With the addition of Scandic Hotels to the Hilton Hhonors program, I'm beginning to see comments and questions about individual properties. It might be useful to have one thread to collect this information. I'll start.

1) Helsinki, Finland: Scandic Simonkentta - hotel is an excellent location, by the city bus station and walking distance from the train station. It was an easy 15 to 20 minute walk to the harbor.

We stayed on an award stay, and my Diamond status did not give me a room upgrade. The room was small but very well designed - reminded me somewhat of a ship's cabin. The shower was a corner of the bathroom with a plastic curved panel that pulled out into the room - worked great! Breakfast was extensive, and included. The entire lobby is a bar/cafe area with lots of windows - very welcoming and pleasant.

Our Diamond amenities were a fruit bowl - an orange and an apple - and two small bottles of water. If we had been on a paid stay, we would have gotten a credit toward food. We were well content with the property despite the small room.

2) Tallinn, Estonia: Scandic Palace - best hotel location in town except for an expensive property owned by the Parkconsul that is actually in Old Town. The Scandic Palace faces the Old Town; the only downside is that it is on a busy, noisy street, and has no outdoor cafe (common throughout the old town, btw). It was a 5 minute walk to the trendy Pegasus Cafe and a 10 minute walk into the heart of Old Town.

We were upgraded to a large room overlooking the old town. It had a sofa and two chairs, so was what some properties call a junior suite. It had no air conditioning, and the room was very noisy with the windows open. Again, our Diamond amenties were one bottle of Evian and an apple and orange. Internet was free for the first hour - not sure how they calculate, because we were never charged, even when both of us used the internet a couple times a day.

Breakfast was included, was perfectly adequate although not as extensive as Helsinki. There was a lobby bar, with lots of cigarette smokers. Again, we were well content with our stay.