Crowne Plaza Helsinki - Hesperia

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Elite

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
First time stay and it is a mixed experience in many fronts.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
King Bed Junior Suite -> King Bed Junior Suite to King Bed Suite (Finlandia Suite I)

How are the rooms?
First room I got was really bad. I think it might be the worst Junior Suite in the hotel with a window of which 2/3 looks to a wall few meters off the window and 1/3 of the view is to the to street. Its dark and abysmal excuse of a room. After opening the door I headed right back and asked for a better room and after a bit of haggling got a complimentary upgrade to full suite with a nice view to Töölöönlahti and Helsinki Cathedral in the distance which was better than what I expected. I would have been ok for getting what I paid for but a better version of it. This full suite is decently nice and have separate bedroom with small work table at window (that I am now using for work) and living room with sofa, two chairs, sofa table and dining table that seats 4 (maybe 6 in pinch). Toilet are is nice with two sinks, bathtub and stand in shower and ofcourse the toilet itself.

How is the exec. lounge?
Very small considering the amount of Club rooms that hotel have. I don't think hotel was running at very high capacity but the lounge still got full very quick at evening service from 18-20. Daytime offering is mainly soft drinks, apple and orange juice, coffee and tea with some chips, marshmallows, candies and cookies and one type of pastry and lounge was not busy at all. Evening offering at least for last night was one white wine (Italian Borgo SanLeo Garganega) and one red wine (South Africa Footmark Smooth Red). Neither are very high quality (around 3 at Vivino which I consider generous points for those) and no sparkling wine option at all. There was also some beer, I think Karjala? Food option was Couscous salad and pasta salad of which neither was very good and then some small but very tasty feta (?) pie things that I liked very much.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
- The fact that Crowne Plaza have lounge at all !
- Being in highest floor where also the lounge is
- The complimentary upgrade afterwards was better than expected
- Accommodating special request at breakfast
- Hotel public spaces and rooms are renovated only few years back and while the color scheme is a bit dark to my taste, its still nice to see old hotels renovated.
- VERY well equipped Forever Gym is available for customers with Sauna and swimming pool as well

Bad:
Original Room: The fact that they even offer that sad excuse of a room to Platinum member on multi day paid stay of which I actually paid for the said room type. Yeah yeah (DYKWIA :P) and I know Platinum is dime in a dozen and not much to write about but the new program kinda promises that Platinum and Diamonds would be given a better care with upgrades and preferred rooms etc. Sadly that did not seem to be the case originally. I would actually prefer a normal Club King with better view rather than that "Junior Suite" and even if the view would not be something you care for, the layout of that dark room was bad as well.

Bedding: This is bad for me but could be good of between for someone else. The beds are on the firm side and the pillows were not good for me personally (but I am very hard to please with pillows).

Between:
Employees: It doesn't really bother me but it felt like most of the persons working at hotel are more fluent with English than Finnish. It is first time I experience this outside of cleaning services in Finnish hotels and it feels a bit odd. This on the other hand might be plus for visitors from other countries

Breakfast offering: There was enough of variety but it is not lavish at any rate, then again I am accustomed to more higher tier hotels on my usual stays abroad. I ate the breakfast at normal restaurant and not lounge. Lounge offering considering the size would have to be even more meager.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
170€ a night for Junior Suite is not bad price although as said, rooms are a bit letdown. Complimentary upgrade to full suite for same money is a very good value. I would likely not return but the location and price was good compromise for the forced "staycation" as my own apartment close by is being worked on (no running water, toilets or shower currently in use while maintenance is being done for a week).