Hotel St. George

We had a stopover in Helsinki for a few days and cashed in some points for a room here. We were in a small, yet cozy, interior facing room. Not the ideal view of course, but not a deal breaker by any means - especially for afternoon naps. Gorgeous room. Loved the well integrated and customizable lighting. The bed was supremely comfortable. The bathroom was expansive and there was good closet space. I will echo one of the cranky reviews that the desk was small, but we were on holiday so it didn't matter. It'd be a tight fit if you were traveling for work and getting things done. The front desk staff was exceedingly warm and welcoming. The bakery on the ground floor is busy but a great spot to have close by. Great central location! We didn't do much else apart from sleep so can't review the sauna or spa or bar or restaurant.

A 5 star hotel needs to have: 1 desk to open the laptop 1 rack to open the suitcase Nice warm temperature, not cold in November. Unfortunately this 5 star hotel missed these 3 decisive things. Not again , there are more 4 and 5 stars hotels with these mandatory attributes.

This hotel is very centrally located in downtown Helsinki and it features a truly luxuriously appointed, extremely comfortable rooms. Staff members we interacted with were very eager to please and minor inconviniences were also dealt with utmost professionality (eg. dirty coffee cup was replaced in less than 10 minutes with complimentary drink tickets). We found our room to be absolutely beatiful with carefully curated design choices. Our room being a ’Serenity Studio’ certainly felt serene. Lighting options were smart and easy to adjust and in-room amenities were comprehensive (lots of tea and coffee, little workout equipment, body lotion, toothbrushes and even a Sodastream machine). TV (incl. streaming) and Wi-Fi worked perfectly. St. George Spa located at level 0 felt like it was more tailored for tourists (sauna temperatures were very low). Also, the main pools water temperature could have been a bit higher, but as the access was included in our rate, all of this did not really matter. Breakfast was a hybrid concept as certain beverages were served seated. Eggs were made to order but only with basic condiments (eg. Benedict option was charged for 18 € extra, which I find to be bit of penny-pinching considering the level of this establishment). Buffet selection was extensive and of high quality. However, we checked out today with somewhat mixed feelings of Hotel St. George and the value it provided. While our room was stunning and we received very prompt service, this hotel lacked character that is usually synonymous with true luxury experience. And this hotel definitely ranks high in Helsinki and even in Northern European luxury hotel standards. Enterance to the hotel is simply put very small, lobby included. I understand certain limitations can’t be help, but I find this to be a bit of a overall design flaw in a hotel of this level. When we arrived, there was around 5–10 min wait which is not an issue but when a lobby area is as small as it was here, hotel staff could direct some guests to the bar by the lobby. And maybe even offer a discount on a drink while waiting, as no welcome beverage or ’sit-down’ check-in service was offered. Navigating in this hotel was easy enough as it was smaller than expected, but there certainly was lack of signage everywhere and some other guests were also seen wandering aimlessly, wondering where to go. Easy fix: add clear instructions for both breakfast and spa in the elevators, too. This hotel building has obviously been renovated for its use – why not create a lighting concept that creates overall better ambience and gets carried through the different spaces in the hotel. Light bulbs and LED-strips used in this property were very cold in their color temperature. The ambience (or lack thereof) at the spa, lobby and hotel corridors wasn’t very inviting, just plain boring and too bright. Same with the breakfast this morning – why not embrace and enjoy the little daylight we have here in Finland in november and dim the lights a bit? While the hotel rooms were, once again, stunning and seemed very well put together, public areas (especially the Wintergarden Bar) gave the impression the design team has been in disagreement what they want this hotel to be. Is this place classic, modern, Scandinavian or historical? Some of the design elements were very Scandinavian, others seemed very cheap and Ikea’ish, and then there were hints of ’avant-garde’ and high-end here and there. Guest floors and their corridors (cold, bright lights and grey walls) could be so easily decorated to be more inviting – to ’set a scene’ or generate emotions. Overall our stay was comfortable, as long as we stayed in our room. Rest of the hotel certainly did not make a ’statement’ or that much of a impression. For the price we paid, I could see us staying here again but for standard rate price not really.

Top notch stay. I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel. Location was centrally located, within walking distance of all activities, the customer service was prompt, courteous, and thorough, and we loved the available sauna and spa! We also enjoyed delicious food and beverage at the bar, restaurant, and bakery. The room was nicely sized and up to date. I would absolutely recommend this place!

Great quiet location and beautiful rooms especially the Finlandia Suite which even had an additional half bathroom and a walk in closet. Wonderful and friendly staff all around - from the front desk, the spa/sauna, and the restaurant. Delicious breakfast buffet. Definitely stop by the St George Bakery as well - best pastries in town.