On our recent trip to Helsinki we stayed at 3 different hotels and found them all to be very good. Have reviewed the other 2 Radisson Blu and Fabian Hotel as well.We actually would have rebooked Fabian but they were closed on boxing day. At Sokos we booked a family room and found it very comfortable and large with nice bathroom. The reception staff could not have been more pleasant and let us check in early. My son was also offerred an activity book which we appreciated. Breakfast buffet was only ok - they had run out of a lot of things at 8.am in the morning and I was disappointed in the variety. Great location but you do hear some tram noise even though the rooms are soundproofed. Very small lifts meant difficult to fit more than one person and a suitcase in so may have to make a few trips up and down if you are a family with luggage. Not a huge deal though.

We stayed in a superior room which was spacious, clean and cosy. In the evening as we were getting ready to have some rest after a hard day we heard very!! loud music from the room next door…as we called to reception and they discovered the amount of the noise they arranged us a new room straight away and it was suite. They also offered us free drinks from the mini bar. Further more we were allowed to stay in a suite till 2pm next day instead of noon (the usual check out time) with no extra charge. Both the rooms were in excellent shape and the views from the windows breathtaking. The breakfast was great, the reception hall outstanding and the staff, as described, did their best to make us feel comfortable and welcome.

i stayed at the sokos vaakuna early january 2012 (for one night between connecting flights). my short stay was peaceful and enjoyable, the room was well appointed albeit small, the bed was very comfortable, many rooms on the 9th floor have balconies with a very nice view of the CBD, the old building is beautiful and quirky (inside out) and close to everything in the centre of town including the train station and the airport shuttle bus stop, the staff is very helpful and polite, booking in and out is speedy and effective, the television was too small and too slow in changing channels, the sauna could do with extended opening hours, prices are moderate, late booking out is appreciated. i will go back to the sokos vaakuna given another visit to helsinki, and i will recommend it to my friends.

As I mentioned in my hilton review I decided to stay her the last few nights of my trip and this for me ended it on a high note.

I got a simple standard room which came with the usual super comfy bed like the one I had in Tampere.

The staff were all very friendly and eager to help and while I didn't eat at the restaraunt nor did I make it to breakfast once (which I blame on helsinki nightlife) the bar at the hotel was fun and made for a good launching off point each evening.

If I stayed again I'd probably get a superior room but this was very good and you certainly don't feel ripped off.

I will say that the elevator is comically small and not just from an american perspective everyone that got into it had a chuckle at it's size.

But again another great experience at a sokos.