A landmark 1935 building on Denmark’s north coast has reopened as the five-star CORI Hornbæk Hotel, reviving a modernist architectural icon that spent decades serving as a hospital before returning to its original purpose as a seaside hotel.
Located in Hornbæk, around 40 minutes north of Copenhagen on what’s commonly referred to as the Danish or Copenhagen Riviera, the hotel reopened in late September with 77 rooms and suites alongside five private townhouses. The original structure was designed by Danish architect Ole Falkentorp and is considered a landmark of Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Functionalism. Danish developer COPI acquired the building in 2023 and has spent the years since restoring it, including recreating historic paint colours and mouldings, before converting it back into a hotel under new ownership.
Interior design on the project was led by Afroditi Krassa in collaboration with Danish design house GUBI, who worked together on the majority of the hotel’s furniture as well as a bespoke collection created specifically for the property. The hotel’s culinary programme is overseen by Danish chef Brian Mark Hansen, previously of the Michelin-starred restaurant Søllerød Kro, with dining split between the main restaurant, CORI Table, and The Jetty, a harbourside spot designed to capture the atmosphere of Hornbæk’s waterfront gathering spot for generations of sunset watchers.
Wellness sits at the centre of the concept, with the hotel billed as Denmark’s first ultra-luxury wellness destination property. Its spa draws on Nordic thermotherapy traditions, pairing hot and cold contrast treatments, saunas and cold plunges with a pool and fitness space. Guests can also access the protected pine and heathland trails of Hornbæk Plantage, or take out the hotel’s own J.Craft boat for private tours along the coast.
COPI owner Jesper Brunander described the project as a tribute to the architectural heritage of the Danish Riviera, aiming to combine Danish cultural restraint with a more international style of understated luxury. Rates at the property start from around DKK4,700 ($680) per night.