Holiday Inn Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Review

Located a shuttle away from Helsinki airport is the Holiday Inn, which offers good value for quick layovers. Pleasant service, clean rooms, and loyalty recognition, make this Holiday Inn a fine stay.

Shuttle & Location of the Holiday Inn

The Holiday Inn offers a complimentary airport shuttle. Follow signs towards airport hotels and busses and eventually you’ll exit to an area with a row of buses. Go to the far end to what looks like a public bus stop and there you’ll see that it is also the airport hotel shuttle pickup point. The schedule is posted, but I found it to be completely unrelated to the times it actually picks up since they just drive in a loop. 

Pickup time took longer than expected as we watched the bus pull away before we made it to the stop. We waited about half an hour for the bus to come back around. It is a grey bus and there is room to put your luggage, but definitely nothing fancy. This bus also stops at several other hotels like the Scandic airport hotels. 

The Holiday Inn Helsinki is located about 15 minutes from the airport. So definitely budget 30 minutes to get to or from the airport in case you miss the bus. 

The best way to the city from the hotel is just grabbing an uber. They cost a little less than $25 each way to the city center and is easier than trying to catch the shuttle back to the airport and then the train. 

It you plan to spend more than one night in Helsinki then definitely stay in the city center

Room and Loyalty Recognition

Upon check in my Platinum status was recognized (from the IHG Premier Card) and we were proactively upgraded to our choice of room. I had booked the base room on points for 13,000 IHG points

We also could choose welcome points or a single beverage and snack (despite the occupancy being two). I went with the food option and got a glass of wine and a bag of nuts. Alcoholic beverage options include red or white wine or beer. Snack options were nuts or potato chips. 

We got the executive suite which was very spacious with a dining area and dressing room. The bathroom footprint unfortunately was quite small so there isn’t a lot of counter room. The other surfaces and dedicated area to getting ready makes up for it. 

Skip the hassle of looking for flights! Use my Award Booking Concierge Service. I’ll find the flights on points and let you know exactly how to book. 

There aren’t any sweeping views but there are large windows with lots of light. 

The stairway and surrounding vicinity reflect utilitarian purpose and Soviet era expansion. 

In the room was two free bottles of water (one still, one sparkling) and famous Finnish chocolate bar. That was a nice welcoming touch. 

Amenities & Dining

There is a sauna onsite and it’s open till 11 pm, which is great in case you want to relax after a long flight. Saunas are integral to Finnish culture, so it was a cool bonus uneven though I didn’t get a chance to check it out. 

The restaurant on-site us called Charly’s and offers food all day. The breakfast buffet starts early and is available for €15 per person at check in. We didn’t get the breakfast since we planned on eating at the Plaza Premium Lounge. 

The restaurant had a number of patrons when we returned in the evening which was nice to see. I imagine after a late arrival I would have planned to just eat at the hotel or airport too. 

Overall Impressions

The Holiday Inn Helsinki Airport is a suitable stay if you are transiting in Helsinki and don’t mind the commute on the shuttle. If you have the budget then stay directly at the airport and save time and money on transport (use the train) if you plan on going into the city center. I was thinking the worst when I booked this stay, but was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome, clean room, and convenience.