Hotel St. George Helsinki

"Greeting you at this hotel is Ai Weiwei’s “Tianwu” – a silk-and-bamboo kite that is the artist’s only work on permanent public display. Equal thought and care has gone into the rest of the St George, which occupies two merged 19th-century buildings, formerly home to the Finnish Literature Society. Under the guidance of Carola Rytsölä and Mirkku Kullberg (ex-CEO of Artek), these were transformed into 148 eminently graceful rooms and five suites. The feel is more elegant home than pillow-for-the-night: hardwood floors, walls in soft olive hues, abstract artwork by Finnish artists and solid-oak furniture by Sibast. The St George sets a new benchmark for the city."