Gefion Group acquires Niels Juels Gade 7 – potential for a new hotel at one of Copenhagen’s most prominent addresses

As of 1 October 2026, Gefion Group has taken ownership of the classic property at Niels Juels Gade 7 in the heart of Copenhagen. Following an extensive planning and permitting process, Gefion has obtained a building permit to transform the approximately 4,000 sqm office property into a hotel. This creates an increasingly rare opportunity to establish a new hotel at one of the most prominent locations in central Copenhagen.

The seller of the property is the pension fund P+. Gefion has acquired the property through its subsidiary NJG 7 K/S.

The property is located directly opposite Danmarks Nationalbank and only a few minutes’ walk from Kongens Nytorv, Strøget and Copenhagen Harbour.

For Gefion, Niels Juels Gade 7 is a property and a location to which the company has a particularly strong connection. For almost all of its 14-year history, Gefion has been based near Kongens Nytorv – so close to Niels Juels Gade that the property can almost be seen from the company’s offices.

Gefion also knows the street itself extremely well, having previously developed and sold the properties at Niels Juels Gade 9–11. With the acquisition of no. 7, Gefion is therefore returning to a street and neighbourhood that have been closely linked to the company throughout much of its history.

“We have to admit that, although we are proud of all our projects across the country, central Copenhagen has a particularly special place in our hearts – and Niels Juels Gade means something special to us. We have been based near Kongens Nytorv for almost the entire 14 years since Gefion was founded, we have previously developed properties on Niels Juels Gade, and we can almost see no. 7 from our office. We know the street and the area extremely well, so we are particularly excited about this property,” says Thomas W. Færch, CEO of Gefion Group.

A rare opportunity in central Copenhagen

The process leading up to the building permit has taken longer than originally anticipated. The property is located in the part of central Copenhagen that was affected by the City of Copenhagen’s temporary suspension of the processing of ongoing hotel applications in connection with the Section 14 cases in autumn 2025.

The process delayed the transaction by approximately seven to eight months compared with the original timetable. The City subsequently concluded that Niels Juels Gade 7 and its location were well suited for hotel use, and Gefion has now obtained a building permit for the transformation.

“We are, of course, very pleased that the City, like us, concluded that this particular property and location are well suited for hotel use. The main reasons why Niels Juels Gade 7 is so suitable as a hotel, rather than as residential accommodation, are that the existing buildings do not allow for the creation of modern homes with good natural light, and that Niels Juels Gade is a relatively busy main thoroughfare and therefore not particularly attractive as a residential street. In a recent local development plan, the City of Copenhagen designated the property for, among other things, office and hotel use, while only to a more limited extent considering the street suitable for permanent residential use. We therefore believed that we had a good chance of obtaining permission to change the use from offices to a hotel, although we certainly did not expect the process to take this long,” says Thomas W. Færch, CEO of Gefion Group.

“Opportunities for new hotels in locations like this in central Copenhagen have become increasingly rare, and the combination of a classic Copenhagen property, an exceptional location and a building permit for hotel use makes Niels Juels Gade 7 quite unique,” says Thomas W. Færch.

Transformation has always been part of Gefion

Niels Juels Gade 7 is a natural continuation of a discipline that has been central to Gefion since the company was founded: the transformation of existing properties.

Over the years, Gefion has completed a wide range of transformation projects – including on Niels Juels Gade itself. What these projects have had in common is not a stated ambition to transform rather than build new, but rather a desire to do what makes the most sense for the individual property, the project and the surrounding city.

“We have been carrying out transformation projects since before anyone really called them transformation projects. Back then, we simply said that we were renovating or converting buildings. And if we are completely honest, it was not because we had formulated some grand sustainability strategy. We did it because it made sense for the specific building, for the project and for the city around it. That is still how we work today. Sometimes the right solution is to build new, and at other times it is to preserve and transform. The fact that many of the projects we have completed over the years have also proved to be a more resource-conscious way of developing the city is, of course, something we are very pleased about,” says Thomas W. Færch.

The same approach has formed the basis for Niels Juels Gade 7. The classic property is currently configured for commercial use, and the structure of the building, including its relatively deep floor plates, makes it difficult to create modern homes with good natural light. At the same time, the property is located on a relatively busy main thoroughfare that is not particularly well suited as a residential street.

By contrast, the building’s layout, architectural character and central location make it highly suitable for hotel use. This is also consistent with the planning framework for the area, under which the property has, among other uses, been designated for offices and hotel use.

“An important part of transformation is respecting the building you are working with and not trying to impose a use on it that it is fundamentally unsuited for. In our view, Niels Juels Gade 7 is a very good example of this. It is difficult to convert the property into the bright and modern homes that are in demand today, but it has a number of qualities that make it very well suited for hotel use. We are therefore very pleased that the City of Copenhagen shared that assessment and that we now have a building permit for a hotel,” says Thomas W. Færch.

With the acquisition now completed, Gefion will continue to explore the opportunities for the property.

The transaction was completed off-market.

For further information, please contact:

Gefion Group A/S
CEO Thomas W. Færch
twf@gefiongroup.com