17 Best Hotels in Helsinki, Finland

This small luxury hotel, on the edge of Helsinki's Design District, distinguishes itself through a rare combination of character and service. The front section is a fantastical 1903 stone "castle" in the whimsical National Romantic style, with Art Nouveau frescoes, wood-beams, medieval-style restaurants, lounges, conference rooms, and a cavernous banquet hall. A walkway across an inner court brings you to the modern building housing the guest rooms, which have comfortable, contemporary furnishings. Bicycles are available to borrow free in summer, and the hotel is proud of its Green Key eco-label. The restaurant is for breakfast only, but there is a pleasant and subdued GLO Art Lounge Bar.

Located in the plush and leafy western Munkkiniemi neighborhood, a 15-minute taxi ride or 20-minute tram hop from the city center, this hotel routinely hosts statesmen, celebrities, and honeymooning couples and bills itself as "A Resort in the City." The best rooms are in the seaside annex, but all are large and airy, with clear pine and birchwood paneling. Rooms in the main building may either be equipped with bath and terrace or with showers only; prices vary accordingly. Delightful seaside strolls are within easy reach, and a peaceful night's sleep is guaranteed.

Situated opposite the Esplanade, this luxurious, late-19th-century cultural landmark has long been the meeting point for Finland's most prominent politicians, artists, and celebrities in accordance with its unofficial status as Finland's ritziest hotel. Famous guests have included Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Eliel Saarinen, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, and Sibelius, who dedicated a song to it. More recently it has been the luxury refuge of visiting legends such as Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones. Take the beautiful, sweeping staircase up to the grand ballroom, known as the Mirror Room. When not unwinding in one of the spa's three different saunas or its 10 treatment rooms, guests can borrow iPods, stereos, and video game systems from the lobby. A sumptuous breakfast, also available for nonresidents by reservation, is served in the Brasserie, which also has a gourmet menu combining French and Finnish cuisines. A Classic Afternoon Tea is available and the Upper Lounge provides discreet and quiet relaxation. The Kämp Bar is very elegant venue for aperitifs, digestifs, and rendezvous. 

Competing with the Hotel Kämp at the pinnacle of Finnish luxury, the St. George opened in 2018 in converted apartment buildings on one corner of the Vanha Kirkkopuisto (Old Church Park). Atelier rooms, suites, and studios are tastefully furnished in subtle colors, with and without balconies, and have park and city rooftop views on the upper floors. The St. George Care Spa and Playground Gym includes a huge and stylish pool, cleansing treatments for body and soul, and even a sleep consultation service. Afternoon tea and signature cocktails are served in the Wintergarden lounge, decorated with top Finnish design and artworks, including the Learning to Fly sculpture by Pekka Jylhä on the ceiling. The dragon sculpture as one enters the main door is by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The adjacent Thai restaurant Boon Nam is probably the best venue for this cuisine in Finland, and is also the breakfast room. That alluring aroma of fresh bread is emanating from the hotel's own bakery shop, which provides part of a fabulous breakfast spread.

The top-floor Skyroom bar and swimming pool of this quayside hotel, one of Helsinki's trendiest, offer one of the best all-around panoramas of the city, especially at sunset. The Clarion occupies two towers on the edge of the Länsisatama (West Harbour) shipyard area of Hietalahti and the new Ruoholahti and Jätkäsaari suburbs. Bedrooms are sleek and quiet, and central Helsinki is a 10-to-15-minute tram ride away, while ferry terminals for Tallinn are a five-minute tram hop from the spacious reception. The Kitchen & Table restaurant is highly rated and serves an excellent buffet breakfast, always included.

On Helsinki's main avenue, facing Hesperia Park and across the street from the Opera House, this upscale property has relatively spacious rooms with a modern Finnish flair; business-class rooms, including dedicated quiet zone rooms, and guests in suites and Club rooms have access to the top-floor Club Lounge.  There's an indoor pool, and the Forever Day Spa is next door. The light and airy breakfast room has a large buffet. Trams frequently leave from a nearby stop, taking travelers into the center of town in 5 to 10 minutes.

Well-dressed locals meet in the lobby lounge while a largely international business clientele heads upstairs to unwind in some of Helsinki's slickest hotel rooms. There are 70 different room configurations: GLO Luxe rooms are considerably larger and just a tad pricier. Smart Rooms, one step above, are only slightly larger. GLO Lush packages include access to the outstanding gym and sauna shared with the adjoining Hotel Kämp. GLO Studio Marimekko rooms are decked out with items by Finland's famous design company of that name. Room rates can plunge on weekends.

With tastefully furnished rooftop saunas; large, crisply decorated rooms; bathrooms with heated floors; a fitness center and indoor pool; and even a car-wash service in the basement garage, this hotel pampers you. The distinctive use of granite and Finnish marble in the central lobby is accentuated by a soaring atrium, where the BRO (Bridge) Pizzarante Italian-theme restaurant is also located. The waterfront vistas are a pleasure. Some suites have panoramic views of the sea.

