Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 will be located in a new building owned by Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company. The property named Katajanokan Laituri will, in addition to a hotel, house the new head office of Stora Enso, conference facilities and café and restaurant facilities open to the public on the street level and rooftop terrace.

The hotel will have 164 rooms. The rooms will overlook the Baltic Sea, the Katajanokka area or the hotel courtyard with a Finnish meadow. The proximity to nature and the natural materials used throughout the hotel create a unique atmosphere that speaks to all senses.

A masterpiece of Finnish expertise – responsibility through cooperation

The building, designed by Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit Oy, will be the flagship of Finnish wood architecture, and an attraction in itself. A LEED Platinum environmental certificate will be applied for the building aiming for carbon neutrality and using energy solely from renewable sources. The electricity used by the hotel will mainly be generated by the S Group itself. The ambitious goal is to create Finland's most environmentally responsible hotel, taken into consideration throughout planning and operations.

“The new Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4, located in the city's most luminous location, will act as a showcase of Finnish know-how, where responsibility and sustainability will steer hotel operations, from choices of raw materials to services. We appreciate being able to bring a highly valued Finnish hotel brand into this unique property, which will also be of interest to international tourists,” says Jari Annala, CEO at Sokotel Oy.

One example of sustainability during construction was the demolition of the city's old office and warehouse building which earlier occupied the plot, where most of the demolition waste was recovered as recycled material. “We are happy to have Sokotel as a tenant and to continue our excellent cooperation. Sokotel is, among others, also our tenant in the Hotel Torni property in Helsinki. As a responsible real estate investor, with climate change mitigation as a key sustainability goal, we particularly appreciate the hotel's ambitious climate responsibility,” says Sari Raunio, Property Development Director at Varma.

In addition to the hotel, the building will house the new head office of Stora Enso. “Sustainability is at the core of Stora Enso business. We are pleased to work with Finland's most responsible hotel brand in a wooden building erected in one of Helsinki's prime locations,” says Antto Kauhanen, Business Development Manager at Stora Enso and heading the project.

The Helsinki hotel scene is undergoing an unprecedented change

Helsinki's attractiveness as a tourist destination is on the rise. Approximately half of Helsinki's overnight stays consist of business travel, and Helsinki is already the 13th most popular congress city in the world (Source: UIA Union of International Associations)

“The new hotel complements the already growing hotel capacity, complementing it with large conference and banquet facilities. Larger facilities in the city centre are needed when competing for international congresses and corporate events. The location and the interesting design will attract tourists interested in architecture,” says Leena Lassila, Visitor Attraction Director at Helsinki Partners.

The advantage the S Group holds in the accelerating hotel competition in Helsinki is the comprehensive offer of hotels that are of interest to both domestic and international tourists. They support the growth of tourism in Helsinki and revitalize the city image.

Two completely renovated iconic Helsinki hotels, Solo Sokos Hotels Torni and Helsinki, have already been opened this year. Next summer, Sokotel will open high-quality Radisson RED hotel, the first of its kind in Finland, on the corner of the Kaisaniemi Park and Vuorikatu.

“Our goal is to create the most interesting hotel portfolio in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Hotels are increasingly expected to offer memorable and high-quality experiences, both for business and leisure purposes. This is the reason for the quality investment in the heart of Helsinki, where competition is intensive. We want to take the lead in this competition,” Annala emphasizes.

Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4

• Katajanokanlaituri 4, Helsinki

• 164 rooms

• Event venue, conference rooms, restaurant, café and rooftop terrace with sea views

• Opens in 2024

• Property Owner: Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company

• Architectural Office: Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit

• Hotel interior design: Franz Design

• Construction: Haahtela

• www.sokoshotels.fi/pier4