Hilton Helsinki Airport: Basic but functional
So the part of the trip when you're almost to the end... For most of the visit we had stayed in Central Helsinki at IHG's Hotel Indigo, a great property, however as we were taking the early departure from Helsinki Airport to take the Finnair A350, I decided to book the final night at a hotel directly connected to Helsinki Airport. Unlike Heathrow, you actually have a number of airports at Helsinki Airport that are directly connected or an easy walk from the terminal making departure easy and smooth. These are:
All three are mid-market hotels and two are part of regional or global chains. I opted for the Hilton Helsinki Airport purely because I am also a Hilton HHonors member and could earn additional loyalty points by staying at the property - otherwise I would have no problem staying at any of the properties.
After taking the Finnair City Bus from city centre to the Airport, the Hilton can be accessed by a five minute walk from the bus station. Upon arrival in the hotel, you're greeted by an impressive atrium/lobby that is spacious and airy, whilst welcoming at the same time. In the same area there is an entrance to the hotel restaurant which offers breakfast options from as early as 04h00 in order to cater to early airport departures - although we did not opt for this option during our stay.
Similar to my stay at Hotel Indigo, I had noted this was for a birthday celebration and we was given equally special treatment by the Hilton. In addition to chocolate and drinks provide free of charge in the room, they also provided access to the hotel's Executive Lounge - usually only open to their top tier HHonors members and those staying on the most expensive room rates. A nice touch and one that was definitely appreciated.
The room
Most hotel chains, Hilton included, have a very similar look and feel at almost all of their properties across the globe. That is to say a lot of beige and splashes of green - it just doesn't have much character and isn't particularly special but it is relaxing and most importantly doubles down on comfort. Some rooms in the property do feature runway and apron views where you can see countless aircrafts mostly from Finnair but other operators too. There's very little to say about the room besides:
- I slept well on the bed
- The WiFi worked but was somewhat slow
- Comprehensive offering of satellite TV including English, Finnish and Japanese channels
- The room was generally clean and tidy
And that is about it - most people will probably concur with these findings pretty much at any Hilton property you stay at globally.
Executive Lounge and other amenities
As previously mentioned, the hotel management had given us free access to the Executive Lounge at the hotel. These can be found at Hilton Hotels across the globe and can vary in quality, luckily however this one did not disappoint with it offering a good selection of spaces to relax in or work from. Free beverage options were available including:
- machine brewed coffee
- wide selection of premium Twinings Tea
- local beer
- wine
Limited snacks were also on offer but I believe we had just missed the fresh "nibbles" that are given around 18h00-19h00. Access to the lounge is given by swiping your room key at the door ensuring only those with access are allowed in. All in all, this is a nice place to relax and take in the airport views in a peaceful, well refurbished environment. The lounge did not become overcrowded at any time during the two hours we stayed in there, although I can imagine this may happen at times since it is not particularly large.
Outside of the Executive Lounge there is:
- bar on the ground floor near the restaurant
- fitness centre
- and of course it would not be Finland without the obligatory sauna
Regrettably, and I hate to admit this, I did not try a sauna at this hotel or at all when I was in Finland! I should have tried this out but I will again if I'm ever at Helsinki Airport on a stopover.
Hilton Helsinki Airport is never going to be one of those hotels that stick in your mind or that makes you go "wow" but it is functional. That goes for pretty much any low or mid-market hotel chain from Travelodge to Holiday Inn Express, Hilton or Moxy. They serve a purpose of giving you a relatively comfortable place to put your head down and sometimes a few added treats on top. You're not paying for the best experience but one that is functional - and the Hilton Helsinki Airport did that perfectly.
Should I have stayed at one of the other hotels in Helsinki Airport or remained in the city centre? Let us know in the comments!