1Original Sokos Hotel Wiklund
Original Sokos Hotel Wiklund is an urban oasis right on the Market Square. Wiklund recently underwent a major transformation and as a result, travellers are offered not just luxurious linen and stylishly redesigned rooms but everything else, from shopping to pampering and gorgeous eating options – all with just a press of the elevator.
And the cherry on top – literally – is the magnificent Walo Rooftop Bar, a trendy vantage point that offers a bird's-eye view over the landmarks of Turku. Alternatively, if you decide to go down not up, a walk on the street takes you straight to the pulsating city centre. How convenient.
2Hotel Kakola
Spending the night in jail suddenly has a whole new meaning. Now, in the unique surroundings of the former notorious Kakolanmäki prison you’ll find Hotel Kakola, where accommodation has been stylish designed for comfort not captivity.
Everything at the hotel is done with the greatest conviction. Book in at the big house for big pleasure. The fascinating Hotel Kakola combines a trendy lifestyle hotel with a rugged prison vibe. There are up to 148 different hotel rooms to choose from, where you can even do time in a stylish suite or former isolation cell. With all of Kakolanmäki's diverse services, you’re sure to extend your sentence, whilst all downtown attractions are a short walk away.
3Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone
At the heart of central Turku, a stone’s throw from the Market Square, you’ll find the brand spanking new Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone. The word on the street was a large ‘boutique-shaped’ hole in Turku’s hotel industry just had to be filled. Included in the same package is the much anticipated, Gunnar Eatery & Bar a.k.a ”Gunu”, whose magic word is communal dining. This makes it a great social spot to try out, even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
Above all else, Seurahuone is a home-from-home for Turku locals, where they go to get away for a relaxing break and see their city with fresh eyes. All of Turku’s attractions and activities are just round the corner – if, of course, you can manage to drag yourself away from the luxury of the hotel.
4Hotel Centro
In a sheltered courtyard at the heart of Turku, you’ll find Hotel Centro, run by the lovely Ilkka and Kristiina. With its elegant décor and warm atmosphere, the second-generation family hotel offers a peacefully rest even at the edge of the busy market square. For breakfast, enjoy all variety of delicacies, such as fresh fish and pastries.
Centro displays the owner’s passion for contemporary art, and around the hotel you can admire their collection.
5Hotel Scandic Julia
Go a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the market square, through the doors and up the stairs, and you will step into the modern, spacious and recently renovated Scandic Julia. A minute’s walk from the restaurants of Vähätori square, as well as the cafes and summer terraces that form the pride of Turku along the River Aura shores. Nip to the design shops on Linnankatu and spot something nice to take home.
In Bistro Julienne, children can enjoy the next-door playroom while parents savour their meal, with more peaceful corners also easily available. The heated garage is conveniently accessible directly from the hotel reception.
6Hotel Scandic Plaza
Scandic Plaza’s cream-coloured building is a pearl of 1920’s functionalist architecture, designed by Erik Bryggman. The intimate atmosphere provides the feeling of a small hotel, appealing to guests with an appreciation for individuality.
Despite being in the city centre, the pedestrianised high street makes for a peaceful location. Downstairs you can sit in the hotel’s own café-restaurant, Bryggman’s Deli, overlooking the shoppers passing by. Across the street from the hotel is Turku’s largest shopping centre, Hansa.
7Hotel Scandic Atrium
The largest of Turku’s Scandic hotels provides the perfect base to explore the city. Around the corner is the River Aura, which if you follow it upstream leads to Turku Cathedral and Turku Castle in the other direction. Step out the front door and you’re only a short walk form all Turku’s main attractions!
Scandic Atrium is especially popular with families and groups. In addition to the 3 and 4-bed rooms available, there is also a swimming pool and playroom, making it particularly popular with children. Downstairs you’ll find a restaurant and a lounge bar. With a large parking facility the hotel is ideal if you are arriving by car.
8Hotel Scandic Hamburger Börs
The iconic Hamburger Börs offers peaceful accommodation in a new and modern building, with spacious, beautifully decorated, air-conditioned rooms. The hotel also offers a wide range of restaurants and a unique setting, with state-of-the-art technology for meetings, parties and family events.
9Kultaranta Resort
Located in Naantali is the Kultaranta Resort, offering a unique and magnificent setting. There you’ll find a marina offering services for boaters, as well as an 18-hole golf course nestled in the archipelago landscape, where you can hone your swing.
