My Best Helsinki Hotels & Travel Services
After you land in Helsinki, you will want to find a place to rest. After a long and detailed investigation, we have conclusively determined
that the best place
to do so is in a hotel. (Busses are too crowded, trains are too hectic, sidewalks are too cold, and floating in the sea,
while restful, can leave you in places
you did not intend to go.) Happily, Helsinki has a broad selection of hotels for every taste and every
budget. We hope you find this list useful.

                                                             


Below, some of the many hotels in Helsinki. The star rating system reflects an internet consensus and does not necessarily reflect our independent opinion.

 

The hotels we like, in different price ranges, are mostly located pretty close to the very center, shopping,restaurants, the Esplanade, the Market Square, Senate Square, etc.

 
     

Lower down on the page, we have good links to lists of HOSTELS & APARTMENTS and a link for MORE HOTELS.
See also Helsinki TRANSIT &TRAVEL SERVICES - Different Modes of Transportation, including:
TRAINS & COUNTRY BUSES , BOATS & FERRIES , FLIGHTS & AIRPORTS OTHER: cars, etc.
Last but not least: HELP WITH THE LANGUAGE.

 
 


 
Boutique Hotels:
Hotel HAVEN
Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Unioninkatu 17, 00130 Helsinki
Phone: (358) 9 681 930
Email: sales@HotelHaven.fi 

"Designed to provide homely warmth, exclusive comfort and high-quality services for the discerning guest."

We visited Haven and got a tour of the hotel. We loved the sleek, yet calm & cozy rooms and were delighted by the super friendly staff. We might very well consider this hotel for our next trip. The only big minus we would give the hotel is that the bathrooms are not equipped with double sinks - not even in the large suite. There is a small gym but no sauna or a spa: the hotel guests get to use the nearby 'Siluetti" Spa.

Hotel KLAUS K

Bulevardi 2, 00120 Helsinki
Phone: (020) 770-4700
Fax: (020) 770-4730
E-mail reservations: rooms@klauskhotel.com

Good, central location. New York's "own"  top chef, Markus Samuelsson (Aquavit, NY Times 3-star), is acting as a  consultant at Klaus K 's Restaurant ILMATAR.

  Hotel GLO

Kluuvikatu 4, 00100 Helsinki
Phone: +358 9 5840 9540 E-mail: glo@palacekamp.fi

Located "behind" Kämp, between Pohjoisesplanadi (North Esplanade) & Aleksanterinkatu (Alexander Street). Very central location. Personally, for the money, I need better views. But the hotel is promising a "service package yet unseen in Helsinki" ... So, who knows...

 
   
                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                     
5-star Hotels:

Hotel KÄMP

Pohjoisesplanadi 29, 00100 Helsinki
Phone: (358)(9) 576111
E-mail: hotelkamp@hotelkamp.fi

Great, central location in a beautiful, restored historic building by the Esplanade Park. We like the handy location and we also like Kämp's rooms and roomy bathrooms.

The breakfast is served in their Yume Restaurant (a Japanese restaurant during other hours) on the ground floor. Breakfast consists of an all you can eat smörgåsbord for a flat rate of around 27 Euros with some lower priced choices, such as omelets or Continental breakfast, available. There is also room service breakfast available but it is even more expensive.

Kämp is sometimes called the Ritz-Carlton of Helsinki. While we like Kämp, it is no Ritz-Carlton. When we arrived at the hotel, no one came out to help us with our luggage. We had to schlep it to the reception ourselves. We repeatedly saw this happen to fellow guests.

Other guests confirmed this and also confirmed our experience that it often took 10-20 rings for the front desk to answer a call from the room.

There was no dedicated concierge; the reception desk clerks performed concierge duties, such as making restaurant recommendations and reservations.

Getting our bouquet of flowers out of their flower storage room took a painfully long time.

During our week long stay used glasses were many times not replaced when the room was cleaned. Neither was the shower gel that we ran out of on the second day. There were broken, wooden curtain poles, dust on some surfaces and more of it under the bed. There was no alarm clock in the room, and after asking for one, it took until the next day until the hotel was able to locate an "available one" for us.

Despite being a little ragged around the edges,

 

the executive room was spacious and comfortable, decorated in a Ritz-Carlton like design with an "olde Scandinavian" twist, with for example lighter colors and some Gustavian style seating in the room.

