When I’m traveling, I love to find unique places to stay but even I surprised myself by staying in a former prison in Helsinki, Finland. But fear not! Hotel Katajanokka is actually part of the Strawberry hotel group, providing the best in Nordic hotels.
For full disclosure, when I booked this hotel in 2023, it was considered a luxury Marriott property under the Tribute Portfolio. We used our points which were enough to cover the entire stay. So the initial draw was that it would cost us nothing out of pocket. But the real thrill was the history of this hotel.
Katajanokka Hotel and Prison History
Katajanokka is actually a region on the southeastern side of Helsinki that’s been used for prison activity since the 1700s. Once the site of Helsinki Crown Prison, it was expanded to become the Helsinki County Prison, which included 12 rooms, holding up to 200 prisoners at any given time.
What’s even cooler is that the prison was modeled after the Eastern State Penitentiary that I visited in Philadelphia! Spoiler: The goal was to make you penitent for your sins and closer to God.
The prison went through a series of expansions and could see as many as 10,000 prisoners in a year. But by 2002, it had become a remand prison (basically where they hold you until trial) and then closed its doors when the Vantaa Prison opened about a half hour north of Helsinki.
From Holding Cell to Hotel Room
Thankfully, in 2006, renovations began to transform the prison to a Best Western Hotel, which opened a year later in 2007. The finished project included 106 rooms, a restaurant, gym, and sauna facilities. And while I can’t comment on how the hotel was in the early years, or even where it’s headed under new management, my sentence at the prison hotel was well worth it!
In the hotel, you’ll find four rooms types: Standard Double, Standard Twin, Superior, and Junior Suite. If you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you’ll note that rooms are typically small and difficult to accommodate families. We were thrilled to stay in the Superior Family room which included an extremely comfortable queen bed and a full size pull out sofa for my son.
In the room, we had ample space to move around, even with the sofa bed in place. The room had a desk area along with a tea station (this tea drinker was thrilled), and plenty of space and amenities in the closet.
As for European bathrooms? Typically very small but not so here! Plenty of room for our family along with an enjoyable walk-in shower.
I had heard room that many rooms were two cells that had been combined and that some of the larger rooms, like ours, may have been offices. Based on the location of our room, I’m guessing the warden may have spent some time in our space.
Walking Through the Prison Hotel
The one thing I loved about this hotel is that it very much embraced it’s history as a former prison. There’s no mistaking the wings of the prison as you stand at the center of the hotel and look at the hallways and stairways. In fact, if you do a side by side comparison of Hotel Kajanokka and the Eastern State Penitentiary, there’s no mistaking the influence!
I think we can all agree that a prison looks much better when it’s polished and carpeted! But they don’t let you forget the roots! You can head to the basement where you can visit several types of cells.
Enter the Dungeon (but seriously, this is where the cool stuff is)
The lower level is a must visit for so many reasons. So many, that I’ll list them individually for you.
Get in a workout
There is actually a really nice fitness room here. I would imagine it’s a bit better than the amenities for pumping ironback in the day.
Enjoy the sauna
Sauna isn’t just a hotbox. It’s a way of life in Finland. And we wanted to fully embrace that life while we were visiting. Although the sauna is open on the weekends with designated hours for men and women, we wanted to experience it as a family. We made a reservation for a. private one hour sauna on a weeknight for about $30. With our reservation, we received some advice from the front desk for how to sauna properly.
She suggested an ice cold drink (I opted for the local favorite Longdrink) and told us the Finnish way is to spend 10 minutes in the sauna and then step into an ice cold shower. Then repeat for the course of an hour. We felt so invigorated that we made it a point to do a private sauna another night before we left.
Enjoy a fresh breakfast (or dinner)
I’m not a big breakfast eater but by the third day of listening to my family rave about the restaurant in the basement, I decided to join them. As with most European restaurants, I’m always amazed and impressed by the varieties of healthy, delicious, and fresh foods.
Step Back in Time
Although it’s difficult to forget you’re in a prison, Hotel Katajanokka gives you the opportunity to experience prison life in less luxurious surroundings. At one end of the basement hallways, you’ll find a prison cell circa the 1800s. This is a very small, cave-like, subterranean cell that typically housed many men at one time. You do have the ability to crawl into the cell for a more authentic perspective.
And finally, through the dining hall of the restaurant, you’ll have the ability experience, and even leave your mark in, one of the modern cells. It also makes for a great photo op.
My Time at Hotel Katajanokka
I’ve read some less than favorable reviews about the hotel and I can’t agree with any of them. But keep in mind that we visited in March which is, ostensibly, not an ideal time to visit Finland. That might explain why we were able to get such a large room for our hotel points. We did luck out and had brisk but sunny weather and no crowds anywhere, including the hotel.
The hotel itself was quiet – we rarely saw any other guests – felt the location was ideal for walking around downtown Helsinki or heading to other destinations outside the city. As the hotel changes hands, I hope that not much changes because this was the unusual vibe I like when visiting a new city.
