Bornholm, DenmarkMelsted
Melsted Badehotel
Functionalist seaside guesthouse
Functionalist seaside guesthouse
This 1930s seaside guesthouse runs on classic Danish bathing rituals, starting with a Baltic plunge off the wooden jetty.
What it’s good at
Notable
Klara Christensen founded this chalk-white functionalist seaside boarding house in 1935.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
designer Josephine Malling restored the 1930s badehotel aesthetic across 21 individually decorated rooms, the beach meadow stretches across 18,000 square meters with its own bathing jetty
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
The cliff path runs just over a kilometer along the Baltic coast into Gudhjem harbor.
The rooms
Rooms are spread across six buildings, finished with tall painted wall paneling and classic Danish furniture.
The sauna
The barrel sauna sits on the coastal meadow, looking out to sea during guided sessions of herbal infusions.
Restaurant
Melsted Badehotel
Tables on the open terrace look out across the sea, serving seasonal Bornholm produce with berries from the garden.
Dating back to the 1930s, Melsted Badehotel is one such example. Perched directly above Melsted beach, it’s been lovingly restored with 21 airy rooms decorated in a minimalist Nordic style and a sea-gazing restaurant to boot.
At the table
Breakfast is served beside wide picture windows that look straight out across the bathing jetty and open sea.
How it began
Klara Christensen began by taking summer guests into her home, expanding onto the coastal meadow in 1935 as Pension Ellebæk.
Bornholm
More like this
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“Nordic coastal hideaway”
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.