Hotel U14, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Helsinki sub-region

Helsinki is not a city shock full of great hotels, I have not found one I completely liked before. Hotel U14 (Autograph) opened in 2020 and I tried it for the first time. I had a nice stay and can recommend this hotel, however it should be noted that this might not be the best fit for people looking for large suite upgrades as Marriott Bonvoy elites.

My upgrade as Marriott Ambassador Elite was originally to a Luxe room which was of a decent size by European standards (30 sqm) and built to a high standard such that it could be considered close to Luxury Collection. That room was on a low floor but with the double-glazed windows at least 10 cm apart we could not hear traffic noise from the street. The hotel fully belongs in the Autograph Collection for its non-boring design and I liked the hippo theme in the room.

In the middle of our stay a corner suite became available and we moved to that room type (best available at that hotel) on a high floor. Obviously there was more space available and 1.5 bathroom which was convenient, but as far as suites go it was rather small at 41 sqm. If I compare to Hotel St.George (Design), many suites at StG are larger than the corner suite at U14 so if needing extra space U14 might not be the answer. Also one other negative I noticed about the suite is that we had a connecting door to another room and soundproofing was not as great as it was from the outer wall/windows – we could hear guests in the adjoining room. From our living room we had a small glimpse of the sea between buildings.

Breakfast was good quality and the weekend version which extended to 2pm was quite popular with locals and non-guests of the hotel. There was an a la carte menu on weekends but it was out of bounds for the Platinum-Titatinum-Ambassador breakfast which was limited to the buffet, same as on week days.

The buffet had a few dishes which stood out to make it an enjoyable breakfast instead of exclusively having standard items found anywhere else in the world. I particularly enjoyed the Succotash and the baked apples & oats.

Overall U14 is solid and I would consider it upon returning to Helsinki. In general I value suite upgrades and here I suspect they don’t have many of them which makes the odds somewhat moderate. In addition, suites are not much larger than Luxe rooms anyway so when staying at U14 I would have to accept that I will not have the most space but the hardware will be very nice. If willing to pay more, Hotel St.George is clearly a notch above and has specialty suites available which are...

This hotel is overall quite good. The rooms are very nice and clean. Housekeeping services are great. It’s a quite expensive hotel, but it has been very enjoyable. The restaurant stays open until 23, but keep in mind that the kitchen actually closes at 22. During the very beginning of my stay, I had some concerns with the front desk (didn't feel valued during one of my interactions) and some concerns with hotel ammenities, but these were explained and resolved by the hotel leadership in a very kind way. After the first couple days of the stay, I realized the the hotel does genuenly care about guests and tries to go above and beyond to provide a good experience. I was surprised to find that the hotel managemnt really does care to make sure guests have a good experience here. I stay at quite a lot of hotels and at many of these, it seems that hotel staff is quite superficial and doesn't genuinly put an effort to make a guest's experience great, but this is not the case at U14. I am offered quite friendly/good service each day here. I am using the gym and sauna nearly daily and have really enjoyed these ammenities during my stay, espeically the sauna...

This is a stylish and modern hotel located in the heart of Helsinki. It's the perfect base for exploring the city's many attractions and waterfront. There’s even a scooter rental stand just outside so you can cover more ground if you want.

The hotel has a unique and quirky design, inspired by the Moomin. This is reflected in the hotel's branding, artwork, and even the furniture. Don’t worry if you don’t know what a Moomin is, I didn’t either. Google it.

The rooms are spacious with everything you need for a comfortable stay. The beds are incredibly comfortable, and the bathrooms are modern and stylish.

The hotel also has other features, including a restaurant, a bar, a gym, and a sauna. The restaurant serves delicious food, and the bar is a great place to relax and unwind after a long day. The staff was very friendly and provided great service. All the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. They went out of their way to make sure we had a memorable stay.

Overall, I highly recommend this location to anyone looking for a stylish and comfortable hotel in Helsinki. It's the perfect place to stay for a business trip or a...