Clarion Hotel Helsinki

Views from the 6th floor of Clarion Hotel Helsinki were quite different depending on the weather! On the day of our arrival it was clear skies, but next morning a cool mist had taken over the horizon.

Having been open for ca. one year now, the Clarion towers have already become a landmark in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. In March, for my boyfriend’s 35th birthday, I organised a surprise day filled with differenct activities. I already knew that I wanted us to spend the night in a good hotel, but since we are both big fans of swimming and spas, we killed to birds with one stone with Clarion and its famous rooftop pool. 

I booked the room early and got us a room in the 6th floor. I had read elsewhere that the standard room is quite small (16,5 to 20,5 m2) and so I decided to splurge a little and got us a superior room instead. And indeed, the room was fine, but not spacey by any means, which leaves me wondering how tiny the standard room actually is… The view from the room on the other hand was great! The whole wall was basically a window, and since it was March, we were able to see floating ice rafts on the water below and complimented by the cranes and the industrial setting, the whole view was quite amazing. We headed out to the rooftop pool and bar, as that was another one of the day’s activities. Needless to say the view was even better up on the 16th floor and having a swim in the heated pool above the skyline was a pretty great experience. Even though the pool is heated, lounge area was windy (of course – it was March! :D) so we ended up spending most of the time either in the pool or the sauna. 

Back in the room we noticed the only drawback to our room: there were no hooks in the bathroom to hang our wet towels and bathrobes from, so we had to spread them out on chairs. 

After a few minutes of getting ready (well, it might have taken me a little bit more time than my boyfriend to be honest) we headed out to the city for a surprise dinner. Even though Clarion is a bit further out from the main activities, there is a tram stop right in front of the hotel, so it is easy to get to the city and even Kallio district, which was our destination at the time.

It is such a lovely feeling crawling onto those clean white sheets after a night out!

In the morning we enjoyed a very nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The whole hotel is nicely decorated with Finnish design and the restaurant was no exception. The breakfast was everything I expected too, I always look for things that would set the breakfast buffet apart from the other ones, and this time it was mango smoothies and the dessert selection which included pancakes and the traditional Finnish cinnamon roll. 

Clarion is a great choice for someone who expects a beautiful interior and wants to spend some time in the hotel. The Skybar as well as the rooftop pool are both worth visiting and since the pool is included in the price, it’s just a bit of extra luxury to add to your holiday.

Location:

Clarion Hotel Helsinki is located in Jätkäsaari which has quickly evolved from a harbour district to a residential disctrict, and even though there isn’t that much to see or do in the area yet, I’m sure it will change in just a few years. Even though a bit further away from the immediate city centre, there is a tram stop right outside the hotel and even the walk to Kamppi or Punavuori districts, which are both filled with shops, restaurants and bars is only 20 minutes. Take a walk to Hietalahti market square (ca. 10 mins) where you find a market hall filled with delicacies, and during the summer months the classic open air flea market will take over the square outside the hall. For eating out, some nice choices closeby include Cargo Coffee + Vegetarian Food, a nice vegetarian restaurant with a rooftop terrace to enjoy on sunny days. Just a few minutes away is also Forum Box, a gallery for contemporary art which quite often hosts some interesting exhibitions and is free to enter.

Clarion Hotel Helsinki, Tyynenmerenkatu 2, 00220 Helsinki