The Hotel Kämp Helsinki is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World – LHW. It was officially opened in 1887. While the current hotel was newly constructed in the 1960s and then refurbished in the 1990s, the façade of the original building was retained.

Location

The hotel is located on the Pohjois Esplanade in the centre of Helsinki, just ten minutes away on foot from the main railway station and about five minutes to the water and to Helsinki Cathedral.

Check-In & Lobby

The reception area is quiet when I arrive at the hotel at around 20h30. The young lady informs me that I’ve been upgraded to a Premium Deluxe King because of my membership with the LHW. The hotel lobby is interesting in that they obviously put a lot of effort into retaining the hotel’s heritage.

In the middle of the lobby there’s a large display of flowers and chocolate Easter eggs for guests to help themselves. The chicken pralines are filled with a hazelnut cream, whereas the coloured eggs are with chocolate.

Staff & Service

The staff at the hotel are lovely. Especially the waiting staff in the breakfast room are approachable and attentive. They pay attention to small details. For example, one day I order an omelette for breakfast. When the waitress serves it, she turns the plate to make sure the logo on the plate is the right way up. I like that.

Premium Deluxe King

My room is on the eight floor. As I step off the lift coming from the ground floor, the first thing I notice is that pleasant smell of new furniture. The room itself is spacious and elegant. It looks as though it was only recently refurbished.

The bathroom is quite large and features a separate bath and shower. The cosmetics are by a brand I’m not familiar with. They have a subtle, pleasant smell of bergamot and jasmine. The shower scores near the top end of the Knight of Malta shower scale. Spillage is minimal, temperature control is on point, and the water pressure from the overhead nozzle has me doing a little happy jig under the spray. I also like that the towels are all monogrammed. The only thing I’m not so sure about, is the creepy plastic ducky…

Amenities

The room has good amenities. There’s a Nespresso machine with two small tubs of milk, two bottles of still water, and a plate with four macarons with a welcome note. The bathrobes and slippers are superlatively soft and floofy.

Dining

I only have breakfast at the hotel during my stay in Helsinki. They’re currently refurbishing the main dining restaurant, which is why breakfast is served in what are normally the meeting rooms on the second floor. Even though this is, therefore, just a provisional set up, it looks rather nice. I’m also fortunate to be given a table by the window overlooking the esplanade.

The breakfast features an extensive buffet of hot and cold dishes. In addition, there are items like omelettes and warm oatmeal that can be ordered off the menu. And they make a mean cappuccino!

Conclusion

I greatly enjoyed my stay at the Helsinki Hotel Kämp, which is a lovely property. My room was spacious and looked as though it had only recently been refurbished. Helsinki is a pleasant, comfortable city that has me wondering why I stayed away for so long. I think I shall have to visit again soon, preferably when the weather is a bit better and the sun is out.