It’s difficult to book a hotel in a city you don’t really know. I was travelling through Helsinki, and would also be returning through the city again 2 weeks later. I decided to book two different hotels, this hotel for 3 nights, and the other for 2 nights.
My criteria was minimum 4-star, central location, walk-in shower, sauna and room service. Through Booking I went for a 3-night stay in the Solo Sokos Hotel Torni. It was indicated 5-stars and rated 9.0 (Superb) based upon 1,538 reviews. A key point was it had 9.7 for location.
First impressions
It did not start very positively because my airport lift (by Bolt) did not drop me at the hotel entrance. The hotel entrance is not really 5-star looking, and the reception is a bit minimalist, i.e. doesn’t have that 5-star “wow” look. Got my key and was left to find my room on the 2nd floor.
But the corridors really did impress me.
Over the 3-day stay I began to realise that this hotel is not, in my mind, a 5-star hotel. It’s a good 4-star with some premium amenities.
However, there is distinct different in the idea of what a 5-star hotel is in (say) France or Germany, and in Finland.
Firstly, 5-star hotels have a well defined rating system in place in France (managed by Atout France) and Germany (DEHOGA), whereas in Finland there is no national or legally binding hotel classification system. Ratings are self-assigned or provided by industry organizations like the Suomen Matkailualan Liitto (Finnish Hospitality Association).
But the key point is that in France 5-stars implies a certain grandeur, visible service hierarchy (doormen, concierges), and refined decor. In Germany the key is a formal service structure, business-focused amenities, and comfort with efficiency. Whereas in Finland 5-stars is expected to be discreet, functional, and authentic, not ostentatious or service-heavy. It’s part of the Nordic ethos of understatement, practicality, and egalitarianism.
OK, no doorman or valet service, and no dedicated concierge desk. But what surprised me is that they asked if I wanted my room serviced every day.
I replied yes!
It’s interesting to understand what that meant. Firstly, my room was serviced sometime in mid-afternoon. A service meant just pulling the sheets back over the bed, and (perhaps) making the bathroom clean. I didn’t ask to change the towels. But the curtains were left half-open, and my empty beer bottle (from the minibar) was left on the desk.
My room
My room looked fine, a bit small for a real 5-star (sorry “compact”), but we are looking at good quality fittings, etc. and with a Nordic minimalist spin. The bed was good (no pillow menu, but three options on the bed), the linen fresh, the blackout curtains worked, good soundproofing, excellent in-room wi-fi and really smart lighting. TV programs were rubbish.
Bathroom
The bathroom was also bijou, but very functional. Good towels and lots of hot water.
Breakfast
The breakfast room was nothing special, but the breakfast itself is outstanding.
What we see above was just part of the breakfast offer.
I was particularly impressed with the fact that milk was on every table and immediate sitting down the waitress brought everyone a thermos of coffee. Also there were none of those little plastic or glass things containing small portions of butter or jams. As seen above you just took what you needed.
The only minor comment I would have, was that I was surprised at the limited selection of breads.
Observation deck
On the 13th floor there is a bar (Ateljee Bar) and two observation terraces. You could see that this was a much appreciated feature of the hotel.
Overall Conclusion
This is all about weighing up a lot of positives, against a few negatives.
Positives
Firstly, the hotel was really well placed in the city centre.
Secondly, the room itself was certainly very functional, everything worked, and the lighting was great. Wi-fi worked, the wall-safe was big enough for my laptop, etc. Bathroom was fine.
Thirdly, the breakfast was outstanding.
Lastly, the observation area on the 13th floor was a plus.
Negatives
Firstly, the room was always cold. During my first night all the surfaces, etc. were cold to touch. It was uncomfortably cold throughout my stay. I might add that the hotel room in the Hilton at the airport was warmer, but not warm (but not uncomfortably cold).
Secondly, when I had made my booking the hotel had a sauna, but when I arrived it had been removed from the hotel website.
Thirdly, I had assumed that with lots of restaurants in the hotel, room service wouldn’t be a problem. But only one restaurant was open, and they only served pizza and salads. The pizza was not really a pizza, but it was eatable. I might add that there was a simple but pleasant Vietnamese restaurant literally about 40 metres from the hotel entrance.
Purely on the basis that the room was cold and that there was no sauna, I would look somewhere else next time.
