It is a matter of time before spas are recognized as an industry devoted to the health and wellness and some recent visits to them clearly indicate how India- and Asia-inspired spas are much sought after, giving visitors some unforgettable experiences for the mind, body and soul.

These rejuvenating visits can be had at some unexpected places like Naantali Spa Hotel in Finland, the Mandara Spa in the Maldives, or some emerging hot destinations like Anantara in Central Thailand.
You even have a feng shui-certified Avalon Hotel in Gothenberg, Sweden.

One spa known for its Asian systems is Anantara Hua Hin Resort and Spa, situated two hours from Bangkok on the Gulf of Siam in central Thailand. On offer at this 200-room resort, boasting 14 acres of gardens set around invigorating and calming lily pools, is its three-hour signature treatment - called Culture of Anantara.

The treatment begins with Shirodhara massage, often referred to as the massage of the third eye, considered one of the most powerful ayurvedic treatments available. This is followed by strong massage strokes on the back that release stress and unclog tensed muscles.

Finally, one immerses in the sweetness of a honey and milk bath.

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Hotel Arthur

Located close to public transport and all major attractions, entertainment and restaurants, Hotel Arthur's central location offers guests the chance to explore all that the Finnish capital has to offer.

Arthur's standard rooms provide all modern conveniences. Some rooms have been recently renovated and provide warm tones and a harmony of bright colours.

Restaurant Arthur is a popular haunt with the locals, famous for its extensive lunch buffet and à la carte menu.

Adjacent to the hotel is the P-Kluuvi Parking Centre with space for over 700 cars

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When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your Helsinki City Hotel details. Your transfer will be confirmed within 24 hours of booking and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver.

It's that easy!

 

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The Helsinki Card comes with a complete guidebook of all the included attractions and excellent maps of the city. With you free travel on public transport (trams, metro, buses, train, boats to the islands) as well as free entrance to all major sights and museums, the Helsinki card is a great way to explore the city. You will be well equipped to get the most out of your stay in the city. The Helsinki Card also offers great value discounts such as 30% discount on the Finnair airport bus, discounts on tours out of town, tours to Tallinn and Lapland, restaurants, concerts, sports, sauna, rentals and much more.

SAVE MONEY WITH THE HELSINKI CARD OFFERING:

* FREE Audio City Tour in 12 languages which operates daily
* Unlimited free travel on public transport in Helsinki
* Free entrance to major sights and up to 50 museums
* Free travel and entrance to Korkeasaari Zoo Island
* Free travel and entrances to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
* 30% discount on the Finnair airport bus
* Free surprise gift at the Stockmann's Department Store
* Helsinki Card guide book, including a map and extensive information which is published in English, German, Swedish, Russian and Finnish.

 

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Airport Hotel Bonus Inn is a modern, private hotel located next to the Jumbo shopping centre, 30 minutes drive from downtown Helsinki. A free shuttle takes you from and to the Helsinki Airport in only 5 minutes.

Relax in the free evening sauna or work out in the gym. Enjoy the courtesy coffee and tea. Have a tasty meal in our restaurant. And after a good night's sleep start your day with our sumptuous buffet breakfast.

Airport Hotel Bonus Inn is in a quiet location with free minibus shuttle from Helsinki airport.

The Jumbo shopping centre is a short walk away. The Leija Business Park next door, and the main Vantaa business area (Aviapolis, Technopolis) is close by.

The Helsinki Fair Centre is only a 15-minute drive from the hotel.
Downtown Helsinki and Espoo are a 30-minute drive away. There is a direct bus connection to Helsinki Railway Square.

 

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Want to linger on sheep skin rugs and velvet cushions in a cool, minimalist hotel in the heart of one of the most stylish cities in Europe? Or maybe stroll hand in hand along leafy streets lined with powder blue and primrose yellow Neo-Classical buildings? Or just linger over a freshly brewed coffee and a melt in the mouth cinnamon bun at a boulevard cafe before exploring streets lined with designer shops. If this is your kind of Valentine's Day, Helsinki, according to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine's Times Online, is the romantic destination for you.

