Hotel Kamp

A pleasure to stay at Hotel Kamp-Helsinki. Fabulous premises and wonderful, helpful staff. Really well situated to move around the city during our stay

I would love to give the full 5 stars, but unfortunately the breakfast was so underwhelming that I must deduct one star. First if all, this is the most legendary hotel in Finland. Even tho the Hotel Maria has opened (soon to be Waldorf Astoria), Kämp is much more elegant and traditional in a way. Very descreet and private. The service was always top notch. Even tho Finland is not know for its great and friendly service (as it really shouldnt), the staff at Kämp were truly professional and provided first class service. Soft smiles and always helpful attitude ready to offer any service needed. The room was also top notch. Maybe even better than top notch. A great mix of modern and classic and elegant. Every detail was finished. The two twin corner suite we had was massive, with 2 separate bedrooms. The airconditioning was also very strong, great in summer. The bed was incredibly soft and comfy. The gym was definitely not a highlight, as it was placed into a random corner with a few gadgets and some yoga mats. The location is also as good as possible in Helsinki. Literally steps away from everything. The only major disappointment was the lounge and breakfast. I did not even know they had a ”club” lounge, but perhaps its a good thing they do not advertise it, as the snacks consisted of some crackers, chocolate and cookies and ham. It could ve compared to the free snacks coctail bars offer when you arrive. The breakfast was not much better. We were offered a menu, where the attendant told we could order eggs any style. I straight away asked for a scrambled egg with ham. Then she took the menus and we went to explore the buffet. The buffet was very small, and missed some must-haves. There was no smoothie / youghurt with a flavor, other than a vegan version. No desserts such as pancakes, waffle, muffins etc. There was a cinnamonroll tho, which was the highlight of the breakfast together with the croissant, which clearly was not fresh made. The juices were also not frrshly squized, but some water mixtures. The eggs were so oily, that we could nit finish them. At the end, thank god our breakfast was complimentary, as we really left with out feeling full and extremely disappointed. The breakfast was worse than at some Hilton Garden Inns. At the end, I would visit again if the breakfast is improved drasticly. Otherwise, I would visit Maria in the future.

My favorite hotels in the world have been the Connaught in London, Raffles in Singapore, the Oriental in Bangkok, the ParK Hyatt in Tokyo … to name several. Each has a unique character of excellence that can take more than one visit to understand. This Kamp Hotel in Helsinki is absolutely their peer. It is undergoing major - like once in 100 year - construction. Gigantic cranes, jack hammers … yet as guest, I would never know. My room was absolutely silent, the “temporary” restaurant is very pleasant. Service is excellent. It takes a truly great hotel to pull that off.

I understand that the hotel is undergoing renovation—much needed, I admit. I even understand why this isn’t widely advertised to unsuspecting travelers who book rooms hoping for a premium experience; after all, who would willingly choose to stay on a construction site? What I don’t understand, however, is why there are no discounts or advance information about the rooms and facilities being unavailable or altered due to the renovation. A five-star hotel is not just a place to sleep—if that were all I needed, I could’ve booked an Airbnb. It’s supposed to offer a complete experience, including the pleasure of arriving at and staying in a grand, historic building. None of that remains. The entire hotel is covered in scaffolding. The bar and restaurant are closed. The spa is closed. The gym is unavailable. Breakfast is served in a provisional space. And yet—astonishingly—you’re still charged the full price, as if everything were running as usual. Frankly, I don’t know what’s more outrageous: the lack of transparency or the lack of basic courtesy. As it stands, this hotel does not meet five-star standards. The furnishings are basic - our teenager had to sleep on a lousy fold-out bed, even though the room we booked clearly showed two full-size beds in the picture; the toiletries are minimal (no toothbrushes), and the à la carte breakfast options are limited to fried eggs. I know we’re in Scandinavia, where overt luxury may be frowned upon—but perhaps visit the Grand Hotel in Stockholm to see how it can still be done with grace. But that’s for the future. As of July 2025, my experience at Hotel Kämp was simply awful. I wish I had booked the Clarion—or anything else, really. At least I might have had a view of the city, rather than scaffolding. And perhaps I’d have smelled a room diffuser, not building fumes seeping through the corridors of a hotel still daring to charge luxury prices for a deeply un-luxurious stay.

Great hotel with lots of history, It will be wonderful once the renovations have finished. A little noisy during the week, however, this is to be expected during refurbishments.