Some staff members were friendly and helpful, while others seemed not as helpful as one would expect from the staff of a 5-star hotel.

At times, we found ourselves missing the service (and the wonderful, free breakfast spread) at (the now closed) Palace Hotel. While "only" a 4-star hotel, Palace treated their guests to a strong 5-star service. Professional, efficient yet warm hospitality that made us want to return year after year.

But Palace is gone, so despite the defects and the broken points on each of Kämp's "5-stars" we would happily go back to Kämp.

Kämp has been on the Conde Nast Traveler's "Top European Hotels" - list for many years.

 

Hotel HILTON STRAND

John Stenbergin ranta 4,
00530 Helsinki, Finland 00530
Tel: 358-9-39351
Fax: 358-9-3935-3255

24 h room service. Good services. In Hakaniemi, a bit outside the center. Not convenient if you want to be a short walk from main  shopping & restaurants, and want to explore the neighborhoods closest to the center by foot - which we recommend.

4-star Hotels:
Hotel TORNI

Yrjönkatu 26, 00100 HELSINKI
Phone: (020) 1234 604
Fax (09) 4336 7100
torni.helsinki@sokoshotels.fi

SECOND LINK to HOTEL TORNI

Central location. The Tower Bar, with terrific views over Helsinki is a "must", even if you do not stay at the hotel. Yup, you guessed it: Torni = Tower in Finnish

Hotel LINNA

Lönnrotinkatu 29, 00180 Helsinki, Finland
Tel. +358 10 3444 100
linna@palacekamp.fi

In a gorgeous Art Nouveau (or Jugend-style),  granite "castle". The exterior & the interior design of the public spaces are bustling with national romantic motives, worth to take a look at even if you are not a guest at the hotel. The hotel rooms are (unfortunately, if you ask us - but you are probably not) designed in a modern, boutique- hotel style. Neat, but not reflecting the spirit of the building's public spaces. Second link

Linna = Castle in Finnish.

  Hotel GRAND MARINA

Katajanokanlaituri 7
00160 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: +358 (0)9 16661
Fax: +358 (0)9 1666 500
E-mail: grandmarina@scandichotels.com
Reservation & Customer service:
+46 8 517 517 20


In historic Katajanokka seaside neighborhood a bit outside the center,  but "a couple of  tram stops" from the the Market Square in the pretty south Harbor & the Presidential Palace & the Dome.

 
Hotel CROWNE PLAZA

Mannerheimintie 50
00260 HelsinkiFINLAND
Phone: +358 9 2521 0000
Fax: +358 9 2521 3999
E-mail: helsinki.cph@restel.fi

In Töölö, a few tram stops from the very center. Big hotel. High floors have good views. Close to the Opera, National Museum, Finlandia Hall.

Hotel RADISSON BLU

Mikonkatu, 23
00100 Helsinki - Finland
Phone: +358 (0)20 1234 703
Fax: +358 (0)20 1234 704
Email: info.plaza.helsinki@radissonblu.com

Center of Helsinki, the hotel is close to the central railway station, theFinnish National Theater, Ateneum Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Short walk to the Esplanade Park.

 

 

 
3-star Hotels:
Hotel ANNA

Annankatu 1, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: 09 - 616 621
Fax: 09 - 602 664
E-mail: info@hotelanna.fi

Comfortable & practical hotel in a good, central location. Take a look at (scroll down) Anna's terrific location page, with a map & a good aerial shot of the neighborhood, showing parts of the center and the Railway Station in the background.

Hotel CUMULUS KAISANIEMI

Kaisaniemenkatu 7, 00100 Helsinki
Phone: +358 (0)9 172 881
Fax: +358 (0)9 605 379
kaisaniemi.cumulus@restel.fi


Located on a heavily trafficked street, but very close to the center and a short walk to Aleksanterinkatu & the Esplanade.

  Hotel ARTHUR

Vuorikatu 19, 00100 Helsinki
Phone: +358 9 173 441
Fax: +358 9 626 880
Email: reception@hotelarthur.fi


Central location, good prices.

 
Lists of hotels:

HOTEL LIST: Star rated hotels, provided by Helsinki City Tourist Office.

Second HOTEL LIST

 

List of SOKOS HOTELS in Helsinki.

