Located in Kruununhaka, one of Helsinki’s oldest and most elegant neighbourhoods, the Waldorf Astoria sits within easy walking distance of the city’s key attractions such as its cathedral and harbour. Initially built as officers’ barracks back in the late 1880s when the country was an autonomous part of Russia, it turned into Government offices last century and then Hotel Maria, the city’s first ultra-luxury hotel. In October last year, the Hilton chain rebranded the property to make it the first Waldorf Astoria not only in Finland but in any Nordic country.
Southern Finland, Helsinki, Kruununhaka
Waldorf Astoria Helsinki
(5 stars)Guests are ushered inside by uniformed bellboys and up a small staircase where a long marble-floored corridor drips, literally, with countless glass chandeliers for immediate wow effect. Off this axis extend the reception, the Peacock Bar, the Lilja Terrace and Varjo restaurant. Composed of four adjoining lemon and mango Neoclassical buildings, the hotel starts as a maze as the walk to our room takes us up lifts, along corridors, through locked doors and down stairs all through interiors which exude a crisp, neutral sprightliness and a minimalist, Nordic aesthetic.
Our King Residential Suite lands at an extravagant 700 sq ft and is perfectly compartmentalised with each section also being defined by its own dramatic chandelier and work of art by Tampere-based artist Pia Feinik. The bright, light, natural aesthetic continues with a mix of delicate creams, greens and beige for a cool but paradoxically warm welcome. As well as a luxurious sofa and chair, the living room boasts its own UHDTV, espresso machine and minibar which offers up a mixture of local alcohol ranging from Finlandia vodka and Kyro whiskey to Karhu lager. Walled with marble, floored with herringbone style white wood, the bathroom boasts a freestanding ovular bath (above which a smaller chandelier hangs), his and hers basins and a rainforest shower. Aēsop supplies an array of soap and gels which include Rind Concentrate Body Balm, Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash, and Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser. Bed is king-size, soft and welcoming and as well as a large wardrobe space to hang clothes, another UHDTV occupies one corner. The suite exudes a refined ebullience which makes spending time in it feel like living on the top of a wedding cake.
‘Varjo’ in Finnish means ‘shadow’ and the restaurant aims to lead diners on a journey through Finland’s countryside, so expect everything from cured Siika whitefish, grilled Reindeer loin to forest mushroom tapenade and Malmgärd barley. The room is long and elegant and is supported by thin white pillars. As well as the omnipresent brighter colour scheme, dark olive walls match leaves on some of the greenery and from my vantage point, I count a whopping eleven chandeliers. We start with a signature Barrel Aged Ember Negroni, (considered to be reborn due to the wood-smoked whiskey used instead of gin) and a Pink G & T both of which cause murmurs of approval and whose colour coordination suggests they’re old bedfellows.
The Pea Velouté comes warm, practically glows a vivid if not lurid bright green and is poured at the table around the shrimp tartare which rests on a chunk of brioche (of which two more come on a side plate). The velouté is foamy and tastes of fresh gardens and mint pickings and my friend is so impressed, she decides to make it at home. My Nordic Styled Whitefish is served with pickled fennel, blinis, seaweed butter and orange fish roe; a mixture of sweet, savoury and all round sublime, it’s similarly inspiring.
For mains, my Poached Pike-Perch Kuha is accompanied by a thick, buttery sauce, mussels, pickled cucumber and leek whilst my friend’s Finnish Tenderloin comes with roasted shallot, a cube of sautéed potato and truffle red wine sauce. It’s all super fresh and mouth-wateringly good and provides our attentive and knowledgeable waitress, Selima, with a dilemma: which bottle of wine to accompany both? After some discussion, we err towards white and opt for a Louis Latour Marsannay Blanc made entirely from chardonnay grapes.
