24 hours in Helsinki — Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

So basically, sometimes you don’t need to fly somewhere far away or plan a huge adventure to get a little change of scenery. Since Helsinki is literally just across the Gulf of Finland from Estonia, it is one of those places that feels almost too familiar to properly count as a trip. I had already been to Helsinki several times before, so I thought I had more or less seen it.

But this time was actually a little different.

We decided to spend around 24 hours in Helsinki and stay at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, mostly to have a little getaway, eat some good food and just enjoy the city without making it into some huge planned itinerary. And surprisingly, I noticed quite a few things that I had somehow completely missed on my previous Helsinki trips.

Especially the architecture.

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

The first thing I noticed about the hotel was how new, modern and clean everything felt. As an Estonian, I think there is something funny about visiting Helsinki because it is geographically so close to home, but at the same time the hotels and city atmosphere can sometimes feel a little more polished and Scandinavian.

The Royal had that feeling straight away.

I really liked the lighting inside the hotel. It was modern without being cold, and there were lots of little details that made the whole place feel quite stylish. The common areas had a very contemporary look and everything felt well maintained and clean, which is honestly one of the things I appreciate the most when staying at a hotel.

Our room was also modern and comfortable, and overall I got the feeling that the hotel had been designed with practicality and aesthetics in mind. Nothing felt unnecessarily old-fashioned or worn out.

For such a short stay, it was actually exactly what I wanted. We weren't there to spend half the day in the hotel, but it was nice to come back somewhere that felt fresh, quiet and comfortable.

Helsinki

I have to admit that Helsinki surprised me a little this time.

Maybe because I wasn't there trying to tick off tourist attractions, I actually started paying more attention to the city itself. And somehow I had missed just how beautiful some of the architecture is.

Helsinki has this really interesting mixture of old and new. There are these beautiful historic buildings with all the little details, decorative facades and large windows, but then right next to them you can find very minimalist modern Scandinavian architecture.

I especially enjoyed just walking around and looking at the buildings. There is something very understated about Helsinki. It isn't trying too hard to impress you. The architecture can be elegant and beautiful without being overly extravagant.

And as an Estonian, maybe I should have noticed this earlier because Helsinki is so close to Tallinn, but the atmosphere between the two cities still feels quite different. Helsinki feels a little more spacious and calm in certain areas, and I really enjoyed that during this short visit.

It also made me realise that when you live relatively close to a place, you sometimes stop seeing it properly. You think you've already been there, so there is nothing new to discover. But sometimes you just need to walk around with a different mindset.

Le Grec

Obviously, no little city getaway is complete without good food.

We went to Le Grec, a Greek restaurant in Helsinki, and this was definitely one of the highlights of the 24 hours.

We ordered octopus, beef tartare and steak. A slightly random combination, I know, but we wanted to try a few different things rather than just order one main course each.

The octopus was definitely one of my favourites. I always think octopus is one of those dishes that can be either really good or really disappointing depending on how it is prepared, and this one was really enjoyable.

The beef tartare was also a fun choice, especially because it was something different from the usual restaurant order. And then we had steak, because sometimes you simply can't go wrong with steak.

Overall, it was one of those dinners where the food itself became part of the trip rather than just something we needed to eat.

The not-so-good part

There was, however, one thing that made me feel a little less comfortable walking around Helsinki.

In some areas we came across homeless people, including people who appeared to be struggling with drug addiction, and some of the situations felt quite unpredictable. As visitors, we did feel a bit unsafe at times, especially when people were behaving erratically or hanging around in groups.

I'm not saying that Helsinki generally felt dangerous, because it didn't. Most of the time we felt completely fine and it was a very normal city experience. But compared with how I remembered Helsinki from previous visits, I did notice this more, and it unfortunately affected the feeling of safety a little.

It is also one of those things where you can feel sympathy for the people involved while still admitting that certain situations make you uncomfortable. Both things can be true at the same time.

To sum it up

For a 24-hour trip, Helsinki was honestly a really nice little escape.

The main reason I would stay at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel again is the overall feeling of it. It was very modern, clean and fresh, and I especially liked the lighting and contemporary design. For a short city break, I don't really need anything overly luxurious — I just want a comfortable room, nice surroundings and a hotel I actually enjoy coming back to.

But probably my biggest takeaway from this trip wasn't even the hotel.

It was Helsinki itself.

I've visited Helsinki several times before and somehow managed to overlook how beautiful parts of the city actually are. This time I paid more attention to the architecture, the old buildings, the little details and the combination of historic and modern design.

So I guess the lesson here is that sometimes you don't need to go somewhere new to experience something differently.

Sometimes you just need to visit somewhere familiar with fresh eyes.