The Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center
For our entire stay in Helsinki in July, the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre was our hotel. We booked our stay in this hotel months ago. I believe it was last spring when we bgan our search for a place to stay in Helsinki. The first time we did a hotel search for this city, we had a huge sticker shock. Accomodations here were truly expensive. We eventually chose this place because of its proximity to the main railway station as well as its very central location. From the airport we took the public bus no. 615. Marc and I each paid 4.50 euros for the trip downtown.
Our Hotel: the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center, Room 430. One thing we always look out for when choosing a hotel is its proximity to the sights and accessibility by public transportation. I prefer not having to travel by cab from the airport and I always have chosen accomodations easily reached by train or bus. So far we have been lucky.
The mattresses were firm but comfortable. Marc and I each had a duvet for blankets.
Our supposedly single beds were huge. So huge, they looked and really equaled the size of a king bed when combined. The single beds in the US are way smaller than each of these beds.
The table and flat screen tv
There was a tiny table with light for reading on each side of the bed. This was my side.
This was Marc's.
The shower stall with very good water pressure.
The toilet
The vanity mirror and sink
There was one bar of soap. Just like in the hotels we stayed at last year, there was a supply of liquid soap for body wash with matching shampoo inside the shower stall.
The hallway in our room. One side had closets galore. There were enough drawers and closet space here to accomodate any person traveling with a ton of clothes and I mean that literally.
The luggage rack. Marc and I only used this for our small in flight carry on. OUr main suitcase was too big for this. We simply laid it on the floor.
I was quite surprised to see an irnonig board and an iron
There was even a fan too.
I thought our room was going to be airconditioned but it wasn't. Actually, we didn't need it since Helsinki has the same weather as San Francisco in the summer. It was cold throughout the day even though it was summer time.
We found this tray on one of the shelves inside the closet to make coffee with.
I wouldn't mind returning to this hotel if and when I have the opportunity to come back.
By the way, I would just like to remind everyone visiting Helsinki that we saw two busses traveling to the main railway station in the city centre. One was the Finnair shuttle while the other one was the public bus #615. The former charged 6.5 euro, the latter 4.5 euros. We didn't chose the public bus on purpose. It just so happened we were at one bus stop and it arrived first.
This was the sign for the No.615 bus right outside the airport's arrival hall.
This was the machine from where to buy tickets for the bus ride. Passengers could also pay on the bus like almost everyone did. The bus driver was a twenty smething hip male Finn who advised us where to get off. Actually, it was no big deal. We all had to disembark at the very last stop which was the train station.
The lobby of the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center.
The lobby of the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center
A lounge of the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center