Stay Report - 7/1 - 7/3
Location: The hotel is located right across from the Hakaniemi Metro, Tram and Bus stop which makes it very easy to access and to get around elsewhere in the city. It's also an easy walk to the harbor and the main Helsinki tourist attractions. The 615 airport bus stops at Hakaniemi which means it's about a 40 minute bus ride to HEL. Nearby is a really good indoor food market and a 24 hour McDonalds (which can come in handy on Sunday night when seemingly no restaurants are open in this city).
Hotel: This is a strange building, definitely different than most Hiltons I've stayed at. The lobby is consumed by a large bar and restaurant and little room is left for the desk. The rooms are around a center atrium which thankfully didn't make them loud. There's a small indoor pool on the 8th floor as well as a gym and sauna and an executive lounge on the 7th floor.
Check In: Handled very well and I was told I was being given a canal view on the 6th floor. Not much of a Diamond upgrade but I don't expect them anymore.
Room: A strange design for sure. The room is small and has a wide desk directly behind which was the bed which faced the windows. In the summer this meant curtains are a necessity as otherwise you've got daylight right on you from 4 AM to 11 PM. The bathroom was small but the shower quite nice and there was also a full sized closet. There were outlets near the bed and the Wifi worked very well.
Lounge: The lounge is a definite plus. It's open from 6-11 with breakfast from 7:30 to 10 and appetizers from 6-8 PM. When I went in the evening there was beer, red and white wine, a few spirits and a good selection of food from basic snacks like nuts, chips and pretzels to a full salad bar and two hot options each night. The employee there is also amazingly friendly and was seemingly everywhere at once collecting glasses and talking to people
Breakfast: As a Diamond I also got a full breakfast in the restaurant. The spread is very impressive: smoked salmon and herring, a large bread selection, cereal, lots of fruit options, several kinds of eggs, meats, potatoes, lo mein.
My rate was 85 Euros a night and it was a good price to pay. This hotel was an excellent Helsinki base of operations.