Your ultimate guide to Finland

Turku’s hotel scene offers both tried-and-true quality and some more unusual options. How about a boutique hotel once voted the best in Finland, a former prison turned hotel or a ship that’s sailed the world and now serves as a hostel? Time to head for Turku! Compact and easy to navigate, Turku is a city of short distances – and every hotel on our list is either within walking distance or a quick bus ride from the centre. Wherever you stay, a few things are guaranteed: great service and a hearty breakfast. The city centre is home to the big-name (in the Nordics) chains and their high-standard properties. Hamburger Börs is a classic right in the heart of town, Radisson Blu Marina Palace offers glorious river views, and Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone charms with its attention to detail. For something a little quirkier (though still close by), Park Hotel’s Jugend-style villa is a bohemian cornucopia, Hotel Kakola draws on prison aesthetics for its interiors, and the ship-hostel Bore oozes old-world maritime charm. If you’d prefer an aparthotel to a traditional one, stylish Bob W is a solid choice. How were the hotels chosen? We love hotels – and we try to stay in as many as possible. From brand-new openings to long-established classics and everything in between, we test them all to keep our recommendations up to date. Every hotel on this list has been personally tried and tested by our team, and we’ve been impressed enough to recommend them wholeheartedly. This article contains affiliate links, but these have no influence on our hotel selections or any other editorial content. Read more about Time Out’s affiliate policy.

What makes Jyväskylä so lovely is how close it feels to nature and how short the distances are between places. Most of its hotels are in the city centre within walking distance of the Travel Centre – the city’s integrated train and bus station (or Matkakeskus, as Finns call it) – or easily reachable whether you’re coming by bus or car. And yet, in many of them you can still feel completely surrounded by nature, with walking trails starting right outside the door. Whether you’re after lake views, forest scenery or a dash of local history, our list has something for everyone – from couples and families to travellers seeking either a little luxury or a self-catering stay you can check into with a code. How were the hotels selected? We stay in hotels all the time: from brand-new stays to beloved classics and everything in between. We test them ourselves, so we can genuinely recommend them. Every hotel on this list has been carefully vetted – we’ve stayed there, liked it, and found it worth recommending. This article contains affiliate links, but they have no influence whatsoever on which hotels we chose to feature. If you’d like to know more, you can read Time Out’s full affiliate guidelines.

Tampere is a city where old factories have been transformed into cultural hubs, saunas outnumber people’s schedules and hotels are anything but dull. Here, you can fall asleep while gazing at the skyline, spend the night in a charming wooden house or watch a concert from your own hotel balcony. The city is always buzzing with life, hosting major sports events, mega concerts and cultural happenings that draw both locals and visitors from across Finland and beyond. That means Tampere’s hotel offering is just as lively, with everything from international design hotels to small, independent boutiques – and something for every budget. We’ve hand-picked our favourite Tampere hotels, focusing on value for money – that perfect balance of price and experience – as well as uniqueness. Each hotel offers something special, a touch of wow that makes it memorable. How were the hotels selected? We stay in hotels all the time, trying both newcomers and beloved classics to make sure this list is always up to date. Every hotel featured here has been reviewed individually and earned its spot because we’ve stayed there, we think it’s great and we’d genuinely recommend it – both to our readers and to our own friends and family. This article includes affiliate links, but they have no impact on our editorial choices or hotel selections. Read more about Time Out’s affiliate policy.

Helsinki’s hotels are much like the city itself: stylish, surprising and full of stories. The city’s diversity shines through the windows of its hotels. You can choose a room overlooking a leafy park or watch the capital’s hustle and bustle and its iconic trams, see trains heading off to the far reaches of Finland or get lost in the view of cruise ships circling the Baltic Sea. Hotel prices in Helsinki have risen in recent years, so one of the most important criteria for making this list was value for money. There are no overpriced stays here – just genuinely good options, whether you’re after something easy on the wallet or a more premium experience. We’ve explored Helsinki’s hotel scene to hand-pick the very best. These are the places we’d recommend to our friends, and where we’d head for a staycation when we want to see Helsinki through a traveller’s eyes. You’ll find everything from beloved city-centre classics to hidden gems on the city’s fringes – chain hotels with pleasant surprises, cherished old favourites and unique independents. In short, the very best of the capital’s hotel scene. How were the hotels selected? We stay in hotels all the time. From brand-new openings to old favourites (and everything in between), we make sure our recommendations are up to date all year round. Every hotel on this list has been reviewed individually and earned its place because we’ve stayed there, we rate it highly and we can genuinely recommend it. This article includes affiliate links, but these have no influence over our editorial content or hotel selections. Read more about Time Out’s affiliate policy. 

Looking for a place to stay in Helsinki that leaves you with money to spare for everything else? We Finns often say that travelling in our own country is expensive – some even claim it’s cheaper to go abroad. But here’s some good news: Helsinki has some of the most affordable hotel stays in Finland, offering the best value for money. A wide selection keeps prices low, and there’s always a good deal somewhere – you just have to find it. Over the past five years, several new budget hotels have opened in the city, without compromising on quality. Lower prices are largely thanks to the growing popularity of self-service models. In some hotels, reception staff are only available for limited hours – or not at all. Daily cleaning and breakfast are usually not included in the price. Sometimes the best deals appear when you book well in advance; other times, prices drop at the last minute. You can compare rates on booking sites, but always check what offers are available directly through the hotel. Where to find affordable accommodation in Helsinki Budget hotels in Helsinki tend to be located just outside the very centre, but still well connected by public transport. The inner city and metro line areas offer plenty of reasonably priced stays. Hakaniemi and Katajanokka, for instance, are great neighbourhoods for affordable hotels just a short distance from downtown. How we made this list We’ve rounded up ten hotels that we can confidently recommend to budget travellers – all personally checked and approved by us. So what exactly counts as a budget hotel? Everyone has their own view, but in Helsinki, we’d say it’s anywhere you can find a room for under €100. Prices vary depending on the season, major events and the day of the week. This article contains affiliate links, but they have no influence over which hotels we’ve chosen to include. Read more about Time Out’s affiliate policy.