Finland’s first five-star NH Collection hotel will open its doors in the heart of Helsinki
25.10.2023
A new operator is taking charge of the Grand Hansa Hotel, which is under construction opposite Helsinki Central Railway Station. Ylva, which is in charge of the project, has concluded a lease agreement with the international hotel operator Minor Hotels. The chain has over 530 hotels worldwide, and its NH Collection brand is well known for offering very high-quality hotels.
Minor Hotels is a new player in the Finnish hotel market. In the Nordic region, the chain already operates in Copenhagen, where it opened a five-star premium hotel in 2021.
“The Helsinki hotel market is quickly recovering from the pandemic years. Last year, 3.7 million overnight stays were recorded in Helsinki – a much higher figure than in 2021. The growth is expected to continue, and there is room in the market for high-quality hotels, especially for discerning tourists seeking luxury and premium experiences. We are very excited to bring a new operator to the market, known worldwide for its unique luxury destinations”, says Leea Tolvas, CEO at Ylva.
“We are glad to enter for the first time in Finland and this way increase our presence in the Nordic countries. We think this is a market with huge potential for us to grow and so we are investing in iconic properties such as the NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa and the NH Collection Copenhagen”, says Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels.
The hotel will be located in the New Student House, the Kaleva building (known as Hotel Seurahuone) and Hansatalo building and operate under the NH Collection brand. The brand’s hotels are based in unique, often historically significant buildings in central locations, with a strong sense of locality.
Hotel construction project to conclude in late 2023, opening to be announced later
Upon reaching the new agreement, Ylva rescinded the previous lease agreement with Finnish operator Primehotels, which planned to open a Hyatt chain hotel in the same location. The agreement was rescinded by mutual consent between the parties.
“Obviously, changing the operator at this stage in the project will affect the hotel’s opening schedule. However, we were pleased that so many potential candidates for the new operator registered their interest. This shows that there is great potential in the new hotel’s concept and its location in the very heart of Helsinki,” says Ville Vaarala, Real Estate Director at Ylva.
Ylva aims to conclude the hotel construction project by the end of 2023 and the hotel will open in Q1 2024. Minor Hotels will announce the timetable for the opening of the new hotel later in the autumn.
Additional information:
Ville Vaarala
Real Estate Director, Ylva
+358 40 569 0699
ville.vaarala@ylva.fi
Leea Tolvas
CEO, Ylva
+358 50 400 0323
leea.tolvas@ylva.fi
