The welcome
Pleasingly anonymous and un-obsequious, as you would expect from a top Danish hotel. It opened in 2003 as a conversion from a department store, and the burnt orange exterior is more functional than I'd expected. Inside it's a different story, as Danish architect Per Arnoldi's wonderfully fresh main lobby, which you reach via an escalator, shows. It features high ceilings, slick sofas and designer bikes (display only, rental models are downstairs), a rear terrace and a smart brasserie. Although we're early to check in, the front office manager makes sure we are comfortable and hurries the room-cleaning process so we can get in as soon as possible.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is situated in the best area of town, the Latin Quarter. A five-minute walk from Strøget, Copenhagen's main shopping street, the area developed around the town's medieval university, although most of the buildings are 17th-century. Narrow lanes, second-hand bookstores and small cafes dominate.
The room
There are 268 rooms. Our first, a corner room on the fourth floor, is square shaped, very spacious and has good views over the surrounding rooftops. But the air-conditioning doesn't work and with the windows open we are disturbed at night by street noise. We move the following day to another room on the same floor, where everything works. The room design is not as impressive as the public areas would suggest: the blond wood laminate floors, low ceilings and white walls are IKEA-esque, although quality designer sofas, desks and beds elevate them.
The service
The front desk staff are unusually sophisticated, and helpful. In the hotel's signature restaurant, Brasserie Petri, the breakfast staff are thoughtful and alert to requests despite the hotel being fully booked. At lunchtime, when we order lunch outside on the terrace, the waiter is surly.
The scene
The hotel has a high proportion of business travellers, but this doesn't seem to affect the relaxed-yet-trendy scene. Smart suits can be seen having meetings at the first-floor Bar Rouge in early evening; at weekends, it's busy until 2am. Holidaymakers sit alongside businesswomen at breakfast at Brasserie Petri. On the ground floor, Cafe Petri is a smart coffee shop cum French-style bistro with some attractive seating out on the pavement - a brilliant example of a hotel fitting into its neighbourhood.
The food
Breakfast at Brasserie Petri was excellent: an extensive buffet with a great selection of high quality, mostly organic breads, cheeses, yoghurts and fruit, plus a hot selection. At lunchtime, the seared tuna salad (105 Danish kroner; Dh66) was fresh and delicate; the fish and chips (Dkr145; Dh92) was more average.
Loved
The area and just being in the hotel. Unlike so many properties, where you feel hounded by staff acting as though you've strayed onto their territory, the atmosphere here is human and personal without being overbearing.
Hated
The wireless internet connection was infuriating: the password changed daily, so we were constantly asking for new ones, and what worked downstairs didn't work in the rooms. The gym was being refurbished and there is no pool.
The verdict
An excellent hotel in a great location.
The bottom line
Double rooms at the First Hotel Skt Petri, Krystalgade 22, Copenhagen (www.firsthotels.com; 0045 33 45 91 00) cost from 876 Dkr (Dh532) per night, including taxes.
The%20Specs
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SPECS
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
The%20specs
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Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE%20FIXTURES
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Company%20profile
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