The most convenient Helsinki Airport hotel: a review of Glo Hotel Airport
Sometimes an airport hotel is a necessity for an early departure. I did the same during my return trip from Helsinki in 2019 at the Hilton Helsinki Airport which is just 5 minutes’ walk from the terminal building. What’s better for convenience than hotel close by? A hotel that is in the terminal building itself - which is exactly what Glo Hotel offers. Here’s some thoughts on the Glo Hotel at Helsinki Airport.
For disclosure, the operator of the Glo Hotel, Helsinki Airport provided a 1-night complimentary stay for CallumElsdon.com to review. The hotel has not received copy approval prior to publishing.
Finding your way to the hotel
We arrived off our Finnair flight from Oslo to Helsinki around midday, but despite being located just outside the arrivals hall in the landside part of the airport - signage was poor upon exit. However, the trick is to immediately turn left after the slope past the Plaza Premium Arrivals Lounge when signage precedes to get better.
Note that if you have an overnight connection, you will need to be able to enter the country of Finland/Schengen Area in order to stay at the Glo Hotel Airport.
You’ll then end up in a corridor before seeing a snowy scene on a window with the ‘GLO’ logo - to the right of this is an elevator.
This is not actually the hotel! Follow the set of stairs and another set of corridors and you will eventually arrive at GLO Hotel Airport.
Initial impressions
Glo Hotel Airport is built below ground which accounts for the low ceilings and lack of natural light. Despite this, the hotel offers a warm environment to set foot into with a selection of seats to relax at if not in your room.
At the reception itself, the hotel has installed effective high intensity, sun-emulating lights which make it feel less confined due to the nature of the location.
We were greeted by a very helpful member of staff who checked us in at the early time of 13h00. She also advised us of the breakfast arrangement at the hotel which is very flexible. Due to our early departure, we were given two tokens for early breakfast which could be used at a number of establishments both land and airside at the airport (seen in the photo below). This is a big plus in my books because the last thing you want prior to an early departure is to be rushing breakfast at the hotel before then needing to rush for your flight. We didn’t actually use the vouchers in the end, as we opted to eat in the Finnair non-Schengen Business Class lounge which was reviewed here -although the staff member had underlined her preferred options.
The hotel does also offer breakfast partially within the property. I say partially, because its a slightly awkward setup in that the staff restaurant, which can be seen in the photo below, is also used for a buffet style offering.
After checking in, we were off to our room number 122. The first thing you’ll note is that the corridors are very dark which is certainly something I feel that the property could improve upon. This just doesn’t make for the most welcoming environment.
The room
During our one-night stay, we were in the Comfort Double room with Sofa Bed - which appears to retail on average about EUR 20 extra per night over the Twin or standard Comfort rooms. The room itself is clad in a mixture of browns, creams and wood which isn’t really my style but is pleasing enough to the eye with the addition of a few mirrors creating a sense of more space. While not the biggest bed, it was more than comfortable and we managed to get a decent sleep here - and unlike other Nordic hotels, the rooms were not kept unbearably warm. The throw at the bed is aesthetically nice but otherwise feels a little pointless.
It’s worth pointing out the bed is apparently adjustable according to the Glo Hotel website…but I didn’t actually realise this during our stay.
Cute teddies are sat on all the beds…but beware they come with a EUR 19 cost although some of that does go towards a wild animal hospital.
A sturdy desk is provided in the room with a so-so chair with little padding. I feel this, combined with the lack of natural light, would probably be a desk you would only spend a couple of hours at maximum working from. Thankfully though the room has plenty of European power outlets - including two beside the bed and one next to the desk.
Tea, instant coffee and Fazer drinking chocolate facilities are provided - which is always appreciated!
Just above this is a large Ambilight-enabled Philips television which has a hotel-branded entertainment system installed with international and local television channels.
This part of the room is then finished off with an open clothes rack alongside iron and ironing board which is set up in a very compact fashion - owing to the limited room space. You are unlikely to need many more hangers than that provided due to the type of guest visiting for no more than one night.
While the sofa can convert into a bed, we didn’t need to use it since there were only two of us staying. The sofa itself was actually really comfy to sit on, which isn’t always the case with most sofa beds which are neither comfortable when sleeping or sitting.
The hotel staff had left a lovely note for us as well as a couple of beauty face masks and liquorice - although I don’t know if this is standard or because we was on a press visit.
A compact bathroom covered in frosted glass and with a rather jazzy looking floor finishes off the room. It’s a pretty small space but it's large enough to dry off after a shower or to shave with the well-lit light. Sleepers and towels are provided complimentary to staying guests. A bidet also features here which is controlled by turning on the tap and not separately.
I was most surprised by the shower. Yes, it had your usual shower head (no rainfall here) as well as good pressure and temperature. But, surprisingly, the hotel has high quality Rituals amenities - this is a great brand and certainly not what I expected at this kind of hotel. Rituals really do smell great…
I will note, disappointingly, that a few of the fixtures in the room looked a bit worse for wear with extensive scratching and marks. This was only noticeable on the bottom of the door and a light switch but considering the hotel has been closed for three months of renovations, one would expect these to have been lightly refurbished.
Conclusion
This is a rather short review compared to other hotel properties I’ve stayed at but there is a reason for that. You don’t stay at an airport hotel for a luxurious stay or for tons of amenities, more likely you’re here because you want the convenience of being close to the airport on the morning of your flight. Based on this, you can’t get much more convenient than Glo Hotel. The room type we stayed in with the sofa bed would be perfect for families on a summer getaway looking for a stress free departure. Some improvements could be made, such as the fixtures in the room and dark corridors, however these are mostly cosmetic and unlikely to impact your stay too much.
In the unlikely event I was to be staying at Helsinki Airport for longer than one night, I would probably head across to the city for a greater selection of hotels but also rooms with windows. Glo Hotel also has several properties across the Nordics, as well as in Helsinki City Centre itself - which is actually near one of my favourite spots to eat in the city, Fazer Cafe.
Keep an eye out for my article next week for a sneak peek at the new Glo Hotel Restpod concept at Helsinki Airport.
