Travel
Finland’s capital has an offbeat side that shines through in its creative hotel scene.
ByPaula Hotti
Published February 9, 2024
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Finland’s biggest city is also its most stylish. Once the home of influential local architect and designer Alvar Aalto, the capital’s art nouveau core is today complemented by contemporary Nordic architecture and offbeat design hits, including clothing and home furnishings company Marimekko’s flagship store and the subterranean Amos Rex Art Museum. Adding another dimension to the city is the harbour district of Jätkäsaari, a former backwater that’s reinvented itself in the past two decades with sleek apartment blocks anchored by restaurants, cafes, shops and a new public sauna.
1. Hotel AX
In spring 2022, this maritime hub welcomed Hotel AX, an art-focused property with an entrance marked by a fantastical metal sculpture titled Orc, setting the tone for the offbeat interiors that lie within.
The hotel is the brainchild of Finnish interiors architect, designer and sculptor Stefan Lindfors, who’s turned the guest rooms into artistic sanctuaries with muralled walls and whimsical names such as ‘Poem King’, ‘Love Letter with a View’, ‘Novel Corner’ and ‘Fairytale Corner’. Its restaurant is inspired by Jätkäsaari’s maritime history, while Hotel AX has also invested heavily in works by Finnish artists, including abstract art by acclaimed local artist Nina Roos, which are dotted around the building.
It’s a five-minute tram ride to the pastel-coloured city centre, and a two-hour ferry journey to the Estonian capital of Tallinn from Jätkäsaari’s Länsiterminaali ferry terminal. From €105 (£92), B&B.
2. Hotel Helka
Located in the central Kamppi neighbourhood, Hotel Helka was built in the 1920s by the Finnish Young Women’s Christian Association as a women’s refuge. Today, it welcomes people from all walks of life. There’s a sauna, bar, art deco touches in the lobby and rooms furnished with Alvar Aalto’s iconic midcentury chairs, alongside local art. From €132 (£115), B&B.
3. Klaus K
This LGBTQ+-friendly hotel champions the art of Touko Laaksonen, the cult gay-erotica illustrator, widely known as Tom of Finland. Guests can sleep in a room furnished with Laaksonen’s work, go on a Tom of Finland walking tour, or catch drag shows as part of the Thursday club night. The hotel has art nouveau character, a restaurant and a prime location on Bulevardi, one of Helsinki’s main streets. From €95 (£83) , B&B.
4. Lapland Hotels Bulevardi
This stylish hotel in the central Design District showcases the aesthetics of northern Finland — think dark walls, decorative antlers and private saunas in 105 of its 182 guest rooms. Kultá Kitchen & Bar, its restaurant, is notable for its Lappish dishes. Nearby, there are art galleries and design boutiques to explore. From €198 (£172), B&B.
Published in the Jan/Feb 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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