Stella Maris

If you come to Denmark and you do not stay at Stella Maris then you have missed something special. From the food to the rooms and the view and location, all were wonderful, but the best thing are the staff - they are exceptional. This was our first time to Denmark and we will come back again soon, and definitely be staying at this hotel again. Not to be missed!

Spending new years eve in another country is always a lottery. In our case we had just arrived in Denmark at the end of our long roadtrip from Switzerland over the Christmas and New Year week-ends of 2023 and putting up at this elegant country side hotel in the western outskirts of Svendborg was a tempting project. We arrived just before dark and managed to get showered and dressed in our nicely decorated and sober room in time for the Queen's speech to the nation at 6 pm where she declared she would resign and pass on the reign to her son after 52 years as the nation’s leader. After this we were served oysters flushed down with champagne in the bar and then seated for a dinner that was going to last till midnight. It was an interesting observational study of the Danish upper middle class and their eating and drinking habits. There was no real dress code imposed, therefore you could see that some were wearing brown shoes after 6 pm, only recommended if you are planning on going out on a nightly wild boar hunting mission, which was obviously not the case. Food and wine were well matched as one should expect, although being a wine snob myself, I thought there were some not so classy wines being served. Olivia who is not eating meat had the giant Wellington beef replaced by a matching turbot dish, a really nice treat by the kitchen. For us the evening ended with a beautiful fire work just in front of our eyes. The rain had stopped minutes before midnight and allowed us to enjoy the scenery from the hotel terrace. We did not join the other guests for their night caps since we had to be up early for breakfast and our final day bringing us to Copenhagen. Like always with breakfast in Denmark you have the option to cure your hangover with a bitter, in our case three variants. Sooo traditional... Finally, our compliments to the staff for putting up with everybody's habits with a smile; very professional. And the rooms feature the world’s longest shoehorns, a tribute to their guest population.

The hotel impressed us with its remarkable attention to detail. Every corner of the property, including small decorative items, appeared to have been thoughtfully selected and cared for. We were pleasantly surprised by the exceptional quality of the rooms, bar area, dining area, and outdoor seating. The view from our room overlooking the canal was outstanding. The food and service were excellent, and our group felt genuinely welcomed. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, which featured French-inspired cuisine of Michelin-star quality. Our sole regret was that we couldn't stay longer. Without hesitation, the Stella Maris is among my top boutique hotel favorites from all my travels. If I ever find myself in the vicinity again, the Stella Maris will be my go-to destination for both lodging and dining.