Scandinavia's coolest destinations for events

DENMARK

Hotel: Hotel Nimb - More a minaret-studded Nights-of-Arabia fantasy than a standard boutique property, the 13-room Hotel Nimb made Conde Nast Traveller's Hot List for 2009. Its interior offers classy, individual design and the hotel directly overlooks the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen's inner-city playground. Web: www.nimb.dk

Meeting Space: DGI-Byen - A sharply presented multiple-use venue, DGI-byen comprises 22,000m2 of function space and can be adapted to host everything from conferences to corporate parties. A recent extension of its meeting facilities has seen the introduction of a new roof terrace for up to 400 people. Also on site are a spa, pool and bowling alley. Web: www.dgi-byen.dk

Dinner Venue: NOMA - Denmark's culinary scene has long attracted the attention of serious foodies. There are currently more than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants in the country, with double-star Noma officially deemed the best of them. Specialising in 'Nordic gourmet', the harbour-side eatery provides options for exclusive hire and meetings. Web: www.noma.dk

Place to Party: 1105 - The 1105 bar is the birthplace of the freshly unveiled Copenhagen Cocktail, a tipple the city hopes will one day rival the Manhattan and the Singapore Sling as an iconic destination-based drink. The venue itself attracts an older, sophisticated crowd, and the ambience is nicely understated rather than showy. Web: www.1105.dk

SWEDEN

Hotel: Fjallnas - Formerly an Arctic retreat for the Swedish Royal Family, Fjallnas today still offers deluxe accommodation in a landscape more associated with glacial lakes and frozen tundra. Recently renovated to even more regal standards, the 1,700-acre complex offers 41 rooms and suites, as well as activities such as wild-skiing and snowmobiling. Web: www.fjallnasreserve.com

Meeting Space: Turning Torso - Malmo's Turning Torso is arguably the most inspired piece of modern architecture in Scandinavia. The contorted 54-storey landmark - sitting a short drive from Copenhagen across the water - offers meeting space on its top two floors, as well as laying claim to the best views in the Oresund region. Web: www.turningtorso.com

Dinner Venue: Dinner on ice - About as far from the bog-standard gala dinner venue as it's possible to get, Dinner on Ice takes place in a toasty-warm tent on a frozen lake, near Lulea in the north. A 300-metre 'avenue of flames' leads to crackling fires, white linen and a three-course gourmet meal. It is only available in the winter months and for groups of up to 200. Web: www.dinneronice.se

Place to Party: Cafe Opera - Stockholm's most prestigious nightclub has a guestbook that boasts everyone from Mick Jagger and Tiger Woods to David Bowie and Robert de Niro, and it remains the go-to place for discerning party folk. A number of options exist for corporate functions, with up to 750 guests accommodated - BMW, Elle and Sony are past clients. Web: www.cafeopera.se

NORWAY

Hotel: Quality Spa & Resort Holmsbu - Close to Oslo, on the shores of the Drammensfjord, Holmsbu was recently voted Norway's best spa resort at the World Travel Awards. It has 183 rooms and function space for up to 200 delegates. Web: www.holmsbuspa.no

Meeting Space: Ulriken 643 - Reachable by cable-car, Ulriken 643 grants visitors spectacular vistas over Bergen and its surrounds - a meeting location with a difference. Up to 50 can be welcomed, the only problem being the temptation to gaze out of the windows. Web: www.ulriken643.no

Dinner Venue: Tjuvholmen Sjomagasin - One for seafood-lovers due to its enviable reputation for expert fish dishes - there's an emphasis on fjord-fresh local specialities. The main restaurant can be hired exclusively, while an adjoining conference room can house 18. Web: www.sjomagasinet.no

Place to Party: Hot Tub - There can be few more memorable ways to pass an evening than in a hot tub under the Northern Lights. This is the place to do it, over the winter months, and groups can combine husky-sledding and a hearty dinner with time soaking under the stars. Web: www.destinasjontromso.no/english/index.html

ICELAND

Hotel: 101 Hotel - A 38-room boutique in a prime Reykjavik location with a hip, contemporary feel, fusion restaurant, art gallery and basement spa. What's more, the hotel bar is a buzzy place for locals to begin a night out. A boardroom provides meeting space for up to 12. Web: www.101hotel.is

Meeting Space: The Blue Lagoon - Pictures of the steaming waters are a mainstay on Iceland's marketing material, and this popular venue - a short drive from the airport - offers meeting facilities as well as its natural geothermal pools. The conference room, which overlooks the lagoon, can welcome up to 90. Web: www.bluelagoon.com

Dinner Venue: Kaffi Solon - The charms of Kaffi Solon are manifold. A stylish eatery serving uncomplicated but well crafted dishes, it also doubles as a bar and - come nightfall - a self-styled 'beast of a nightclub', making it a good place to sample Reykjavik's famed party spirit. For group dinners, the venue can accommodate up to 75. Web: www.solon.is

Place to Party: Kaffibarinn - Encapsulates the 'party hard' reputation of the locals with a lively candlelit bar that is invariably packed by midnight. And there's a reason for the London Underground sign on the street outside - it's part-owned by Blur's Damon Albarn. Web: www.kaffibarinn.is

FINLAND

Hotel: Klaus K - This Helsinki hotel provides a playfully funky accommodation option - room categories are divided into Mystical, Passion, Desire and Envy - as well as meeting space for up to 350. It also plays home to a day spa, two restaurants and a nightclub. Web: www.klauskhotel.com

Meeting Space: Hotel & Igloo Village Kakslauttanen - Boasting glass igloos, smoke saunas and the world's largest 'snow restaurant', the property is set amid dramatic Lapland scenery and custom-made for a snowbound corporate retreat. Conference facilities are on site for up to 100. Web: www.kakslauttanen.fi

Dinner Venue: Chez Dominique - Sitting in the upper echelons of the San Pellegrino World's Best 50 Restaurants list and renowned for inventive dishes - head chef Hans Valimaki is Finland's answer to Heston Blumenthal - it is ideal for small, exclusive groups. Web: www.chezdominique.fi

Place to Party: Kaivohuone - Occupying a 165-year-old building but dripping with Scandinavian cool, Kaivohuone has become the natural port of call for any Hollywood stars or Formula One drivers passing through. It's a nice fit for glam-loving C&I groups too, particularly over summer, when its terrace can take 350. Web: www.helsinginkaivohuone.fi

BUYER VERDICTS

Where to go for Scandic chic?

- Jayson Weston, events manager, Indesit
The country that stands out is Finland. It's modern, unique and culturally embedded, and the venues named here reflect that. The hotel's modern, the event space is unique, the restaurant sounds stylish and the evening entertainment is an old cultural building with that Finnish twist to it. I also think that it's the Scandinavian country that still has the most mystique to it.

- Brian Tan, event designer, Imagination
I really like the Dinner on Ice option in Sweden. The hotels all have that great Scandinavian look, very minimal and functional, paying homage to tradition but in a modernist way. I love the way the region makes use of its resources without destroying the environment. From these venues it's hard to pick a favourite city - but Copenhagen might be it, because it's youthful and vibrant.