Describing the Finnish capital as a city with both the feel of Rome and St Petersburg, Times Online has chosen Helsinki as one of its six 'best romantic city breaks'.

And, as well as its stunning architecture and laidback style, it highlighted Helsinki's cuisine, headlining the city as 'The Tasty One' – the city that is quickly putting fresh Nordic flavours on the global gastronomic map.

"If food is the way to your other half's heart, head for Helsinki. Ingredients are super fresh, flavours clean and courses tend to come in lots of one-fork bites – perfect for feeding each other,” Times Online said.

"Foams and powders rule at Olo where chef/owner Pekka Terava serves up 'New Nordic Kitchen' at its best – but Savoy is Helsinki's most romantic dining spot, with views over the leafy esplanade to the archipelago. Expect twists on tradition such as reindeer served two ways – entrecote with cep mayonnaise, and T-bone with a liquorice sauce.

For breakfast – and great cinnamon buns – try Cafe Success, then shop for sexy stuff at the Design Forum Finland which parades the latest Finnish designers as well as the kitschest keepsakes.

Look around the old market hall, all stacks of plump chanterelles, then snooze at Hotel Glo where sheepskin rugs and velvet cushions soften the minimalist lines. "The Finnish capital is full of surprises."

For a romantic getaway, especially on St Valentine's Day, Helsinki is a city to warm any beau or belle's heart – and a destination that will leave lingering memories for years.

Experience a sled ride pulled by a husky team and learn about the daily life, training and breeding of these arctic dogs.

Enjoy a snowmobile ride through the snow-covered landscape of Lapland to a traditional husky farm. Here, you can warm yourself up with a hot berry juice by the campfire whilst hearing about the lives of these gentle animals.

Sit back in a traditional sled and see the huskies in action as they pull you along. The dogs can reach amazing speeds even through the deepest snow - a ride to remember!

 

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The high-speed rail link between Helsinki and St. Petersburg has been given the name Allegro. The livery for the high-speed trains on this route will consist of a white background with blue, red and silver stripes. The trains are due to come into service in 2010.

The word allegro comes from Italian, where it means “fast”. Ease of pronunciation and usability in the Finnish and Russian languages, as well as internationally were subject to special attention in the name selection. Inspiration for the new trains’ livery came from the colours of the Finnish and Russian flags.

This high-speed rail link is intended to shorten the journey time between Helsinki and St. Petersburg at first to three and a half hours and later to three hours, down from the current five and a half hours.

Passenger numbers on the Helsinki–St. Petersburg line are expected to triple within five years of the introduction of the high-speed service. In 2007, the Helsinki–St. Petersburg line carried some 230,000 passengers. Total passenger travel between Finland and Russia last year amounted to nearly 400,000 journeys, which is an 18% increase on the previous year. The growth has continued to increase this year: in the period from January to November, passenger numbers on trains to and from Russia increased by 9%.

Last autumn the train operating company Oy Karelian Trains Ltd placed an order for four high-speed trains. According to the company’s plans, three services will operate in each direction daily in the initial phase, with the number of services later increasing to four per day in each direction.

The warm and intimate Hotel Salpaus is situated in the centre of town, within walking distance from the sunny market place and a wide variety of services.

Lahti is the sports city of Finland, with annual events such as The Finlandia Ski Marathon and Salpausselkä World Cup in Nordic skiing.

Salpaus is just a stone throw away from the Finnish Mecca of sports; The Lahti Sports Centre.

We offer our customers two saunas and a pool department free of charge. You can also rent premises for private parties.

The new food product of Salpaus represents a whole new type of thinking in the world of cuisine in Lahti. The menus include influences from Australia and Asia.

Our hotel is an important producer of meeting and seminar services. There are a total of 12 meeting rooms, group work rooms and cabinets of various sizes. They are equipped for all the needs of modern meetings.

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People catching flights to and from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport can now make use of a free wireless internet network that was recently opened at the hub.