In the Kultaranta Restaurant, enjoy a seasonal menu for breakfast and lunch, whilst the pizzas served in Heineken House are the best in the region. A great place to feast in the summer!
The Clubhouse restaurant is contemporarily styled, whilst the Nostalgic Farmhouse takes on a French provincial atmosphere, and the exposed walls of the idyllic Old Stone Byre are a real feature. Guests will find the facilities both comfortable and impressive!
Spend the night in stylish hotel suites or a holiday apartment with your own sauna, surrounded by stunning nature.
10Hostel Linnasmäki
Four kilometres from central Turku you’ll find low-cost accommodation in Linnasmäki, situated in verdant surroundings, almost in the midst of a forest. If arriving with your own car there are plenty of free parking spaces. If you arrive some other way, you can reach Turku with a rental bike or by bus from the stop by the hostel.
The hostel’s facilities include a communal kitchen, and indoor pool and a Frisbee golf course on the grounds. On top of all this, it’s also only 20 minutes to Moominworld!
11Hotel Seaport
Hotel Seaport is located adjacent to the ferry terminals of both Viking Line and Tallink Silja, just a few kilometres from the centre of Turku. The hotel is found in a converted brick warehouse, where merchants used to buy and sell goods brought in from sea over 100 years ago. The old black and white pictures on the wall give a glimpse into those times, as the port of Turku served as Finland’s gateway to the west for 860 years!
Enjoy the food and the maritime spirit at the Gastro Pub long into the night. Turku Castle is only a stone’s throw away, and the Forum Marinum maritime museum is also a close neighbour.
12Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel
A crucial element of any successful holiday is the hotel location. On the shores of the beautiful River Aura and in the immediate vicinity of the city centre, you’ll find the Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel, offering the ideal base for your visit to Turku. The walk to the city centre along the riverbank is wonderful at any time of year.
The trendy and laidback Marina Bar & Lounge is an elegant lobby bar, with glass walls that open out onto the Aura riverside to bring instant satisfaction to your holiday mood. The fantastic atmosphere extends out onto the stylish terrace of Grill it! Marina, on which you can sit even during winter under heated lamps.
13Naantali Spa
Naantali Spa is a number one destination for those yearning for relaxation. Escape to the heart of Finland’s loveliest seaside town and overdose on satisfaction – an amazing place anytime of year. Once at the spa, take full advantage of the different treatments and the unrestrained pleasure of the saunas and spa. Does today feel like a day for a rose-petal bath with a glass of sparkling wine? Or perhaps an aromatic massage or some hot stone therapy? Warning: spa-life is highly addictive.
In addition to pampering, delicious food and other activities, you should also explore the town of Naantali. Take a peek at the beautiful gardens of Kultaranta and get lost in the delightfully quaint cafés and boutiques of the old town.
14Ruissalo Spa
A place immersed in perfectly peaceful nature, whilst at the same time close to central Turku. The scenic beauty of Ruissalo Island and surrounding sea is mindfulness at its best. Fortunately, most of the rooms come a with a sea view! Did you know that you can even go straight from the spa pool complex for a dip in the sea?
The best aspects of the hotel include the bountiful buffet, as well as breakfast at Restaurant Merisali, which always comes in for high praise. It’s also worth taking a small excursion into the surrounding Ruissalo National Park, and with bicycle hire provided at the spa, the whole family can take a little trip.
15Holiday Club Caribia
The Caribia of Turku guarantees a tropical vibe equal to the group of islands lying between the Americas. Many are familiar with Holiday Club Caribia, particularly the spa complex and waterpark, which are especially worth a mention. When did you last slide wildly down a waterslide, reset your brain in a spa or revive yourself with water aerobics?
The holiday world at Caribia Spa is the place to reinvigorate and recharge your batteries. The peaceful, recently renovated hotel rooms guarantee and a quality stay for a romantic getaway, a fun trip with friends or a family spa break. A place where that weekend feeling lasts forever.
16Original Sokos Hotel Kupittaa
Stay in comfort at the Original Sokos Hotel Kupittaa, a delightfully different hotel located in the heart of the fast growing Kupittaa area of Turku. This vivid, timeless, and distinctly stylish hotel is already a popular choice. You can easily find the hotel near Kupittaanpuisto, next to the Kupittaa train station. The hotel's facilities are complemented by the cosy and cheerful Bistro Elli, the Deli 24/7 as well as the Kuppis Rooftop Bar.
Pictures: Wellu Hämäläinen