Review: The Hotel Maria, Helsinki (Preferred Hotels) – Finland’s new top choice

This is our review of The Hotel Maria in Helsinki.

Long-term HfP readers may remember that we covered the opening of this hotel in December 2023. It was promoted as the first genuine luxury hotel in Finland, which meant we were intrigued. Preferred Hotels offered us a review trip last autumn when it was fully open but, being softies, we decided to wait until the weather had picked up!

My last visit to Helsinki was on a business trip nearly 20 years ago. I didn’t have much time to look around but I remembered Helsinki as a spacious and small(ish) capital on the Baltic Sea with a lot of 20th century architecture and a cool atmosphere.

The hotel provided my room and one dinner for review purposes. HfP covered my travel costs.

Where is The Hotel Maria?

Helsinki is easy to navigate with excellent transport links. I took the train from the airport to the main station and then walked 15 minutes to the hotel. By taxi it would have been five minutes.

The Hotel Maria is located in the heart of Helsinki’s Kruununhaka district. Kruununhaka is one of the oldest and most affluent neighborhoods of Helsinki with beautiful architecture. It is walkable to landmark attractions like the Presidential Palace and Helsinki Cathedral.

South Harbour, with the Viking Line and Tallink Silja Line ferry terminals, is just down the road from the hotel. I had a coffee in one of the cafes in the harbour watching Finns emerging from a sauna and then plunging into an unheated pool!

I arrived on the eve of May Day without realising what a big day this is in Finland. The city was filled with students in colourful overalls and their white graduation caps. Graduation caps are worn for life every May Day and virtually everyone on the streets was wearing one. This was quite a sight!

The hotel consists of an inter-connected complex of four large houses. Originally constructed in 1885 as part of the Uusimaa Sniper Battalion, the main buildings ended up being used for civil servants for ninety years.

The name “Maria” is a reference to Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna who was the mother of the last tsar and a sister of English Queen Alexandra. She was a Danish princess by birth and often travelled to Finland which was then part of the Russian Empire.

In December 2023 The Hotel Maria opened its doors for the first time. The hotel’s beautiful facade makes it a destination in its own right:

The reception staff were very friendly and attentive as you would expect of a hotel of this calibre.

The concierge desk is occupied by Sami, who by his own words is ‘the oldest concierge in Helsinki’. He gave me a tour of the Maria and his enthusiasm for the hotel was palpable. I am sure he has a few cards up his sleeve when it comes to arranging special experiences.

Next to the concierge desk is a boutique which had, amongst other things, a collection of Fabergé jewellery on display. Fabergé was a favourite of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, the hotel’s namesake.

The hotel has been furnished in a contemporary Nordic style but with nods and references to its colourful past.

Separated by glass doors from the boutique is the elegant living room:

The hotel also has a chapel, all in white, which is apparently very popular with baptisms:

On my way to my room on the second floor (3rd floor in Finland) I passed through the grand staircase. The iron lift shaft in the middle is not in use anymore but nonetheless adds character. Don’t worry, there is a modern lift!

Along the walls (not pictured) I saw some antique cast iron oven hatches which were part of the old heating system.

My room at The Hotel Maria

I was given a Junior Spa Suite, although I also took a look at other room categories too.

The room was tasteful decorated in a neutral and timeless design. Whilst you can’t easily tell from the photographs, the high quality of the materials used – from the parquet floor to furniture and textiles – marks out the hotel as genuinely luxurious.

However, the outstanding feature in my room (and in general across the hotel) for me was the lighting. If you have problems with the low lighting often found in European hotels, do not worry.

My room had at least five layers of lighting from indirect ceiling lights, ceiling spotlights, a magnificent chandelier, a floor lamp, wall lights, reading lights and art lights. A portable tablet next to the door and in the bathroom easily controls and dims these lights according to your mood and preferences.

I loved my bathroom with its marble tiles and brass fittings. It felt very luxurious, with amenities from Bulgari:

My room came with free access to the spa but also had its own steam room (controllable from the tablet) next to the large shower.

The toilet was in a separate room (not pictured) with Japanese-style functions such as automatic raising of the lid when the door is opened.

The bar in mirrored glass shelves looked great. The fridge filled with cold drinks was placed underneath.

A Loft Spa Suite

As part of my hotel tour I asked to see other room categories. This was the Loft Spa Suite in the attic of the main building. I was told that Scandinavians like small windows and indeed it was a room to ‘snuggle up’:

The bathroom went a few steps down and was very similar to mine:

Signature Suite

I had the chance to see several of the larger suites too but the Signature Suites, of which there are two, were my favorite. The chandelier was a stunning modern interpretation:

The bedroom here had a four-poster bed and a spacious desk.

The artwork across the entire hotel is by Finnish artist Pia Feinik and blends perfectly with the contemporary style.

The bathroom in this suite is a real showpiece with original and elaborate cornices on the very high ceilings. The shutters and the palm gave this bathroom a Mediterranean villa feel. It also came, of course, with a private steam room.

Deluxe Twin Room

This twin room is a category lower than my suite and shows a different layout. It is still very spacious and comfortable.

The bathroom had double sinks and an aluminium framed door separating it from the bedroom:

Breakfast at Lilja Dining Room

Breakfast consists of buffet and a la carte options. The restaurant is large and gives off a sense of calm.

