Hotel Kämp in Helsinki, Finland: A Gorgeous Grand Hotel

Hotel Kämp: The Place to Stay (and Toast Champagne) in Helsinki

Hotel Kämp is the ultimate luxury hotel in Helsinki and one of the finest and most famous hotels in Scandinavia.
• This vintage gem is a top-class five-star hotel, with all the bells and whistles of a true luxury hotel
• Hotel Kämp occupies a coveted location in the heart of the historic center of Helsinki, Finland's capital
• Since opening in 1887, Hotel Kämp is where aristocrats, moguls, celebrities, and luxury travelers have come to doze, dine, drink (and de-stress in hotel's spa and saunas)
• Hotel Kämp is a member of Starwood Hotels' The Luxury Collection
• Check Hotel Kämp rates on Hipmunk
• Hotel Kämp website

Next: Will you, personally, like Hotel Kämp? Take the quiz >>

Will You Like Hotel Kämp?

Hotel Kämp is likely to be your Helsinki heaven if:
• You love vintage glamour and opulence
• You're intent on staying in the heart of the heart of Helsinki
• You like staying in a city's top hotel

Hotel Kämp may not prove your favorite Finland hotel if:
• You crave the serene, uncluttered feeling of modern design
• You prefer small, personal-feeling boutique hotels to bigger hotels
• You seek a nightlife-centric hotel 
• You're on an Airbnb budget

Next: Hotel Kämp is a grand hotel, with grandly designed rooms and suites >>

Hotel Kämp Is a Grand Hotel

Hotel Kämp was built in 1887 in elegant, deluxe Old World style: soaring spaces, make-and-entrance staircases, marble and mahogany everywhere. It fits the definition of a grand hotel.

Hotel Kämp doesn't just look important. It feels important.
• It is the most famous hotel in Helsinki, the place with all the stories
• Service is dignified and discreet
• The lobby and bar are very social spaces, where guests mingle with Helsinki high society 
• When you stay here, you feel like you're part of Hotel Kämp's legend

Rooms and Suites at Hotel Kämp

The hotel's 179 romantic guest rooms and suites are spread throughout eight floors. They are all graciously proportioned, with high ceilings.

We stayed in a lovely Deluxe Room on the top floor, a spacious 420 square feet.
• The room was handsome and comfortable, with an inviting king bed, big flatscreen TV, large sofa, and writing desk
• The marble bathroom offered a deep soaking tub plus a separate walk-in shower
• At night the room was perfectly dark, thanks to thick curtains drawn by the turndown housekeeper

The Pinnacle of Hotel Kämp Accommodations 

Top dollar will get you the mansion-sized Presidential Mannerheim Suite.
• Bring your entourage: it has two bedrooms, two marble bathrooms, vast living room, dining room and kitchen, and a private sauna

Amenities in all Hotel Kämp Guest Rooms

• Complimentary basic WiFi (video watchers will want to pay for the premium version)
• Fluffy bathrobes and plush slippers
• A well-stocked, but very pricey, minibar 

Next: Hotel Kämp's dining demonstrates why Helsinki has become a foodie destination >>

Dining at Hotel Kämp: Classic Finnish Cuisine and Global Flavors 

Hotel Kämp guests who dine in-house will not be disappointed.
The hotel has two restaursant: the gracious Brasserie Kämp & Bar (shown) and the modern Asian kitchen, Yume.

Brasserie Kämp & Bar: From Breakfast to After-Dinner Drinks

The Brasserie's excellent breakfast is a la carte, not a buffet as at most Scandinavian hotels.
• You'll find Continental staples like eggs, omelets, bacon, croissants, pastries, yogurts
• Plus fiercely Finnish delicacies such as gravlax (fennel-smoked salmon), pickled herring, and unusual fresh juices like blackcurrant with tarragon
• The coffee will show you why the Finnish are famed for their java

Brasserie Kämp Also Serves Lunch, Brunch, Dinner, and Drinks

• Lunch and dinner menus celebrate Finland's seafood and game
• The most-ordered menu format is the three-course gastronomic dinner
• Brasserie Kämp's delectable prix-fixe weekend buffet brunch is a Helsinki tradition

For after-dinner drinks or a light dinner, guests head to the cozy, classy Brasserie Bar.
• You can order Champagnes, spirits, wine, and beer (including several Finnish brews)
• The Brasserie Bar also serves up cocktails with a uniquely Finnish flavor, such as the Cloudberry and Rooibos Iced Tea
• The Bar's food menu offers a range of international dishes

