Aida Hotel

The room was clean, and the online service was quick and good. Getting to the harbor and public transport was easy, and it was handy having a kitchen and laundry facilities inside the hotel.

Pretty rooms at an affordable price, in a quiet spot near central Helsinki. I only missed a few basics in the room, like a toothbrush and toothpaste or conditioner. I'd happily come back.

The room arrangement was the biggest problem for us. We booked for six, including my elderly parents, through Expedia for three nights, and the listing gave no indication that the “combined” setup would be anything unusual. It turned out to be two rooms, with a toilet and shower in just one. The other was about 10 sqm, little more than a tiny room with beds and no bathroom. Whoever stayed there had to walk along the corridor to use the bathroom in the other room or use a shared guest-area toilet. I've never come across an arrangement like that in all my years of travel. If you book two rooms, you expect each to have its own bathroom or for the rooms to connect in some practical way. When I called customer support, the first representative was dismissive and kept saying this was their “combined offering” and that nothing could be done. Selling a room without a private bathroom and not explaining that clearly made no sense to me. That small room would be more useful as a storeroom than as part of an impractical combined offer. A second representative was somewhat more understanding. She offered to sell me another room, which did have a toilet, but at extra cost, despite the stress and inconvenience. She said the price was a “good discount,” and I felt I had no choice but to accept. It still didn't feel like a genuine customer experience. It was a really disappointing, stressful stay. If having privacy and a bathroom in your room matters to you, I'd look elsewhere in Helsinki.

The bathroom was spacious and clean, and I liked the view and thick curtains. My room was clean too. Check-in was easy once I found the entrance, which looks more like a nail salon doorway. The code box is beside the door, not on a pillar as the website pictures show. The radiator was pretty loud, but otherwise I had no problems.