The Hotel Maria in Helsinki, Finland is pleased to announce it has been inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide®, a prestigious global collection of iconic upper-upscale and luxury historic inns, hotels, and resorts. Historic Hotels Worldwide promotes heritage and cultural travel to historic hotels and other historic lodgings spanning more than 10 centuries in 47 countries around the world. Historic Hotels Worldwide is the sibling program of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States for celebrating and promoting historic hotels.
“Historic Hotels Worldwide is honored to induct The Hotel Maria, a neo-Renaissance style historical landmark built in 1885 and transformed into a luxury hotel.” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We commend The Hotel Maria, its leadership team, and Samla Capital led by Samppa Lajunen, for their careful historic preservation work, stewardship and vision that will allow future generations of travelers to experience this unique historic destination.”
Historic Hotels Worldwide membership is exclusive to select hotels, resorts, and inns with lodgings at historic sites that are at least 75 years old and offer historic accommodations. Though it is a diverse collection, each member is required to possess one or more of the following qualities: it served as the former home, or it is located on the grounds of the former home, of famous persons, or it is a significant location for an event in history; it is located in or within walking distance to a historic district, historically significant landmark, place of a historic event, or historic city center; it has been recognized by a local preservation organization or national trust; and it displays historic memorabilia, artwork, photography, or other examples of its historic significance.
“We are deeply honored to be inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide,” said Katriina Moksi, General Manager of The Hotel Maria. “This prestigious recognition is a testament to the dedication and meticulous work of the Samla Capital and Hotel Maria teams who have breathed new life into these historic buildings. We are immensely proud to contribute to the legacy of the destination while elevating Helsinki’s hospitality landscape.”
Located in Helsinki’s historic quarter, The Hotel Maria is a vast collective of four architecturally and historically prominent buildings originally designed as military offices and residential quarters for high-ranking officers of the Finnish military. Built between 1885 and 1930, the iconic property is protected by The Finnish Heritage Agency.
Acquired by Samla Capital in 2020, the property has been meticulously restored and thoughtfully reimagined as a five-star hotel, which debuted as The Hotel Maria to great acclaim in December 2023. Featuring 117 rooms, including 38 lavish suites, two restaurants, a grand ballroom, serene chapel, state-of-the-art spa, and a destination boutique showcasing jewelry of Faberge and esteemed Finnish designers, The Hotel Maria seamlessly blends contemporary grace with distinctive elements from its historic past.
