Location
If you want to stay in the centre of Helsinki, GLO Hotel Kluuvi is in the perfect location – it’s positioned in the middle of the shopping district and a short walk to key sights, such as the Uspenski Cathedral with its onion domes, the bustling Market Square, the central Esplanadi walkway and the waterfront. Apart from the taxi to and from the airport, we didn’t need to catch another during our stay, because everything important was within walking distance. If you’re not lugging around a heap of luggage and a toddler, the train station is just a five-minute walk from the hotel, and it’s easy enough to catch the train to and from the airport.
Why we stayed at GLO Hotel Kluuvi
With three days in Helsinki, our plan was to explore to the max. Generally we like to head out during the day, come back in the afternoon for a rest, then go out again for dinner, so choosing a centrally located hotel is always a key factor. GLO Hotel Kluuvi ticked that box. Choosing a hotel that has comfortable rooms, a tasty breakfast and just feels right all come into the equation too. It was easy enough to work out that the rooms and food were good, thanks to the reviews. And as soon as we turned up (very early in the morning!), the welcome we received from staff confirmed that we’d made the right choice.
Accommodation
GLO Hotel Kluuvi has 184 rooms spanning five categories. The Smart Doubles are the smallest category, and at 13m2 are quite compact. The largest are the Executive Suites, which are 68m2 and can fit up to six guests. We booked a Luxe Double room, which at 26m2 easily fit our travel cot and luggage. All rooms are modern and kept spotlessly clean. They are well designed too, with furniture strategically positioned to make maximum use of the space.
Food & Beverage
You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Tray restaurant, which has a lovely cosy ambience that makes you want to sit there for hours reading a good book – but, with a toddler, even half an hour is luxury. The buffet breakfast selections are varied, with something to please even the pickiest of eaters. I enjoyed eggs on toast most days, followed by fruit compote and yoghurt. My husband chose something similar but finished off with pastries (his travel addiction). We’re lucky our toddler eats just about anything, so it was eggs, toast and fruit for her too. There is a Monday to Friday lunch buffet service, with one locally inspired hot dish (alternating every day) and salad bar selection. Dinner is an imaginative a la carte affair, with main dishes (called trays) designed for sharing. Try ‘Two birds on a nest’ if hunger is calling – you’ll get French pulled duck with ponzu sauce and Finnish teriyaki chicken served in a pineapple shell alongside veggie sticks and roti pancakes.
Activities
Staying in the centre of Helsinki is all about getting out and getting to know the Finnish capital, and GLO Hotel Kluuvi can help with this. Reception staff are courteous and helpful, so if you need directions or advice, chatting to them is a good port of call. You can hire a bike (a GLOfied Jopo) throughout spring and summer and explore in the saddle. Staff can also help with car rental if you’re keen to explore further.
Family Travel tip
The Finns know how to look after families, and at The Tray they’ve got high chairs sorted. The stool-like seats (pictured on the right) hold energetic toddlers in while taking up very little space. Our daughter loved sitting right at the table in her special chair.
Visit the GLO Hotel Kluuvi website here.
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This story first appeared in Family Travel magazine. To subscribe or read back issues of the magazine, click here.
When you travel every day is different! You get to experience different cultures, meet new people, get lost, find cool laneway bars, try weird and delicious foods, snorkel with sea lions, fly over mountains carpeted in grass, laze about in hammocks immersed in Windex-blue water, horse ride alongside gauchos, call sleeper trains, igloos and yurts home for a night, cycle past giraffes, dance with Masai warriors, play with local school children.