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The signature material of the Hotel Glo is chocolate-brown leather of the same shade and finish as a piece of Louis Vuitton luggage. This 144-room property just off Helsinki's poshest shopping street clearly knows its target clientele. Located on the same block as its sister property, Palacel Kämp, it appeals to well-heeled visitors who want convenience and comfort without the Kämp's opulence. Housed in a former office building, the Glo avoids conversion pitfalls such as baffling floor plans and bad plumbing. The bedrooms feel spacious and smart. The desk is a pleasure to work at (helped by the Tivoli Audio radio), lighting is excellent and adjustable, and there's plenty of counter space in the bathrooms (these are not sealed off with a door, but there's a separate loo). There's a recurring Spanish theme, from the lobby's tapas bar to the restaurant, La Cocina, and the black-and-white photographs that line the corridors, although the eighth-floor Palace Kämp Day Spa is more typically Finnish - just the place for a traditional sauna or peat-and-honey body treatment. The weak link is the lobby, which is cluttered with too many low red chairs and bisected by an ugly fibreglass table. But with the famous Fazer chocolate café immediately opposite the entrance, it's easy to escape to somewhere cosier.
WHEN TO GO
Late August/early September to enjoy warm days and the Helsinki Festival.
ROOM TO BOOK
If you are booking a standard room, those ending in -31 are a little bigger.
Kluuvikatu 4, Helsinki (00 358 10 344 4400; www.palacekamp.fi). Doubles from 125 Euros
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