Holiday Inn Helsinki - West Ruoholahti by IHG — Hotel in Helsinki sub-region

I had recently found myself a guest at the Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki West, an experience I regretfully report was far from enjoyable. It is a disappointment when a brand with a solid reputation for providing satisfactory accommodations around the globe fails in such a spectacular fashion.||||The moment I checked in, the nightmare began. The reception staff seemed to be auditioning for the roles of villains in a grim drama, with their curtness and brusque attitude putting a dark cloud over my arrival. The promise of the warm Finnish hospitality remained a dream as I received none of the welcoming smiles or attentive service that I expected.||||My grievances did not stop there. Upon entering my room, I was greeted by an environment that bore closer resemblance to a low-budget hostel than a reputed hotel room. The room was unkempt and gave off a strange, unsettling odor that clung stubbornly despite attempts to air it out. Despite complaints, the hotel staff seemed uninterested in resolving these issues.||||Furthermore, when it came to pricing, the hotel seemed to be practicing a bait and switch tactic. The price quoted on third-party booking websites such as Booking.com and Trivago was notably lower than what was charged upon arrival. This not only left a bitter taste but also raised questions about the transparency of their booking process.||||The dining experience was the final nail in the coffin of my horrendous stay. The sirloin steak, a dish that should be tender and juicy, was rendered into a dry, tasteless slab of meat. Accompanying it, the potatoes appeared to have been cooked in the Dead Sea, their salinity reaching alarming levels.||||Regrettably, my experience at Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki West was as undesirable as one could imagine. This hotel was a glaring blemish on my trip to Helsinki and a stark contrast to the otherwise welcoming and pleasant city. The combination of poor service, substandard room conditions, misleading pricing, and unpalatable food make it a place I would caution against staying at.||||I believe in second chances and improvements. However, unless a radical revamp in quality and service delivery is made at Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki West, I'm afraid my recommendation can only be to seek...

Whilst finding this hotel was a little bit of fun as it's quite well hidden behind some office buildings when jumping off the Metro, this was to be the only worry I would have in terms of my stay here! But it's only two stops from the city centre, so can't complain. ||First impressions count and the lobby of the hotel both externally and internally gave off a very positive one. Check in was smooth, my IHG Rewards Club membership acknowledged and everything about the hotel was explained to me in clarity and I genuinely felt that the staff here cared. That was my experience for breakfast, during my stay and checking out. Even little things like a letter from the GM with details handwritten, the key card holder having a personalised note and the TV welcoming by name. So small things, but make a guest feel appreciated in a world where so many hotels (Not IHG) do the bare minimum.||I arrive in my room and have a beautiful room overlooking the river Possibly the best view I've had from a hotel for some time. The bed was extremely comfortable and furniture was in good condition. A proper desk was provided which was really ideal for the little bit of work I needed to get done and the lighting was excellent. The desk chair and armchair was comfortable and whilst the air cooling was a little different to anything I've ever seen before, it was effective and quiet. Plenty of plug sockets including USB ones by the bed too. They really thought of everything. TV had a good selection of channels, and comprehensive gde of services. Shower had excellent pressure and good quality soap/shampoo (Dove). Bathroom perfect, Bidet (hose only) also provided along with great mirrors.||Breakfast I got included in my rate. Very good and a very large range of products, everything from hot, to cold, to gluten free (special area) and also a special area with vegan food as well. You really felt that they wanted to make everyone feel welcome and cover all bases. I really love the open lobby concept in Holiday Inn, and once again it worked here.||How can they improve? That's really hard to say. When I left I looked back at the hotel as I was leaving and thought to myself 'now that was an excellent stay'. Highly recommended, this hotel won't...

Just returned from a 4 nights stay at the Holiday Inn in Helsinki West. Overall, it was a great stay and I recommend the hotel fully-hearted. We arrived very late on a Wednesday (after 11 p:m) and were warmly welcomed, check-in was quick and easy. I had booked a room with water view, and it was sooo worth it! The view even late at night (remember in summer it does not get really dark in Helsinki) was awesome. The room itself was perfectly designed, so many details well thought of! For instance, there was not only a desk, but small shelves everyhwere (above the desk, beneath the tv, besides the minibar), where you could perfectly put small things like your watch, your sunglasses etc. so you would not have to search for them on a crowded table. The bathroom was a little small, but the shower had great water pressure, and there were many great extras such as toothbrush, shaver and more. Wifi worked well, too. The coffee and tea station included hot chocolate. :-)

Breakfast was fantastic with lots of choices, also for vegetarians and vegans. I was really impressed with how well the team managed the organization, taking into account that the hotel was fully booked on two of the days. We always got a table, and there was never any lack of food. Today, when we had to check out before breakfast started, we even got a generously packed breakfast bag, thank you for this!

If there is anything that could be improved, I would mention the aircondition, which could not be turned off and could get noisy at times. Plus, the taxi back to the airport that the hotel called (an official taxi by Taksi Helsinki) was almost twice the price that we paid for the taxi FROM the airport. (60 Euros compared to 35 Euros.) This was pretty much a rip-off (for instance, you are charged 6,90 Euros extra if you pre-order the taxi instead of just calling one the minute you need it), and I would suggest that the hotel informs guests of this price difference when they ask to pre-book a taxi the night before.

Apart from that, it was a great stay in a great hotel with very nice people working at the front desk and in the breakfast area, and I would go back...