Taking its name from the Fabianinkatu 6 address, family-owned F6 is a welcome addition to the portfolio of Helsinki boutique hotels. Located a five-minute stroll from the leafy Esplanade, the hotel pays special attention to sustainable principles, drawing on renewable electricity sources and organic ingredients for its lovely breakfasts, for example. Rooms and bathrooms are tastefully furnished, and there's a quiet courtyard in which guests can relax. A versatile cocktail bar is named after Runar, the hotel's former canine mascot. The restaurant serves only breakfast, but guests can order in from Helsinki restaurants using the Wolt service, and there are plenty of eateries nearby.

Haven's prime harborside location and luxury amenities place it among Helsinki's finest hotels, and prominent guests have included Kylie Minogue and the Dalai Lama. Even Superior rooms (the least expensive of the three categories, not including the three suites) have a second TV in the bathroom, in addition to the larger Bang & Olufsen set with nearly 100 channels in the bedroom, and stylish-yet-cozy furnishings. Prime Superior rooms, a step up, have the same-size chic brown-and-white bathrooms with oversized shower heads but have slightly wider bedrooms, most of them facing the harbor. Grand Deluxe rooms are the largest and feature espresso machines and fantastic harbor views. Breakfast is served downstairs in the superb restaurant Havis, but guests are also welcome at two other adjacent restaurants: the southern-themed Sue Ellen and the Italian Fiasco. The relaxing Bar Haven has Afterwork offers on beer and wine, and boasts a table packed with malt and blended whiskies, perhaps the best selection in Helsinki.

Located in a quiet part of town full of fascinating art nouveau detail and close to the South Harbour, the Katajanokka is not a bad place to do time, which makes perfect sense when you realize that the building originally served as a county jail in 1888. Original remnants include actual cells in a far corner of the basement restaurant and cell bars lining small sections of the hallways. Rooms are a decent size, with stylish tiled bathrooms and oversize rain-effect shower heads (some rooms have bathtubs as well).

An inconspicuous entrance on the pleasant, centrally located Bulevardi street might not prepare guests for the ultra-cool design themes concealed within. Top Finnish designers have contributed to Special Room concepts, which include an "art suite" and an "urban nature" room. Guests in the three Sky Loft double rooms are treated to city views from the seventh-floor Sky Terrace. Other rooms have references to the Finnish literary epic, The Kalevala, and are titled Desire, Mystical, and Passion. There's even an egg-shaped bed in one of the Sky Suites. The Italian restaurant Toscanini is next to the hotel, although the super breakfast buffet and very popular weekend brunch are served behind the reception area. 

The Marski has always been favored for its absolutely central location, on the main Mannerheimintie artery and opposite the Stockmann department store. It was unveiled again after extensive renovations as Scandic's first signature hotel in Finland in spring 2019. The suites are the last word in modern luxury, and all rooms are soundproof, shutting out the traffic, and have double-thick mattresses. The name of the new Kuusi Palaa (Six Pieces) restaurant refers to the menu concept, whereby diners can choose six items to create their own meal, enjoyed alone or shared. Access to the nearby Namina wellness spa is also an option for guests.

The 1950s functionalist architecture and interior design of the Vaakuna date back to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Recently renovated rooms are spacious, with simple but elegant furnishings that also echo the functionalist theme. The rooftop restaurant, 10th Floor, offers great views of the central area, both from within and from the outdoor summer terrace. The hotel is above the Sokos department store, with the lobby on the ground floor opposite the train station.

Housed in an early-19th-century customs warehouse in the well-heeled Katajanokka promontory residential neighborhood, the Grand Marina has one of the best convention centers in Finland. Its central, if slightly subdued location, friendly service, modern facilities, and reasonable prices have made this hotel a favorite, and it is also popular with tour groups, with the Viking Line ferry terminal further along the same quay. The sunny bar terrace is reputed to be the longest in Helsinki, and the Market Square and Senate Square are a 10-minute stroll away, although there are also nearby tram stops. Ask for a room with a view of the South Harbour. The restaurant menu features Finnish delights such as salmon, elk, and reindeer as well as more standard club sandwiches and burgers.

One of the most popular hotels in Helsinki, this local institution is modern, central, and particularly popular with business travelers from the United States. It has hosted superpower summits and various diplomatic guests and has a comprehensive range of business services, but it's just as welcoming to the leisure traveler and families. The hotel is close to Finlandia Hall and the Finnish National Opera. The hotel loans bicycles to guests, but trams (including one that goes straight to Central) stop right outside. The hotel's excellent Famu restaurant serves Scandinavian and European dishes, and there's a separate bar.

Opened in 1931 in what was then Finland's tallest building, this hotel reopened after extensive renovations in 2021. The hotel's tower and internal details still reflect some of the more fanciful touches of Helsinki's Jugendstil period of the early 20th century; an art deco–style section was added in 1928. The building's colorful history includes its use as an air raid watchtower during World War II.The higher floors of the original section, and especially the balconies at the Ateljee Bar, have some of the best views of Helsinki—not least from the Ateljee bathrooms. Old-section rooms on the courtyard are best. Some have high ceilings with original carved-wood details and wooden writing desks; many also have little alcoves and other pleasing design oddities. After renovations, O'Malley's pub has been returned to its cramped size, though it extends onto a pleasantly contained terrace in the courtyard in summer. There's also the American Bar on the lowest level, specializing in cocktails. The brasserie-style OR Restaurant and Bar on street level puts the emphasis on fish and fresh vegetables.