to the flavours of the sea and there was an increased presence of international visitors which accounted for 22% of total number of visits

The Portuguese capital has been voted second “Best European Destination 2013”, from a list of twenty cities proposed for online voting by the European Consumers Association.

Lisbon was ranked ahead of cities like Vienna, Barcelona, Amsterdam, among others. Istanbul was awarded winning destination with just 439 more votes than the Portuguese city.

Lisbon has been consolidating its position as a leading tourist destination in a sustained way. This trend is confirmed through the various prizes the Portuguese capital has been awarded by the most prestigious institutions in the tourism sector worldwide.

Lisbon is also in the top 10 destinations to visit for cruise travel, based on the opinion of international passengers by Lisbon Tourism Observatory, in partnership with Port of Lisbon Administration.  The International Cruise Passenger Survey 2012 concludes that the average level of satisfaction with a visit to Lisbon is 8.3 – on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 55% of respondents confirming it having exceeded their expectations.