參議院飯店

Senate Hotel, although basic, is situated well for local attractions - 10 minutes walk from the shops/ restaurants/nightlife of Helsinki city centre; 15 minutes walk from the harbour, if you arrive by ferry; and right next to Senate Square/Helsinki Cathedral. The hotel, itself, is based in an apartment building, on the fifth floor, and has ten rooms. There's a five-hour window, in which there's a receptionist to meet you (3-8pm). Outside of this time, you are given a code to enter the main door of the building, and then the front door of the hotel section, which I had to do. As it turned out, a friendly staff member was still there when I arrived, and I was fortunate enough to be given a free room upgrade. The double room I was given, was larger than average, and included a wash basin and small refrigerator. The bathroom and toilets are shared, but clean with a good, strong shower, and separate men's and women's toilets. There's also a small shared kitchen, so you could prepare food. My hotel room had a comfy bed, and good thick enough curtains which, if you're here in the height of Summer, means you won't be woken by the sunrise before 4am! The decor is a bit dated, but if you need info on what to do, where to go, and what's happening in Helsinki, there's lots of information. This is more of a short-stay hotel - a few days, at most, but if you need a well-located, warm, simple place to base yourself while in the city, this is actually a good choice.