 
Lists of apartment hotels and hostels:
LIST OF APARTMENTS & HOSTELS

APARTMENT HOTEL GELLA: Offers apartments in various sizes, from studios to 4BR apartments, scattered around town.

 

Be sure to find about all additional fees before booking an apartment. For example: Is cleaning included? How often?

 
CLOSED hotels:

Hotel PALACE
Eteläranta 10, 00130 Helsinki
Closed on Nov.1, 2009

We loved Palace for its terrific views and wonderful service. Palace was our home away from home.

Hotel MARTHA
Uudenmaankatu 24
00120 HELSINKI

 


 
Language problems?

Finnish is considered to be one of the most difficult languages for a non-native speaker to learn, although it is also considered one of the world's most beautiful sounding languages.

FOR SOME USEFUL FINNISH WORDS & PHRASES: SEE OUR ENGLISH - FINNISH WORD PAGE. Because Swedish also is spoken in Helsinki, we include some Swedish phrases as well.

 


 
       
TRANSIT & TRAVEL SERVICES - Different Modes of Transportation

Our favorite way to get around in the center area of Helsinki is to walk. But sometimes you need to use something faster than our two feet. Here are a few possibilities:

 
   

Helsinki City Transport:
Maps, Timetables & Information

Interactive map of the Helsinki area with surrounding cities

 

Check out the public transportation Journey Planner, a terrific tool to plan your commute in Helsinki. Makes getting from point A to point B as easy as pie.

 
General Helsinki transportation link, routes, times, etc

THE HELSINKI CARD
-Take advantage of it.

 

Great way to get around: Biking!
Check out: CITYBIKES

 

HELSINKI TRAMS: Timetables, Route maps, Tickets, etc.

The Finnish Tramway Society

HELSINKI BUSES:
Timetables, Route maps, Tickets, etc.
Bus Route Map, pdf

 

HELSINKI METRO:
Route map, Timetables, etc.

 
       
       
LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL SERVICES:

BUS: Helsinki Bus Station, located in the KAMPPI CENTER, is one of the most modern and busiest in the world.

 
   

EXPRESS BUS at Helsinki Bus Station.

Routes and bus stops.

Matkahuolto Long Distance Bus. "Network covers the whole country, ensures efficient connections to destinations all over Finland."

Location map in Kamppi
Phone: + 358 9 613 6801

LOCATION on PDF-MAP

, has photos of the bus terminals, etc. Second link.

General Kamppi Center web-page

Helsinki_Kamppi_shopping. Photo copyright Annu Lilja 2008 -  

Helsinki_Kamppi_Center. Photo copyright Annu Lilja 2008 -

     
   

TRAIN:

 
   

HELSINKI RAILWAY STATION

Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council

     
         
   

BOAT & FERRY SERVICES:

 
   

BOAT TERMINALS: SILJA LINE

VIKING LINE terminal,
driving instructions & map to Viking's terminal in Helsinki.

 

PORT OF HELSINKI WEB SITE

 
   
Both SILJA LINE & VIKING LINE offer ferry services both to Sweden, & to the stunningly beautiful, autonomous, Åland Islands (part of the  the western Finnish archipelago) and the Baltic Sea (Tallin) .  Silja/Tallink also sails to = Pärnu, Riga, Rostock, etc.


See  Silja's   DESTINATIONS page.
See Viking's DESTINATIONS page.

     
       
       
AIRLINES, AIRPORTS:
 

Feel like flying?
Check out: FINNAIR  or  SAS.

The Finnair bus from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to the center of Helsinki (to the railway station, which is the last stop) takes about 35-40 minutes each way. To be on the safe side, reserve 1 hour each way, since especially if the trip is to be made during a rush hour.
Link to time table.

 

All you need to know about
HELSINKI - VANTAA AIRPORT,
or other Finnish airports.

Free shuttle bus between terminals and parking

       
CARS, etc.:

We strive  to keep all links in working order. If you notice a defect, or have suggestions or questions, we would love to receive your e-mail. We hope you enjoy My Best Helsinki.

 


Need to rent a car? Try:
TIGER CAR RENTAL

 
         
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PHOTOS HAVE BEEN STOLEN A LOT, especially the "Helsinki Sophia Street Dome"-photo on our home page.
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