The History of Hotel Kämp

The Hotel that Shaped the City

Overlooking Esplanadi Park in the heart of the city, Hotel Kämp introduced Helsinki to elevators, moving pictures, international delicacies — and new ideas. A second home to many of Finland's most iconic artists and thinkers, it set the stage for discussions that shaped art, culture, politics and business in Finland. But most of all, it has always been the place for locals and travelers alike to gather over food, drink, and the company that makes both better.

Here you can get to know the story behind the hotel that shaped the city — and the entire country.

Book your stay

Hufvudstadsbladet Newspaper, October 1887

“Mr. Kämp had demonstrated with his arrangements that he is the city's pre-eminent master of ceremonies”

Hotel Kämp opened in 1887 on the corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Kluuvikatu streets, built by the restaurateur Carl Kämp. Kämp had arrived in Helsinki as a young man and worked his way up from waiter to one of the city's most respected hoteliers, and he set out to give the city something it didn't yet have: a true European grand hotel. The building he built was Finland's first with a passenger elevator, wired throughout with electric light — and the press at the time didn't hold back, calling it stately, magnificent, thoroughly continental.

The architecture was the work of Theodor Höijer, whose other buildings include the Ateneum Art Museum a few streets away.

Almost immediately, Hotel Kämp became the meeting point for the artists and thinkers shaping a new Finnish identity. Jean Sibelius, Akseli Gallén-Kallela, Juhani Aho, Oskar Merikanto, Pekka Halonen, and Eero Järnefelt were regulars, gathering so often that they named their own circle: the Symposium.

Before modern technology molded the media landscape, cafés and restaurants were the location where latest news and gossip were exchanged. Kämp became a focal meeting point for daily news — the biggest newspaper in Finland was actually founded at Kämp's café and would hold editorial meetings there every morning.

In the nineteenth century, women weren't permitted to sit in a restaurant unaccompanied. Hotel Kämp answered with a reading room set aside for them — a place to read, talk, and take coffee or tea without a male escort, at a time when almost no other establishment in the city offered anything like it.

From 1890, Kämp became Helsinki's stage for entertainment — concerts, dances, and cabaret. The cabinets saw as many business deals and political meetings as dining rooms saw dinners.

It was common to stay at the hotel for longer periods of time. Finland's wartime commander-in-chief and sixth president C.G.E. Mannerheim stayed at Hotel Kämp for the entire summer of 1919, and the most luxurious suite in the hotel is named after him. Since the early days of the hotel staff was used to serving leaders of various nations; political and military leaders were everyday guests at the hotel.

The Bank Years

By the early 1960s, the hotel had lived through the best and worst of Finnish history — and the building itself was starting to show its age. In 1961, the Kansallis-Osake-Pankki bank announced plans to demolish it for a modern office building. Helsinki pushed back, and the fight over Hotel Kämp's future became one of the city's fiercest public disputes. It closed anyway, with one last lively party at the end of March 1965. The bank's headquarters opened on the site in 1969 and remained until 1997 — until 1999, when, to the delight of Helsinki, Hotel Kämp was restored and reopened. Its history is long and colorful, and Kämp has been writing new chapters ever since.

The re-birth of a Legend

Hotel Kämp is the iconic heart of Helsinki, which first opened its doors in 1887. The hotel reopened in 1999 after a major refurbishment. Now, Hotel Kämp, a symbol of classic luxury, has been refurbished once again, adding 3100 square meters to its premises and revitalising the heart of the city center. The hotel remained open throughout the whole refurbishment, full renovation completing in October 2026.

The first authentic grand hôtel in Finland, Hotel Kämp, went through a comprehensive refurbishment in 2024-2026. Throughout this transformation, the entire hotel's ambiance and interior was renewed, technology was modernized, and the overall guest experience was elevated into the new heights. The refurbishment was conducted with utmost respect for the hotel's history and character, ensuring that it evolves to meet the expectations of both classic luxury hotels and the demands of today and the future.

In May 2025 the hotel added the historical Helander House on North Esplanade to its premises. As the Helander’s expansion project was completed, the integrated section of Hotel Kämp allowed guests access to 22 brand new rooms and suites. At this stage Hotel Kämp also introduced the Sibelius Suite as one of its Signature Suites.

Moreover, in July 2026, Hotel Kämp introduced a new wellness retreat, Kämp Spa, with water elements as part of its expanded amenities. Both of these expansions together further enhance Helsinki's hospitality offerings, attracting more visitors and events to the city while providing enriching experiences for locals.

Chapters in Our Story

More than 130 years of gathering, closing, and reopening has given Hotel Kämp more stories than one page can hold. There are the years the city drank around the rules of prohibition, the nights its stages filled with variety shows, the late-night debates of Sibelius and the Symposium circle, the hotel's return in 1999, and the world-class names who've checked in since. Read on for a closer look at each.