I stayed for a week on the "business" floor. My room had recently been
renovated and was quiet and comfortable, with free internet service, large bathroom (with heated tiles) and pleasant furnishings. The front
desk staff were very helpful in arranging transportation and helping me to get around Helsinki. The breakfast was plentiful but a bit of a zoo due to tour groups. The hotel is centrally located and a convenient walk to downtown, the sea or the major parks. All in all a comfortable choice for business travelers.

I spent 3 nights here on a business trip recently.

On the positive side, it is conveniently located - near to trams and the city centre. The Finnair airport bus stops outside the hotel. Good leisure facilities - nice top floor pool, with good views, and saunas. Free in the mornings, but a whopping 17 euros in the evening, unless you have a Hilton/Scandic loyalty card. Free internet terminals in the lobby were useful.

Breakfast was good - a comprehensive buffet. Evening meals in the restaurant were also good value, with a wide variety of food, including national dishes.

On the negative side, the hotel looked fairly shabby, including the public areas. My room looked overdue for redecoration, with worn carpets and scuffed furniture. The public areas were constantly crowded and busy with conferences and tour parties and receptions. No toiletries in the room - you had to squeeze shower gel from a tube on the wall, which seems a bit unimpressive for a 4*.

In summary it was convenient, reasonably comfortable and had good facilities, but looked shabby and worn. I got a good value deal on gtahotels.com, but I don't think I would pay the full rate.

I have stayed many times at the Scandic Continental in Helsinki and I have always enjoyed my stay.
First of all, let me tell you there are many benefits at a Scandic Hotel in Finland. If you are a Hilton HHonors member you get money for every day to spend at the hotel. I am a Diamond member so I get 17 euros a day! It is great. Wireless internet is also free which is a great benefit. If you are in an upgraded room you may have access to the lounge which has drinks and snacks all day long (and two computers available to use). The Scandic breakfast is a very nice breakfast, no complaints at all. Finally if your room is upgraded, the suites are very comfortable. The other rooms are average quality but not bad at all. Another nice thing is it is easy to get to from the airport with the Finnair bus coming right to the back of the hotel.

The only bad thing I could say is that it is about a ten to fifteen minute walk to the main center of Helsinki. Some of the other hotels are closer.

This was my second stay at the Scandic Continental in the past year. I should point out that my first stay was marred by the fact that, despite my guaranteeing the room in advance with a credit card and having a Finnish friend phone ahead to inform them of my impending arrival, they still gave my room away. I ended up spending the night on a z-bed in the board room of the Presidential Suite and using the Sauna as my bathroom! Things could only be better this time.

First impressions were underwhelming - staff were relatively efficient but in no way welcoming. My room, on the fifth floor, was clean but tired in appearance. There was no air conditioning, which is not unusual in Helsinki (most of the year heating is more appropriate!), but the hotel's location on the main road into town (Mannerheimintie) means that opening your window guarantees significant traffic noise.

I dined in the hotel on the first evening - in the "Olive" restaurant. I stood second in line at the "Please wait for a table" sign whist multiple staff members passed us by without acknowledgment. The restaurant was half empty yet staff seemed unable to cope. I was seated after a wait of around ten minutes. The food was relatively tasty when it arrived but the service did not improve.

I would hesitate to recommend this hotel to travellers to Helsinki - be they for business or pleasure. Having given them two opportunities I will not be staying at the Scandic Continental again in future.