Installed by Finavia, a state-owned provider of airport and aviation services, the web connection is available in customer waiting areas, cafes and restaurants at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

If a computer is in use in the wireless zone, the availability of the internet connection will appear automatically on the monitor screen.

Airport director Juha-Pekka Pystynen suggested that the wireless network could prove particularly useful for business travellers.

"Many people want to deal with their business matters using their own laptops while waiting for their flight. Now it's easy, because you don't need separate passwords in order to sign on," he said.

People who do not have laptops can access the web at internet kiosks for a fee or use one of the six computers at the airport's eService bar.

Close to the heart of Helsinki these two beautiful buildings house our hotel and represent the Renaissance of the late 1800's and the Neo-Classicism of the 1920's.

Opened in 2008, even the charming interior of the rooms has taken into consideration their historic nature without compromising the comfort and well being of our guests.

Fransmanni, the intimate in house restaurant will seduce you with its appetising aromas and generous helpings of rustic French cuisine.

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Marriott is to expand its presence in Scandinavia over the next six years under a recently concluded multiple franchise agreement with the Scandinavian Hospitality Group AG (SHG).

The agreement is expected to result in the opening of 15 hotels under the Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard and Marriott Executive Apartments brands in Sweden, Norway and Finland through 2013. Marriott’s first hotel in Scandinavia is the Copenhagen Marriott which opened in 2001.

The first two properties to open under the agreement are scheduled for 2009. They are the:
• 272-room Courtyard by Marriott Stockholm-Kungsholmen in Sweden, and the
• 155-room Courtyard by Marriott Kristiansund in Norway

Courtyard is Marriott’s largest brand with nearly 800 properties globally. Guest rooms at both Courtyard hotels will feature marble bathrooms, oversized, glass-top work desks, ergonomic chair, two telephone lines, a data-port, high-speed internet access, in-room mini-fridge and safe and Marriott’s newly introduced finer bed and bath linens.

The Courtyard by Marriott Stockholm-Kungsholmen will be part of a mixed-use project that includes about 350 residential apartments in the western suburbs of Stockholm. More than 300 companies are located in Kungsholmen, including the international headquarters of corporations such as Electrolux, Pharmacia and Ericsson.

The hotel will be within a short walk from the major leisure attractions of Stockholm and the Kungsholmen district itself is widely-known for its many cafes, restaurants and bars. Arlanda International Airport and Bromma Airport (domestic) are easily accessible from the hotel and two subway lines serve the area, connecting it to Stockholm’s central business district within a five-minute train ride.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have an all-day, casual restaurant, a lobby lounge and bar and a sports bar. Recreational amenities will focus on a fitness center. Business amenities will include an internet corner in the lobby. In addition, there will be a lobby Grab & Go kiosk for travelers in a hurry.

For social events and conferences, the Courtyard by Marriott Stockholm-Kungshomen will offer 9,598 square feet of function space including a 7,069-square foot ballroom that will be divisible into three sections and a 2,529 square feet of additional space in varying configurations.

The Courtyard by Marriott Kristiansund International Airport will be connected to the airport via a covered walkway. Kristiansund’s town center is approximately seven kilometers away.

Located about 570 kilometers northwest of Oslo, Kristiansund is an important fishing port that in recent years has become a major oil and gas center. Shell, Statoil and Norsk Hydro all have office in the city. The United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal all have consulates in Kristiansund.

For dining and entertainment, the Courtyard by Marriott Kristiansund International Airport will have a casual, all-day restaurant and a lobby lounge/bar. Outdoor dining will be available during seasonable weather.

Recreational amenities will include a fitness center. The hotel will also have an internet corner and a Grab & Go kiosk.

For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 9,405 square feet of function space. The 6,994-square foot ballroom will be divisible into three sections. Four additional meeting rooms totaling 2,411 square feet of space will also be available in varying configurations.

Other brands that will be introduced by SHG in Scandinavia over the next six years include Marriott and Renaissance in the upscale, deluxe category and the deluxe Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers.