The 7 Best Luxury Hotels in Helsinki

In Finland, the sauna is part of everyday life, and in the city’s hotels it’s the heart of the spa: first the heat, then the cold plunge, then rest. If you want a luxury hotel in Helsinki with a pool, you have two addresses with a swimming pool.Hotel St. George Helsinki · City CenterSwim and sauna: The new Kämp Spa at the Hotel Kämp Helsinki has a pool, a cold plunge pool and three saunas – Finnish, steam and infrared – plus cryotherapy and Neurosonic beds; guests 16 and over. On floor 0 of the Hotel St. George Helsinki, St. George Care has a Finnish sauna, a steam room, a pool and a cold plunge, also for guests 16 and over; sauna and pool are included in every room category except the Cozy Studios.

Under glass and in historic walls: At the Waldorf Astoria Helsinki, the spa sits beneath a glass-roofed atrium, with a Finnish sauna, a cold plunge, a steam room, hot tubs and four treatment rooms. At the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa, the Usva by Terhen spa opens its Finnish sauna, steam room and infrared sauna to all hotel guests, with hot-and-cold rituals.

Small and very Finnish: The Hotel U14 Helsinki has a sauna and a gym. And if you want to try a sauna by the sea, head to one of the public saunas on the waterfront, such as Löyly.

Rates start at 173 € at the Hotel Lilla Roberts Helsinki and go up to 345 € at the Waldorf Astoria Helsinki. On the Esplanadi, the Hotel Kämp Helsinki starts at 331 €; by the station, the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa starts at 221 €. The table shows all seven hotels by location; you’ll find today’s rates and availability in the hotel list further down.

What’s included everywhere: daily breakfast for two, an upgrade on arrival and early check-in and late check-out, each subject to availability, at all seven hotels from the first night.

A $100 hotel credit comes with your stay at the Waldorf Astoria Helsinki, and for food and drinks at the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa and the Hotel Kämp Helsinki, where it applies to the restaurant and the Kämp Bar. From the Junior Park Suite upward, the Kämp adds another $100 for stays of at least two nights, not combinable with promotions.Hotel Haven Helsinki · KaartinkaupunkiSmaller credits: The Hotel St. George Helsinki works in euros, with €50 in a room and €100 in a suite, redeemable in the hotel except at Boon Nam and for room service. At the Hotel Lilla Roberts Helsinki and the Hotel Haven Helsinki, it’s $25; at the Hotel U14 Helsinki, a welcome gift awaits.

Points and status count at five of the seven luxury hotels in Helsinki: double points with Hilton Honors at the Waldorf Astoria Helsinki, Marriott Bonvoy at the Hotel St. George Helsinki and the Hotel U14 Helsinki, I Prefer at the Hotel Lilla Roberts Helsinki and the Leaders Club of The Leading Hotels of the World at the Hotel Kämp Helsinki. The NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa and the Hotel Haven Helsinki aren’t part of any program, so the suitespot benefits are what count there.

When it’s loveliest: A 5-star hotel in Helsinki is worth it in every season. In summer, the nights hardly get dark, the terraces are full and ferries take you to the islands off the city. In fall, the parks glow, and in winter Helsinki shows its cozy side, with the Christmas market on Senate Square, snow on the rooftops and long sauna evenings. Book early for the summer weeks and the Advent weekends.

How long to stay: For a 5-star hotel in Helsinki, we recommend three nights – one day for the Esplanadi, the Design District and the cathedral, one for Suomenlinna and one for the market hall and the sauna.