Desert continues the Finnish journey with full force so that the soft, blue, and hard cheeses are all locally sourced and accompanied not only by ligonberry preserve but fried Archipelago bread for an array of tastes and textures whilst the Crème Brûlée wins the prize for most unique local ingredient. Made from Birch tree bark, the birch powder might be green and look like matcha but rests somewhere between woody and nutty in flavour and for me, this tasting is a happy first.
We head down the corridor to the opposite end of the building to the Peacock Bar where head barman Joel runs a tight ship and the menu invites us to ‘discover a trilogy of signature creations, each a chapter in the story of your hotel; a refined Nordic sanctuary where cultural vitality is enriched by elemental grace.’ The signature cocktails have snazzy, natty names like Yuki-Furu, Schiromichi, Buckthorn Brunch and Indigo Moon but my friend returns to the Barrel Aged Ember Negroni whilst I diversify with the Fukuya Highball. Brown butter-washed whiskey is mixed with gingerbread-spiced soda and presented with a gingerbread biscuit which Joel advises to eat before drinking to open up my palate. It might smell like a Christmas market in Tallin but is much fruitier (and more refreshing).
Breakfast is served in both Varja and the Lilja Terrace. The next morning we opt for the latter, which overlooks and, on sunnier days, opens onto the hotel’s main courtyard. A sense of calm pervades as there’s no constant rushing back and forth to a buffet since breakfast is à la carte and handled by waiters. For an additional cost, you can go crazy with a Ruinart champagne and caviar experience but we stick with the regular selection which offers more than ample choice and includes selections of Free-range Farm Eggs, Sweet Indulgences and Nourishing Plates from the Garden. Plates are Wedgwood with glassware from the more local Littala and laid back country and western seeps gently through speakers for an all-round relaxed vibe. Omelettes are light and fluffy whilst the Vanilla Scented French Toast with berries, syrup and a dab of Nutella can only be described as naughty but very nice.
If hotel check-in errs on the later side at 4pm, on the flip and positive side, you can opt for a late check-out. We were lucky as our room wasn’t booked and were granted a super later 4pm departure which meant that after a far from early breakfast and leisurely packing, we still had enough time for a couple of laps at the fantastic, state of the art spa. Although large, take heed; reception advises booking ahead.
The steam room is unusual in that there are no benches, just a handful of angular, sloping-back single seats. Thick and solid, they’re non-movable and are covered in small, white mosaic tiles which contrast the floor’s shinier metallic and black ones. With all the seats facing each other, it inspires communication and lands somewhere between a space ship compartment and a philosopher’s circle. Unusually for steam rooms, which often seem to defy their own description, the steam here is constant and concentrated. Not only are there showers nearby for a quick cool down but as if to make the experience less po-faced and more brimming with comic value, there’s a wooden buck full of cold water. Pull the rope yourself or get a friend to do it. Either way a bucket of cold water splashes over you for a curious and unnatural but laugh-inducing moment which also recalls historic origins.
The sauna is large and designed with undulating wooden paneling which reminds of waves and, unlike in the UK, there’s no timer. In Finland, sauna is not so much an endurance test or challenge or even a luxury treat but a way of life. Spend two minutes, spend twenty minutes; no big deal, you’ll be back. My favourite part of the experience has to be the one person only plunge pool set at a close-to-freezing 6°C. Descend a ladder, brace yourself, stay as long as you can (which probably won’t be more than a few seconds) and jump out. Why every sauna doesn’t have one of these, I don’t know but I thoroughly recommend it. In the same space, there’s also a warm and large bath and a jacuzzi which glows with iridescent light when bubbling.
Two rounds take roughly two hours or longer depending on how long you relax in the central atrium. With high and transparent ceiling, tumbling greenery and a few scattered coffee-table-type books, a small fountain defines its centre around which lie, in clock-face fashion, two handfuls of loungers. A barman serves up complimentary tea concoctions and also a refreshing fruit glass full of melon, pineapple and grapes. It’s a satiating and gratifyingly exhausting experience and will make you never want to leave the spa or, indeed, the hotel.
