Bulevardi Street is one of the most beautiful and prestigious in Helsinki, and here, at number 26, the Finnish headquarters of British Petroleum was located. But now this house has been turned into a boutique hotel Hotel Indigo Helsinki Boulevard of the international IHG chain with 120 rooms: there are even suites on the top floor. The renovation was done in a very elegant way, and the interiors are fresh and even entertaining, without falling into commonplace.
The project was carried out by the bureau
Soini & Horto: The architect of the restructuring was Sami Horto and the interiors were in charge of the architect Markus Eskola. The total area of the renovated 8-storey building was about 7700 m2.
The hotel lobby is separated from the Bröd restaurant (Swedish for "bread": Finland has two official languages - Finnish and Swedish) by the light bookshelves of a small library, where good books, including fiction, are arranged for guests and visitors.
The look of the hotel is quite Scandinavian. Three different themes are used for the rooms: the first is inspired by Rue Boulevardi, the second is inspired by the industrial or port environment, and the third is about the park, in this case the neighboring Sinebruckoff Park. One of the walls in each room is decorated with a "mural" design by artist Linda Linko.
The room where I lived was located on the fifth floor. For my dog, they brought a crib, a towel with a print in the form of small bones, a treat, as well as bowls for water and food, that is, the service was impeccable. It is important to note that four-legged guests cannot stay in all rooms or on all floors, so the rest of the hotel space is also suitable for guests with animal allergies.
Rooms on the fifth floor overlook either Bulevardi or the interior of the block. In addition to a bed and a large armchair with a reading lamp, the rooms have a table with a classic chair by designer Ilmari Tapiovaar and a real "work" lamp - which is perfect for those guests who plan to work in their room. Bathrooms are mostly equipped with showers rather than bathtubs, which would be very helpful in northern climates. On the top floor of the hotel there is a sauna and steam room, a gym, a yoga room and small conference rooms.
A more "private" part of the Bröd restaurant is used for breakfast in the morning, while in the afternoon it turns into an affordable city restaurant where employees of the surrounding offices dine. The only drawback: its side windows face the backyard, where there is clearly not enough greenery.
The facade of the Hotel Indigo Helsinki Boulevard has undergone a major transformation. Now it is sheathed in metal, and its design was done almost alone by the 70-year-old blacksmith Esko Kivi. This work of his, and he himself even became the heroes of a large article in the leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
The ground floor of the hotel also houses the Soup & Juice small cookery, which opens in the early evening.
