Lux, urban Helsinki hotel with a rich past

St George / Helsinki / Finland

Finland has a really strong heritage when it comes to design and architecture. World famous icons like Alvar Aalto & Eero Saarinen and companies like Artek, Arabia, Iittala and Marimekko. But the interesting thing is that for the longest time there hasn’t really been a hotel in the Finnish capital to match this rich heritage. That was until Hotel St George opened.

The building that St George is situated in dates back to 1840 and was designed by Finnish architect Omni Tarjanne. Over the years several different businesses have been housed here until 2015 when Kämp Collection (a local chain that run an additional 10 hotels in the Helsinki area) bought this place, made a total renovation and opened up as the St George in May of 2018.

How to describe the St George? The grandeur of the exterior is mirrored in the interior. It all feels very lux and when walking around it is clear that every single detail has been thoroughly thought through. I really like that when they refurbished the hotel they went for solid materials even though it must have cost a penny. It is like when you open a door you can feel that it is solid wood, thick glass in the windows, wooden herring bone floors, heavy slabs of marble in the bathroom which gives the interior an authentic look and feel. Just like the building deserves. This all makes me a very happy man since there are few things that annoy me more than when corners are cut when redoing such an amazing building as this one.

All in all there are 148 rooms and 5 suites. Our room was all soft, muted colors and solid furniture. It almost felt more like a home than a hotel room with some books, art work, some accessories and basically just a homey feel. Just look at the photos and I think you’ll understand what I mean. Or even better, go there and look for yourself.

Welcome to the St George, located on the edge of downtown and the design district of Helsinki. Perfect location for your city weekend.

The interior of the St George feels very rich with a high end feel. This is the Wintergarden restaurant and bar. Perfect place for an afternoon hang out.

Lamps play a huge part in creating the cosy, warm atmosphere you experience at St George. I am not sure if a hotel corridor has ever looked better.

Our room. All soft, muted colors that creates a warm feeling.

Every single detail in our room had a lux, solid look and feel.

Our massive shower. More than big enough for two.

M on his way to have some breakfast. Love these tiles and the color scheme of the lower ground floor of the hotel.

The in-house St George bakery that serves up some really great treats. And coffee. The Finns drink the largest amount of coffee per capita in the world.

Warm, rich colors in the seating area next to the bakery.

The spa with the mandatory saunas is located on the lower ground floor. A calm and relaxing space to rest after a full day of sightseeing.

There are several public saunas dotted around Helsinki. This is my favorite, Löyly located right by the water which is perfect so you can cool off with a dip in the icy water after the crazy hot sauna.

There is an Eastern European feel to some of the design and architecture in Helsinki. This is the stunning Helsinki Cathedral.

There are sooo many great places to eat in Helsinki. We really liked this place, Holy Døner, a short walk from the hotel. The halloumi fries were to die for.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…want to stay in a really great city hotel. A hotel that has left no stone unturned when it comes to details. It feels like every single detail has been carefully thought trough and the design feels authentic and rich.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is that even though this hotel is located right in the centre of downtown Helsinki it still feels like a destination hotel where you’ll have an entire micro cosmos under one roof: two great restaurants, a gym, spa, bakery & café and a bar. Of course you should leave the hotel when staying here but if you wouldn’t want to you could easily spend an entire weekend indoors and still have a really great experience. But don’t!

The quality booster…

…was the service, especially the breakfast staff. When we came down for breakfast our second morning the waiter remembered what coffees we had ordered the morning before ”you first had two cappuccinos and then one cappuccino with an extra shot and one flat white”. THAT is service that blows your mind.

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to have a proper Finnish sauna. Yes, there are saunas in the hotel but I would suggest to visit one of the many public ones that are dotted around town. My favorite, both when it comes to the design and the location, is called Löyly and is located right by the water. Be prepared to sweat and then to cool off in the icy cold, Baltic water.

If you like this hotel you might also like…

La Maison, Saarlouis, Germany

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