Picolo recommends · Hotel in Helsinki, Finland
Hotel Katajanokka
Thick walls, long corridors and a prison yard, in a hotel where the only door locked at night is your own.
Walk the corridor to your room and the building's past is hard to miss: heavy walls, a long row of doors, a yard enclosed by high walls. What surprises most people is how warm it feels once you are inside, in a room made by knocking former cells together.
Katajanokka is the district on a small island just east of Market Square, linked to the centre by short bridges. Its streets hold some of Helsinki's finest art nouveau buildings, and the terminal for the Stockholm ferries is here too, which makes this an obvious first or last night in the city.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Hotel Katajanokka
This is our value pick in Helsinki. You get a hotel with a genuine story for less than a room along the Esplanadi, and the walk to Market Square takes you past some of the best facades in the city.
You are a short walk from the centre rather than in it, and the island is quiet in the evenings. Anyone who finds the idea of sleeping in a former prison more grim than fun should choose somewhere else.
What you get
- Rooms made from former prison cells
- Original walls, corridors and courtyard kept
- Stockholm ferry terminal on the same island
- Snug rooms with a calm atmosphere
- Walk to Market Square past art nouveau facades
A day at Hotel Katajanokka
- Morning
- A slow loop of Katajanokka to see the art nouveau buildings.
- Midday
- Up to the Uspenski Cathedral, then over the bridge to Market Square.
- Afternoon
- The ferry to Suomenlinna from Market Square.
- Evening
- Dinner by the water before walking back to the old prison.
Location
Katajanokka, Helsinki, Finland
Open in MapsQuestions about Hotel Katajanokka
Is Hotel Katajanokka really a former prison?
Yes. The building served as a prison before it became a hotel, and each room is put together from former cells. The walls, corridors and courtyard are still there.
Is Hotel Katajanokka close to the ferry terminal?
Yes. The Katajanokka terminal, used by ferries to and from Stockholm, is on the same island, so arriving or leaving by sea is easy.
How far is Hotel Katajanokka from the city centre?
Market Square is around ten minutes on foot over a short bridge, and trams link the island with the rest of the centre.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
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