Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 47
T
he Helsinki Marriott Hotel will be
groundbreaking in the sense that it is
Marriott’s first hotel in Finland. The
convenient location in the Westend district
of Espoo – one of the most affluent districts
of the greater Helsinki area (and the country) – should add to the appeal of the hotel, largely thanks to the stunning views of
Helsinki and a unique waterfront location.
Furthermore, the hotel is only a ten
minutes’ drive removed from Helsinki city
center and within striking distance from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. In addition, the hotel
will sit right next to the corporate hub of
Keilaniemi, which accommodates the headquarters of many Finnish companies.
Ilari Schouwvlieger from BMZ-Invest
says that the hotel has been in the works for
quite some time:
“We had the first drafts of the hotel
drawn up in 2005. Marriott became a part
of the project two years ago,” he says. The
hotel will be operated by Scandinavian Hospitality Management Espoo under a franchise agreement.
Complete by 2014?
Presently, the architect agency Larkas &
Laine is making minor modifications into space division of the hotel, after which
the documentation for the building permit
will be put forward. With regards to inhouse
technical solutions, planning already has a
good momentum, Schouwvlieger says.
Construction process can begin as the
building permit has been issued by the City
and potential complaints have been properly handled. Conceivably, building of the hotel could kick off in the autumn 2012 which
would put the hotel on track for completion
by spring 2014.
Niklas Sucksdorff from Larkas &
Laine is the main designer of the project.
He feels that the high-reaching tower is important also in the sense that it will make a
big impact on the cityscape.
“Driving to Espoo from Helsinki, it is
the first building people see – a real gateway
to Espoo,” Sucksdorff says, pointing out that
there are no other towers on that side of the
Länsiväylä road.
According to the plans, the Helsinki
Marriott Hotel will boast over 10,500 square
feet of meeting space, an executive lounge
and a business center. For recreation and relaxation, the hotel will feature a state-of-theart health club with indoor pool.
Perks for the Community
For the citizens, there will also be a boardwalk café to liven up the action on the shoreline. Also the spa services will be available
to the surrounding community.
Ilari Schouwvlieger notes that the City
of Espoo has been trying to re-energise various areas in the city and has achieved some
success in this arena as well. Schouwvlieg-
er perceives Marriott hotel to fit well into
this picture:
“The additional service offering at the
hotel and the retooling of the shore will introduce new kinds of services into Westend
and Tapiola,” Schouwvlieger says, adding
that the citizens have been longing for some
sort of excitement on the beach.
“After all, earlier on there was quite a
bit of activity in this particular area – for example, a dance pavilion and a tennis centre.”
ment opportunities in the Nordic countries
and is convinced that expansion into Finland
is the right move. Marriott has two hotels in
Sweden and one in Denmark. Globally, the
hotel chain has 3,500 hotels in 70 countries.
Marriot also looks forward to continued partnership with Scandinavian Hospitality Management. Harald Jacobsen, president of Scandinavian Hospitality Management, has called the Helsinki Marriott Hotel “a fantastic extension” for the Marriott
Hotels & Resorts brand.
Finally Finland
Marriot International sees strong develop-
Sami J. Anteroinen
Nordicum 45