Hotel Lilla Roberts

Finnish architecture and design tend to fly under the radar a bit, but you’ll revise your judgment once you’ve seen the Hotel Lilla Roberts, which spans over a century of Helsinki history — from a power station built by Selim A. Lindqvist, later expanded by modernist architect Gunnar Taucher, and finally refitted to its present purpose by Jaakko Puro. The result is a stylish and contemporary hotel in the now-familiar boutique style, one that’s indelibly stamped with Helsinki’s particular visual character.

At no point are the rooms small, nor lacking in any of the essential modern comforts, from extraordinarily comfortable king beds to massive televisions and wireless sound systems. Move up the range a bit and you’re treated to some extra space as well as in-room Nespresso machines — don’t forget, the recommended daily allowance of coffee is a bit higher at these latitudes.

Also recommended in northern climes: plenty of space for huddling around the fire, drink in hand, as you’ll do in the Lilla Roberts’s lobby bar — connected to which is Krog Roba, a well-regarded bistro serving a fine introduction into the sort of pan-Nordic fare that’s recently caught the imagination of the culinary world.