3* Scandic Kallio

Hotel F6 manages to be right in central Helsinki while feeling surprisingly tucked away. It’s on a side street just behind Esplanadi, with Market Square, the harbour, shops and a ridiculous number of good restaurants all within a few minutes’ walk. This is a family-owned hotel rather than a big international chain, and that shows in the more personal atmosphere. The leafy courtyard is lovely in warmer weather, while Runar downstairs is a proper cocktail bar rather than somewhere that simply happens to serve drinks beside reception. Hercules and the rest of central Helsinki nightlife are easily walkable, although the hotel itself stays pleasantly removed from the late-night bustle. GayMapper tip: especially good for couples who want a genuinely central boutique stay without sacrificing peace and quiet.

Hotel Lilla Roberts sits in the quieter Kaartinkaupunki end of Helsinki’s Design District, where handsome streets, good restaurants and galleries create a much more residential feel than around Central Station. The Art Deco-influenced interiors suit the setting, while Bar Lilla e and Krog Roba mean staying close to home for an evening doesn’t feel like settling for hotel food and drinks. Esplanadi and the harbour are only a few minutes away, and the central gay nightlife is still comfortably walkable. It feels polished without being stuffy, which works particularly well for a city where luxury tends to be rather more understated than showy. GayMapper tip: a lovely couples’ choice if you want five-star comfort, good food and an elegant neighbourhood rather than being right in the middle of the action.

Hotel Indigo Helsinki – Boulevard puts you on one of the nicest streets in Helsinki’s Design District, surrounded by independent shops, galleries, cafés and restaurants rather than anonymous office blocks. Punavuori is a particularly enjoyable neighbourhood to wander around, and you’re still only around ten minutes from the main shopping streets and central nightlife. Kamppi is nearby for metro and bus connections, while much of central Helsinki is easier simply to walk. The design takes its cues from the surrounding neighbourhood, and the Finnish sauna and steam room provide a very Helsinki way to recover after a long day — or a longer night. GayMapper tip: our favourite for travellers who want to feel part of a proper Helsinki neighbourhood while keeping the centre comfortably close.

Few Helsinki hotels make getting around quite as effortless as Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Helsinki. Central Station is practically next door, so the airport train, metro, trams and local trains are all within a couple of minutes. That also happens to put you extremely close to Hercules, while the restaurants, shops and sights of central Helsinki spread out around you. Despite the transport-hub location, the handsome 1917 building gives the hotel far more character than the average station hotel. This is a particularly practical choice for a short weekend when you’d rather spend your time enjoying Helsinki than working out how to cross it. GayMapper tip: difficult to beat for convenience — airport train, sightseeing and gay nightlife are all almost absurdly close.

Scandic Kallio puts you in one of Helsinki’s more bohemian neighbourhoods, surrounded by casual bars, cafés, vintage shops and the slightly rougher-around-the-edges character that makes Kallio feel very different from the polished city centre. Fairytale and the nightlife around Helsinginkatu are close by, while trams stop almost outside the hotel and the metro is within walking distance, so getting into central Helsinki is easy when you want to switch neighbourhoods. The hotel itself is straightforward rather than flashy, but the rooms have been refreshed, there’s a relaxed bar downstairs and the Finnish saunas are heated daily. GayMapper tip: a good-value choice if you want to experience Helsinki’s more alternative side and have queer nightlife nearby without staying right in the tourist centre.

If you want central Helsinki without paying central Helsinki hotel prices, The Yard Hostel is hard to place much better. It’s just off the main shopping streets, around five minutes from Central Station and only a short stroll from Hercules if a gay night out is on the agenda. There are private rooms as well as dorms, although bathrooms are shared, so you can choose how enthusiastically you want to embrace hostel life. The large communal lounge and shared kitchen make it easy for solo travellers to meet people, without turning the place into a full-on party hostel. Almost everything in central Helsinki is walkable from here, and the airport train from Central Station keeps arrivals pleasingly simple. GayMapper tip: a particularly useful choice for solo travellers who want low prices, a sociable base and Helsinki’s main sights and nightlife close by.