This was the view from my table. The peonies (and who doesn’t like peonies in spring?) added a splash of pink to the otherwise neutral colour scheme.

On first glance I thought the buffet was small, but everything in this hotel deserves proper attention because the details make it special.

The food is of excellent quality and beautifully presented:

There are many locally sourced and traditional items. In the front plate to the left is reindeer ham which I combined with melon and was delicious.

Needless to say the salmon was outstanding:

The food is labelled but for some items additional information boards are explain where the food is sourced and the traditions around it or even the recipe of how it is made. The cheese selection, for example, included a local smoked option from Kuusamo.

Pastries and puddings were decoratively displayed in étagères on the centre table of the buffet.

Scandinavian cracker bread is a favorite of mine and this one was in the gluten free section, although it is not generally gluten free of course.

I ordered an avocado toast and a spinach omelette from the a la carte menu which were delicious, but I thought what I had from the buffet was more interesting to photograph.

Here is The Hotel Maria’s signature porridge. It is made with wild oatmeal, whole milk, water and salt. The porridge is, apparently, stewed in an iron pot at a mild temperature overnight. I topped mine up with maple syrup and as a special refinement I added freeze dried raspberries and blueberries:

Another Finnish breakfast speciality is Karelian pie & egg spread. It is a kind of rice filled pasty eaten with butter mixed with egg – and very good too.

One of the waiters brought blueberry juice, the juice of choice for Finns.

Dinner at Lilja Terrace

The Lilja Terrace restaurant is based in the wintergarden which can open up to the large courtyard, spreading out between the several hotel buildings. It is especially pretty at night. The cuisine is French inspired.

On May Day the hotel optimistically set up the outdoor furniture but it was a bit too chilly to hang out there for long. In summer it will be a lovely space.

I had dinner in the restaurant on May Day which is a major public holiday. A special May Day celebration menu (three courses at €76) with wine pairings was rolled out which differed from the usual a la carte, but it gives an idea of what is usually served.

For my starter I had green asparagus of the season, velvety terragon cream, pecorino cheese, sunflower seeds and sprouts.

For my main I chose gently poached pikeperch, spring cabbages, garden herbs, crispy sourdough and grilled butter sauce.

The dessert were traditional funnel cakes, artisan doughnuts, chocolate cubcakes, marshmallows, homemade mead, strawberry cake and rhubarb panna cotta. It was a very classy act.

Maria Bar

The theme of the Maria Bar is ice and snow. The chandeliers hang like gigantic icicles from the ceiling. The bar is large with seating options in front of it and on both sides.

Next to the bar is a snug corner with sofas:

The gym and the spa

Wellness is a major part of the hotel. The fitness studio is located in the south building in the attic. Getting there leads up a staircase with exposed walls showing the bones of the old building.

The gym is spacious and very well equipped. Part of the walls are glass allowing you to see the historic roof beams and roof structure. A dedicated wellness concierge is available to hotel guests.

The spa provided for one of the highlights of my stay. Traditional Finnish sauna culture is world famous and I thought I’d give it a go.

Here is the spa reception desk. I had made a reservation for my spa visit which is advisable although it is a big space. Treatments are available too.

The Finnish wellness experience begins with a sauna session – there is a large steam room and a Finnish sauna (picture below) followed by a dip into the cold water tub, simulating the Finnish ‘avanto’ ice swimming.

After my (relatively short) sauna rounds I tried the cold water dip and the cold water bucket but quickly resorted back to just a cold shower. I think I need some more acclimatisation time before I can face a sauna session like a true Finn.

The small plunge pool in the front is 6°C which I found too challenging! In the back are two large jacuzzis.

I rounded off my stay at the spa atrium lounge which is a wonderfully relaxing experience. I had a complimentary tea but there are other drinks and small snacks available.

Conclusion

The Hotel Maria is beautifully designed with Nordic understatement yet of highest quality and comfort and with excellent service. I saw several room categories and although no room mirrored the other they all shared design features and the same feel of luxury.

The ingenious lighting deserves a special mention as does the fine food (try the porridge for breakfast if you come here) and the spa (the Finnish sauna is a must!).

I honestly couldn’t find fault anywhere and would happily come here again. As most HfP readers will know, it is rare that a ‘luxury’ hotel actually ticks all of your boxes but the team here have done a great job.

Flying to Helsinki

British Airways no longer flies to Helsinki. However, oneworld partner Finnair has flights from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh. Selected Heathrow flights are operated on long-haul aircraft for cargo reasons and have flat beds in business class – see our Finnair long-haul business class seat review here.

Finnair flights can be booked with Avios but you cannot use American Express or Barclaycard credit card vouchers. Cash tickets will earn Avios and British Airways tier points.

If you have Gold status in The British Airways Club you can access the impressive Finnair Platinum Wing lounge, with its own sauna, on your return.

Pricing and booking

Hotel Maria is cheaper than you might expect based on other European capital cities. For a weekend in July, rooms start at €280. A Junior Spa Suite like mine is €600. Try getting a deal like that in an equivalent hotel in London, Paris etc in July.

You can find out about iPrefer, the Preferred Hotels loyalty programme, on its website here. There is a double iPrefer points offer running until 31st August which we covered here.

You can find out more about The Hotel Maria on its website here. You can also book via the Preferred Hotels website here.

A special thanks goes to Laura and her team for arranging my visit and to the Preferred Hotels PR team in London for the introduction.