HOTEL ST. GEORGE By Adrian Gibson
Housed within the city’s former Literature Society and printing house for the first Finnish national newspaper, Hotel St. George is situated at 13 Yrjönkatu on the edge of picturesque Old Church Park, right in the centre of Helsinki’s Design District. Just around the corner is premium Art Deco department store Hartmanns, with the city’s main shopping district just seconds away. Helsinki’s Design Museum is within a few minutes’ walk of the hotel, and is well worth a visit to see how Finnish design has influenced the world in some surprising ways. Set in an imposing edifice built in the 1840s but which wasn’t fully completed till 1890 by native architect Onni Tarjanne, who is known for his work on the Finnish National Theatre, Hotel St. George opened just a few months ago in May 2018 after a two-year renovation. Spanning seven floors, the historic building has been sensitively restored complete with thoughtfully curated furniture and art, most of which was handpicked by Mirkku Kullberg, the hotel’s creative force, ex-CEO of Artek and head of the home department at Vitra. The fantastic result of Kullberg’s labours is a fusion of art, Nordic style and hospitality luxury, although what has been achieved at Hotel St. George is in many ways beyond luxury. As one enters the hotel’s marble-floored, light and airy lobby, you’re greeted by a huge white silk and bamboo dragon named Tianwu, courtesy of leading contemporary artist Ai Weiwei. This sets the sophisticated tone for the entire property. In the Wintergarden Bar, located in the hotel’s inner courtyard, a 6-metre silver phoenix sculpture by Pukka Jyhä hangs under a glass roof just above the heads of guests, while the walls are lined with a stunning, whimsical wallpaper by Klaus Haapaniemi depicting a fantasy garden. The tasteful art-led aesthetic continues throughout wine and poetry rooms, plus countless nooks and cranny’s, as well as the hotel’s 148 rooms and 5 suites. The Cultured Traveller stayed in a cool Serenity Studio of around 30m2, which was decorated in a neutral palette of nude and powder blue and furnished with classic Nordic pieces. Hung with Finnish abstract art and accessorised with glass and earthenware, the overall effect was a light and serene environment which it was easy to relax in yet hard to leave. The best room in the house is undoubtedly the third-floor St George Suite, which boasts a large open-plan lounge and dining room, and whose windows open out onto Old Church Park. Here, warm chocolate drapes hang alongside modernist Hjort af Örnäs armchairs and the floors are draped with soft, hand-woven Georgian vintage carpets. Offering a mix of Finnish and Turkish culture as well as a high-quality breakfast, the hotel’s house restaurant Andrea, headed by talented duo Mehmet Gürs and Antto Melasniemi, is the perfect place to dine anytime of the day or night. Being such an artistic property, surrounded by art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafés, makes staying at Hotel St. George an exercise in luxurious living in the cosmopolitan heart of Helsinki. www.stgeorgehelsinki.com Sep-Nov 2018 The Cultured Traveller 91