NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa

I was eager to stay at the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa. This was my first experience with the NH brand, and as one of the newest hotels in Helsinki, expectations were high. The hotel markets itself as a 5-star luxury property. In practice, the Grand Hansa is a very nice hotel, but it does not meet the standards of a 5-star or luxury property. There was no pre-arrival communication of any kind. Upon arrival, there was no doorman or bellman at the main entrance, which consists of stairs and is not particularly accessible for guests with luggage or mobility limitations. No staff members were positioned outside to assist arriving guests. It is immediately apparent that the owner or management invested heavily in design. Both the public spaces and guest rooms are sleek, modern, and visually attractive. The overall appearance is polished. However, it appears that the design was not sufficiently tested under real operating conditions. The most obvious example is the hotel entrance. Guests enter directly into the bar and restaurant space. This applies to all arriving guests, including those with rolling luggage or luggage carts. The result is an awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere in which guests seated at the bar are regularly interrupted by arriving guests moving through the space. In the absence of a doorman or bellman, first-time visitors are left uncertain about where to go upon arrival. From a functional perspective, the layout is reversed. The front desk should occupy the space currently used for the lobby bar, while food-and-beverage outlets should be located deeper within the property rather than serving as the primary arrival area. The front desk staff were polite and professional in manner, but the service lacked refinement. I was not presented with a welcome letter, and no offer was made to assist with luggage. The check-in process took close to ten minutes, which is excessive for a hotel positioned at this level. At the conclusion of check-in, I was not escorted to the elevator, and again, no assistance with luggage was offered. Staffing levels further reinforce the impression that operations were not fully aligned with the hotel’s stated positioning. There is no concierge. Instead, the hotel operates with a front desk staffed by one or two clerks, along with a secondary desk that is only occasionally staffed by a guest-relations employee. For a hotel that markets itself as a five-star luxury property, this level of guest support is insufficient. The guest room was clean, attractive, and well-appointed at first glance. It included a king-sized bed, a desk, a large television, a stocked minibar, and a visually appealing bathroom. However, several functional shortcomings became apparent during the stay. The most significant issue is the lack of accessible electrical and USB outlets. There are only two electrical outlets on each nightstand, along with two USB-A outlets and one USB-C outlet. Due to the design of the outlet plate, it is not possible to use one of the electrical outlets at the same time as the USB ports. More concerning is the absence of any electrical or USB outlets at the desk, which is a serious oversight in a modern hotel. There was no printed in-room hotel directory, no pen, and no stationery. No umbrella was provided. The room was missing a clock. Bathroom amenities were limited. The room included two bathrobes and two pairs of slippers, but only one dental kit. There were wall-mounted dispensers for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower, along with dispensers for hand soap and lotion at the sink. No mouthwash was provided, nor were cotton swabs or similar basic items. When I requested a bar of soap, I was informed that the hotel could not provide one. It is difficult to reconcile how a self-described five-star luxury hotel cannot supply a basic bar of soap. It is also unclear why the hotel provides two bathrobes and two pairs of slippers but only one dental kit. Breakfast was a clear strength of the property. The buffet was extensive, well-curated, and of high quality, with several local or regional products featured. While à la carte options were available, the buffet alone would meet the needs of most guests. There were, however, two notable deficiencies. The juices, particularly the orange juice, tasted commercial and overly sweet rather than freshly squeezed. In addition, while sparkling wine was included, the offering was a low-quality, semi-sweet prosecco. While it is reasonable that the hotel does not serve champagne at breakfast, a higher-quality sparkling wine, such as a French crémant produced using the traditional method, would be more appropriate. A dry rosé sparkling wine would also represent an improvement. The room design, although visually striking, has several major practical flaws. The lighting system is overly complex and insufficient, even for relatively technologically literate guests. Storage space is inadequate. There is no proper closet, only a garment rack with two small drawers, one of which contains hotel amenities. This configuration is insufficient for stays longer than two or three nights, particularly during winter when coats and boots are necessary. Even a short stay for two guests would feel constrained, with limited space for luggage. The king-sized bed was comfortable, but it is disproportionately large for the room. A queen-sized bed would have allowed for better circulation and improved functionality. The bed linens were also disappointing. Rather than high-quality sheets from established luxury suppliers such as Garnier-Thiébaut or Frette, the hotel uses Standard Textile linens branded for NH Hotels. The result feels more consistent with a generic 4-star chain hotel. The pillows were equally disappointing, consisting of polyester fill or foam rather than feather. Again, more low-end 4-star hotel pillows than luxury, 5-star hotel. No turndown service was provided or offered. No newspapers were made available to guests. Service at the lobby bar was poor. I sat at the bar for two hours and was not acknowledged by the bartender, Gustavo. I was required to ask other service staff to take my order. Other guests in the vicinity expressed similar concerns during the same period. The NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa is visually attractive and benefits from an excellent breakfast offering. However, it consistently falls short of its 5-star luxury claims. With meaningful improvements in service standards, staffing levels, room functionality, and basic amenities, it could become a 5-star hotel. In its current form, it does not meet the expectations created by its marketing and overall brand positioning. In conclusion, the hotel is more like a better than average Sheraton or Hilton than a true luxury, 5-star hotel.

Perfectly located, friendly staff and very quiet for good sleep. A bit small room even in superior category. Breakfast a bit crowded and slow.

We stayed here for the second time in three months and enjoyed our stay immensely! This time we brought our teenage kids and they were very impressed with the hotel as well. We had booked a king room and a room with two twins, but when we got to our rooms, we discovered we had gotten two king rooms side-by-side. The only hiccup of the whole trip was that the kids ended up in a room across the hotel. It wasn’t so bad for my husband and I. :) The gym is excellent. The spa is excellent. Loved the sauna and the cold plunge. Cocktails are great. Service is fantastic. Breakfast buffet is great. In room dining is Delicious and deficient. The Hansa Cafe could have a few more menu options.

We stayed at the Grand Hansa atfer a long flight from Hong Kong arriving very early. The hotel is ideally located near the station although we were mistaken in how close it was to the station as you can walk to the hotel from a small tunnel which runs next to the hotel. Check in was smooth and the wonderful kiwi Neihran was very helpful. We were given a bigger studio room on the 7th floor where there were only 3 other rooms so it was very quiet, probably one of the quietest rooms I've stayed in. Breakfast each morning was busy and some of the placement of items was a bit odd where the bread is nowhere near the jams and spreads, when it was peak times it was a bit crowded but the offerrings were fine. Grand Hansa is perfectly located for transport, shopping with restaurants not far away. Roberts coffee places are good as is the famous Fazer cafe near the Hotel Kamp. Defintely recommend a stay at the Grand Hansa.

The NH's location is superb. Right in the heart of the city, within walking distance to almost everything. The decor is tasteful and modern and the rooms comfortable and well-appointed with terrific showers and comfortable beds. Service is excellent as well. We didn't dine in the restaurant, but the breakfast buffet was wonderful.