Rock’n Rose Room in Radisson Blu Aleksanteri in Helsinki

Rock’n Rose Room in Radisson Blu Aleksanteri must be one of the most unique hotel suites in Helsinki. We stayed there and this is how it went.

We spend all our summers in Finland and visit otherwise as often as we can. Since we always fly to Helsinki but our final destination is actually in the middle of the country, we often end up spending a night in a hotel. We can say, that we have seen our fair share of hotel rooms in Helsinki.

This time we were invited to Radisson Blu Aleksanteri hotel to review their new theme room; Rock’n Rose Suite. It was designed by a known musician in Finland; Remu Aaltonen, so we were quite happy to try it out.

The Radisson Blu Aleksanteri is located in Helsinki’s Kamppi neighborhood, close to many attractions and services. The Alexander Theatre and Sinebrychoff Park are right next. You can also walk to the Helsinki Railway Station from Radisson Blu Aleksanteri within 15 minutes.

Radisson Blu Aleksanteri

Radisson Blu Aleksanteri is a boutique hotel which wants to give people a distinctive hotel experience and a home-like atmosphere. They have used some homes from Helsinki as their inspiration when designing the rooms.

The hotel buildings have a long history, since they are over 100 years old. The two hotel buildings are from two different decades and that can also be seen in the rooms. Some rooms have more classic style; tall windows, wide window sills and even old tiled fire places. Some rooms on the other hand, are more modern and light coloured.

Radisson Blu Aleksanteri has both Standard and Business Class rooms, and some Family rooms. They also have couple other theme rooms among the Rock’n Rose Room. There is total of 115 rooms.

As a concept the “Radisson Blu” was already familiar to me since my work once sent me to Radisson Blu Saga in Iceland for a month. I was working as a teacher in hospitality field at the time. Radisson Blu hotels are more upscale and have a great customer service. The chain originates from Denmark.

We also felt that the Radisson Blu Aleksanteri was in a great location as we were able to walk to many places. The closest metro station was only 700 metres away, and we were able to walk to places like Temppeliaukio Church or to Children’s Town which is a free museum for kids.

The only minus was that the Radisson Blu Aleksanteri did not have their own parking lot. Instead they used the parking from Alexander Theatre which cost €25 per day or just the road side parking.

ROCK’N ROSE ROOM BY REMU AALTONEN

When we walked into the hotel we were greeted by the receptionist in a bright and light coloured lobby. He told us everything we needed to know about our stay, and we headed over to our suite which was in a dark cellar floor. What a contrast!

The hall way was painted black and the lights were dim. We walked all the way to the end there was a room with a sign: Rock’n Rose Room. And in we went go.

The atmosphere in this room was as dark and mysterious as it was in the hallway. The walls were painted with burgundy and the base boards are golden coloured. Between the rooms there was a black velvet curtain.

The Rock’n Rose Room is designed by the Finnish musician Remu Aaltonen. Most people know him from the band Hurriganes. While designing this rock-themed room, he was given a free hand to do what ever he wanted.

The room is decorated with copies of Remu Aaltonen gold records, with his guitars and some roses, of course. We had to admit to ourselves that the room is pretty cool!

The cigar sofas invite us to sit down when we walk in. And then there is the center piece of the room: The real Elvis pinball game. Of course we have to try it right away!

The coffee maker on the table is brewing and the smell of fresh coffee fills the room. While I sit and read the guest book about who else has stayed here and sip some coffee, the rest of the family is playing pinball.

We loved the big, comfy bed in the Rock’n Rose Room. For our daughter they had brought in an extra bed.

However, the windows of the room face the road so if you plan to walk around naked, don’t forget to close the curtains!

Part of the profit from the Rock’n Rose Room will go to the HelsinkiMission project which is fighting against the social exclusion of young people. So while staying in this room, you are also doing something good!

THE BEST BREAKFAST OF THIS SUMMER

I have always been a big breakfast lover, so I would like the hotel breakfast to have something unique or new. So many hotels just offer the same menu and a lot of processed foods. This time, there was plenty of good stuff to choose from!

And it’s always nice to go to a breakfast when there is somebody greeting you and asking whether we would like to have coffee or tea. The small things speak volumes!

A stylish coffee thermos was brought to our table and we felt right at home. The buffet had many traditional breakfast foods, but also some new and fresh ideas. The breakfast chef was there to make customised omelettes which we absolutely loved!

WISH FRIDGE

We were also asked to check out the “Wish Fridge” in the lobby. “What an excellent idea! Why haven’t I seen this anywhere else?” I thought.

The fridge is available 24/7, and it contains items that previous customers had wished for. In fact, there is a note on the fridge where you can leave your wishes.

This time there were some salads, sandwiches, baked goods, fresh fruits, juice, and some Magnum ice cream in the freezer. Mmmm… so of course we had to have some!

The Wish Fridge is included with all the business rooms and for others it can be added for a small fee.

The hotel also treats its customers with a small coffee moment between 5 and 7 pm. Unfortunately we missed the afternoon coffee since we were outside. 

🎸🎸🎸

During the years we have seen many unique hotel rooms among the Rock’n Rose Room. In Finland, we have for example stayed in an old prison, an art hotel and even in a birdhouse.

We have also written reviews of a 50’s wigwam motel in Arizona and the super kitchy Madonna Inn in California.

They were all fun, but out of many, many hotel rooms, Rock’n Rose Room is one of our favourites. The decor, amazing beds and one the best breakfasts in Helsinki will make sure that we will return to Radisson Blu Aleksanteri someday. Thank you for having us!

You can book your room from here.

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🚗 Car Rentals: We compare rental car prices on DiscoverCars to find the best deals worldwide.
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