Hotel Haven

Outsiders often expect interiors in this part of the world to look chilly and minimalist, in the sort of hybrid retro-futuristic style that’s lazily labeled “Scandinavian.” But it turns out this perception is a bit dated. Leaving aside the fact that Finland isn’t in Scandinavia at all, that sort of thing is really more mid-century than 21st-century. What looks most contemporary in today’s Nordic countries is the new cozy classicism, a look that’s very much on display in Helsinki’s Hotel Haven.

It’s usually best to ignore the names a hotel gives its room categories, with their empty promises and their inflating superlatives. But here they do a handy bit of summing up: Comfort, Style and Lux. The Haven is seventy-seven rooms of exactly those things, a grown-up and dignified take on the contemporary luxury boutique. Beds are massive and plush, bathrooms are well-equipped and indulgent, and the little things are up to date, from the espresso machines to the Bang & Olufsen entertainment centers.

You could criticize it for a lack of flash, but you’d be missing the point. It’s a haven, not a nightclub — and with a fine little restaurant and bar and a Siluetti spa, it’s in a category of its own for Helsinki.