The hotel was built by the master butcher Anders Jensen, from 1909 alderman of the butchers' guild in Copenhagen, who had made a move into the hotel business in 1897 when he acquired Hotel Marienlyst in Helsingør. In 1907, he purchased a lot on the square in front of the new Copenhagen City Hall which had been completed in the grounds of the city's old Haymarket just two years earlier. The architect Anton Rosen was commissioned to design the hotel which was inaugurated on 15 July 1910. King Frederik VIII was among the first to visit the hotel. Rosen not only designed the building but also everything from furniture to wallpaper, textiles, uniforms, luggage tags and keys. He also designed cutlery and door handles in collaboration with Georg Jensen. In 1927, Jensen sold the hotel to Valdemar Nielsen, who changed its original name "Palads" to the more international "Palace Hotel" and spent a large sum on refurbishing its interiors. In 1937, the hotel changed hands once again when it was acquired by the Danish-Norwegian hotelier Waldemar Jensen. Assisted by his Hungarian architects, he converted the Marble Garden into the "Ambassadeur", turning the hotel into a popular entertainment venue. The Danish businessman Fritz Schur purchased the building in November 1999. From 2005 until 2009, the hotel was run by the Starwood chain and was put through a major renovation which was to upgrade it to a five-star hotel under the Le Méridien brand. After failed negotiations between Schur and Starwood, the hotel was taken over by Scandic Hotels.
Architecture
The Palace Hotel building is considered one of Rosen's most important works and shows clear evidence of his appreciation of Jugendstil. He received the commission shortly after completing the Løvenborg building on nearby Vesterbrogade, the first example of the style in Denmark. The building is constructed in red brick and stands on a sandstone plinth. The portal and other details on the facade are also in sandstone. The copper canopy above the main entrance is a later addition.
A distinctive feature of the exterior is the slender tower which together with those of the City Hall and the former Hotel Bristol dominates the City Hall Square. The copper-roofed tower is high and decorated with mosaics by the painter Johannes Kragh on all four sides, symbolizing morning, day, evening and night. The hotel is also noted for its beautiful lobby. Anton Rosen designed the entire block between the City Hall Square and Mikkel Bryggers Gade where the Grand Cinema is now located. It was heritage listed in 1985.
Today
Palace Hotel is owned and operated by Scandic Hotels but marketed under the Summit Hotels and Resorts brand. It has 169 rooms, 40 of which have balconies overlooking the City Hall Square. Other facilities include five conference rooms and a restaurant and cocktail bar on the ground floor.
