We were expecting Hyatt's Unbound Collection, but in the end it will be Minor's NH Collection. Hotel development sometimes reserves a few surprises of this kind. For example, the Grand Hansa Helsinki, a long-awaited luxury hotel in the Finnish capitalhas just change operator shortly before its scheduled opening. This ambitious project, once supported by Primehotels, was hit by the difficulties of this local group, which was financially affected by the repercussions of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and was forced to review its plans.
While Primehotels had planned to affiliate its hotel with Hyatt's Unbound Collection, the owner of the property, Ylva, has mutually agreed to terminate its lease with the local hotelier and sign a new one. with Thai group Minor. A group happy to " the opening of our first property in Finland" according to Dilip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor International, as its NH Collection brand adds another major Nordic destination to its offering after Copenhagen in 2021.
As a result of this handover, business travellers will now have to wait a little longer Ylva hopes to complete construction by the end of the year, with a view to opening in the first quarter of 2024. However, this game of musical chairs in no way detracts from the expected prestige of the establishment, one of the key future landmarks in the Finnish capital.
Located just opposite the main railway station and in the heart of the business district, on one of the city's main thoroughfares - Mannerheimintie - the Grand Hansa Hotel is the result of the combination of several historic buildings dating from the early 1900s. These include the Kaleva building, which once housed the Hotel Seurahuone, the New Student House, which housed the famous Hansa Hotel between 1924 and 1968, and a new extension.
This luxury package will be the setting for the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa, which will offer travellers 224 rooms, a restaurant and two bars, including one on the rooftop, as well as nine meeting and reception rooms. It will also boast a large spa with several saunas.
