I am due to spend a romantic night in Helsinki with my boyfriend in mid-July and would like to stay in a boutiquey sort of hotel - or at least somewhere romantic and not corporate. Our budget is about £100. Restaurant recommendations would be very welcome too.
Rosie

Hotel Anna is a cosy little old-style hotel in a cool shopping area with a great bar nearby which sells more types of obscure beer than is right. Hotel Albert on Albertinkatu is modern, quiet and reasonable so long as you don't eat there! Also on the edge of a great area for general wandering, eating and drinking. For a little more, the seaside Radisson on the harbour front is well worth it for a treat, though a little out of the way.
Scott

The Klaus K hotel absolutely fits the bill as a romantic boutique-y hotel with the beautiful and comfortable decor of all the rooms inspired by the famous Finnish story "Kalevala". To be honest, if you are in Helsinki in July, you will be missing out if you spend too much time in your hotel room, as the sun will be shining for most of the day (and night) and the elegant, vibrant nature of the beautiful city will easily keep you out in restaurants and bars until the small hours of the morning.

For food, there are a number of great restaurants to choose from, with Cafes Strindberg and Esplanade (both on the Esplanade) great for coffees, cakes and long lazy lunches whilst you watch the world go by. Toscanini, the Italian restaurant at the Klaus K, is always good for dinner, as are Kappeli and Teatteri which are at either end of the Esplanade. My favourite restaurant by far is the Seahorse, which is a short walk from the city centre and serves up proper Finnish food (you have to be hungry!) along with great ambience.
Kate Gomery

For something different, try Hotel Katajanokka. It's an old, stone wall prison that's been converted into a modern hotel. Inside, the rooms are simple, airy and the decor is very Scandinavian - think of warm wooden surfaces and designer chairs. For some aperitifs head up to Ravintola Torni's roof terrace bar where you can view the city. Avoid all Laplandic-themed "traditional Finnish" restaurants and experience the real deal at the Seahorse. It's a place where famous Finnish artists rubbed shoulders with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Pablo Neruda and Jean-Paul Sartre. Try their signature dish - pan fried herring fillets with smashed potatoes. It can be washed down with only one drink - ice-cold Finnish rye vodka!
M. Lahti

I strongly recommend the Lord Hotel. It's a beautiful castle-like building with a turret and the rooms are out of this world. Ultra-modern and extremely comfortable. To be honest, you'll be hard pushed to find a decent hotel room for less than £100, especially this time of year, but Hotel Lord rates are favourable and breakfast is included. Don't forget to pop into the Moomin shop in Kamp Galleria and visit Vinyl for a night of music and the best cocktails ever! I also recommend a stroll on Kaivopuisto complete with an ice cream stop at Cafe Ursula where there are spectacular views of the harbour.
Laura W

You have to eat Russian in Helsinki. Cheaper, but still excellent choices are Troika in Toolo and Kasakka in Kruununhaka. You'll be amazed how much velvet they get into an interior. Both are pretty central. For cheap eats I'd head to Slussen or Tori, which are virtually next door to each other in Punavuori (again central, in the arty end of town). The bus station shopping centre (sexier than it sounds) has a few good quick places. Boutique-wise I think the budget is tight, but when we had visitors they were never disappointed by the Radisson SAS offerings. The Grand Marina, unless it’s been tarted up in the 18 months since I left, is probably best avoided despite its good location by the harbour. Sokos Hotel in Kluuvikatu has great 1950s public spaces designed by Paavo and Helena Tynell. That would probably be my choice and is bang in the centre of things.
Jamie Grant

For a cheerful little boutiquey place you can’t go far wrong with the Klaus K. The rooms are mostly on the small side but they’re lavishly furnished with ersatz bearskins on the walls and small framed fragments from one of Finland’s ancient sagas the Kalevala (from which the hotel takes its name) and the bar/restaurant are both created from a blend of old and modern Scandinavian designs and materials that seem to work really well. It’s on the Bulevardi too, which is right in the heart of the city just a few yards from the Esplanadi which is a great place for a late-night stroll in July. It’ll still be broad daylight at midnight and the Esplanadi will probably be crawling with spectacularly drunk teenagers, all of whom behave with a disarming lack of malice or aggression. It’s a great spot, within walking distance of the harbour, opera house, design museum, shops, bars and restaurants.
Matthew Gidley

If you want a great (but not cheap) dinner, try Nokka Ravintola (The Nose Restaurant) on Kanavaranta 7, in an old warehouse near the harbour. Helsinki is a fantastic city and after your evening meal avoid the pudding and go to the Karl Fazer Café on Kluuvikatu 3 for some licorice ice-cream. Delicious!
Stuart Turnbull

For a romantic picnic lunch in Helsinki, do as the locals do: go to the food hall at Stockmann's department store in the centre of Helsinki, buy fresh bread, cheese, gravad salmon (graavilohi) and something to drink, then walk five minutes to the harbour and buy some strawberries and cherries from the market. Take the small ferry to Suomenlinna, a fortress island about 20 minutes’ boat ride away. After enjoying the panoramic view of the city on the ferry, find a nice spot on the island, enjoy the food and the beautiful views. On your way back to the ferry read about the history of the island (in English) in the small free museum. This is a lovely day out that doesn't break the bank!
Hanna Huhtala

Toss the boutique hotel idea and stay at the excellent, and excellently priced, Eurohostel. You can spend the money you save on something nice. Finland is known for its great design.
Phillip Ross


I stayed in a tiny beach shack in Northern Cyprus and am looking for
more cute and remote beach shacks anywhere in the world. Any suggestions?
Susannah

We stayed in a beach hut in the Gambia last year, in a place called Boboi Beach Lodge. It's a few miles south of Kartong. You can choose between little round candlelit beach huts with a bathroom (although you have to ask them to bring you water in buckets if you want to wash), and treehouses. They also serve good food and cold Julbrew (the local beer). The beach is beautiful and sandy, and isolated enough that you're unlikely to get any hassle from 'bumsters'. I don't think it's very safe for swimming though as it's the Atlantic and there are strong currents. Not a great deal to do nearby - there is the family-run reptile farm and the authentic Italian pizza place on the border with Senegal - but then if you're looking for a beach holiday that probably doesn't matter.
M. McClean

There are some amazing remote beach shacks in Palolem Beach, northern Goa at only £5 per night.
Heather Taylor

It might not be remote enough for your liking, but you could try the Sejala beach huts on Mission Beach in North Queensland, Australia. There's only three of them and they've all got ensuite garden bathrooms. The rates work out about £115 per night and the area's great for snorkelling and scuba diving. Or, if you want to venture even further afield, the beautiful island of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands has properly rustic, basic huts overlooking the lagoon. And they're only the equivalent of £28 per night! Bear in mind though that to get to Aitutaki you'll need to fly to Rarotonga (Air New Zealand flies there), then take another short flight to Aitutaki from there.
KirstyF


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