Yume Restaurant at Hotel Kämp

A sophisticated, modern pan-Asian kitchen, Yume is a fine choice for dinner in Helsinki.
Start with aperitif cocktails. which are excellent here. 
• I recommend the tangy Lemongrass Collins and the super-spicy Bloody Mary

Then, feast on small tasting dishes from the a la carte menu. My favorites:
• Garden-fresh spring rolls with sesame-miso dressing
• Grilled lamb chops with Korean BBQ sauce
• (Saving the best for last) Java curry with duck, potatoes, and dreamy coconut cream
• Yume website and menu

Next: Hotel Kämp's best-in-town spa >>

Hotel Kämp's Super Spa and Saunas

What's a luxurious city hotel without a great spa?  Kämp Spa by ESPA is the Helsinki location of the elite, British-founded ESPA brand, known for top-notch treatments and fragrant potions.
• Kämp Spa by ESPA was honored as "Best Day Spa in Europe" by Europe's most prestigious travel awards
• The spa's six treatment rooms offer intense relaxation and a restorative retreat from Helsinki sightseeing
• The spa's signature treatments
• Kämp Spa by ESPA's website and spa menus

The Sauna Circuit at Kämp Spa by ESPA

No trip to Finland is complete without a sauna, and the sauna circuit in Kämp Spa is hard to beat. The spa includes three saunas.
• Guests with spa appointments have free use of the saunas, but day passes can be purchased
• Tip: the saunas will make you sweat. Bring a bottle of water so you don't get dehydrated

The traditional Finnish sauna is the main attraction.
• Patrons strip down to a towel (or nothing at all), claim a spot on the wooden benches, and then ladle water into the stove
• The heat will hit you immediately

The spacious, decorative Turkish hammam engulfs bathers in waves of dry heat.
• The warmth emanates from below the hammam's mosaic benches and platforms

The cozy "Italian steam sauna" provides the perfect refresher.
• The heat and lung-clearing eucalyptus fragrance fight off jet lag and travel fatigue

Fitness at Hotel Kämp

The hotel's sizable gym is laden with Italian-made Technogym equipment of all kinds.
• Guest access is 24/7
• Personal trainers are on call

Next: Hotel Kämp is near everything you'll want to do in Helsinki >>

A Great City-Center Location in Helsinki

Guests of Hotel Kämp could not hope for a better location. The Hotel Kämp is right in the heart of Helsinki, making it an ideal base for exploring the city. 

Within a few minutes on foot are Helsinki draws such as:
• Finland's national gallery, the Ateneum Art Museum; and Mannerheim Museum
• Uspenski Cathedral (Eastern Orthodox), Rock Church (Lutheran), and Helsinki Synagogue
• Stockmann department store, a beloved institution (check out the bakery)
• Finnish design shops including Marimekko, iittala, and Artek
• The Helsinki Design District
• Michelin-starred restaurants like Savoy and Chez Dominique restaurants
• Finlandia Hall, a white marble modernist creation by Alvar Aalto
• Helsinki Central Railway Station, Eliel Saarinen's 1912 masterpiece and Finland's most-visited building
• From About's Scandinavian Travel Expert, more cool things to do in Helsinki

Hotel Kämp Guests Will Find Out: Helsinki Is a Fascinating Port City

Hotel Kämp is a five-minute walk to the harbor (shown above).
• Here, you can jump on one of the regular boats to the dramatic fortress island of Suomenlinna, one of Helsinki's most rewarding half-day trips
• High-speed ferries depart for Stockholm (Sweden), Tallinn (Estonia), and St Petersburg (Russia)
• The harbor's square hosts a weekend market (this is the world's best place to taste smoked fish)

What I Loved Doing, Thanks to Hotel Kämp's Concierge

My favorite activity in Helsinki in something the hotel concierge promised would be thrilling. She was right: a sea kayak tour with Natura Viva, a not-the-same-old tour company.
• Everything is taken care of for you except the paddling: hotel pickup and dropoff, equipment, slickers and boots
• We set off at 10 a.m. and kayaked around some of Helsinki's most beautiful and secluded islands for four hours
• A delightful waterside lunch stop on the island of Kalliosaari was set up for us
• Verdict: Kayaking was an inspired way to see maritime Helsinki
• Natura Viva website

Where to Find Out More and Follow Hotel Kämp

• Visit the hotel's main website
• Phone from North America: 800.325.3589
• Follow Hotel Kämp on Twitter
• Or like the hotel on Facebook
• Hotel Kämp on Flickr and FourSquare and TripAdvisor
• See what you could get as a member of Starwood Hotels' free Preferred Guest program
• Great travel info from Visit Helsinki

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary visit for the purpose of describing Hotel Kämp. For details, see our site's Ethics Policy.