Français
Italiano| Hotel Kämp | |
|---|---|
Hotelli Kämp Hotell Kämp | |
 Hotel Kämp in summer 2022. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Grand hotel |
| Location | Kluuvi, Helsinki, Finland |
| Address | Pohjoisesplanadi 29 |
| Coordinates | 60°10′05″N 24°56′50″E / 60.16801°N 24.94714°E |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Theodor Höijer |
Hotel Kämp (Finland Swedish: [ˈkemp]) is a historic hotel in Kluuvi, Helsinki, Finland. It is a member of Leading Hotels of the World.[1]
History
[edit]The capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland grew at a remarkable pace in the latter half of the 19th century. Helsinki’s location between Stockholm and Saint Petersburg on the Baltic Sea made the city a busy port and commercial hub.[2][3]
Industrialist Fredrik Wilhelm Grönqvist purchased the current plot of the Kämp hotel. Helsinki needed a new, modern hotel. Grönqvist hired architect Theodor Höijer to design the hotel. Höijer designed a neo-Renaissance style building, which became a landmark of Helsinki’s Parisian flair and modernity.[2][3]
In 1887, the hotel became Helsinki’s most modern luxury hotel, serving both domestic and international guests. The hotel featured a lobby, a grand main staircase, suites, hotel rooms, two shops, a large restaurant hall, a two-story-high mirror hall, a beer tavern, a street café, and Finland’s first American bar.[2][3]
The hotel represented contemporary luxury and was described as continental and cosmopolitan. It was also modern technologically, as it was Finland’s first hotel with an elevator. The hotel had both electric and gas lighting.[2][3]
The hotel was managed by Carl Kämp, who passed away only a few years after the hotel opened. His widow, Maria Kämp, continued to manage the hotel. Kämp was the originator of the idea for the new luxury hotel, but he did not have sufficient funds to finance the hotel project, which is why Grönqvist financed the hotel venture.[2][3]
The hotel became a popular meeting place for social life. Finnish artists made the place their own. Jean Sibelius, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Eino Leino, Armas Järnefelt, and other famous artists enjoyed what the hotel had to offer.[2][3]
The painting Symposium by Akseli Gallen-Kallela from 1894 is based on celebrations held at Kämp.[2][3]
Major world events affected the hotel’s operations. The First World War and the Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the disappearance of wealthy Russian aristocrats and industrialists from the customer base.[2][3]
The Second World War put a stop to the arrival of international guests from Europe, North America, and other parts of the world. In the post-war period, capital was scarce. The hotel continued to operate until 1965. The building was reconstructed in 1967, as the soft ground beneath the hotel had undermined its structures. The property’s owner, Kansallis-Osake-Pankki, tried to find a new operator for the hotel, but one could not be found. The bank took over use of the hotel’s premises as its headquarters, but in the 1990s a new hotel operator was found. A major restoration project, started in 1996. Marriott International’s Luxury Collection reopened the Kämp in 1999. A shopping centre, Kämp Galleria, was also opened within the same city block.[2][3]
Nordic Choice Hotels, now known as Strawberry, owned by Norwegian billionaire Petter A. Stordalen, bought the Kämp hotel from the private equity company Capman in 2019. Renovations at the Kämp began in 2023 and are expected to be completed in 2025.[4][5]
Celebrities who have stayed at the hotel include Madonna, Shakira, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones, Backstreet Boys, Bruce Springsteen and Mel Gibson.[6][7][3] Royal guests have included Queen Noor of Jordan and Emperor Hirohito of Japan.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Hotel Kämp becomes a member of The Leading Hotels of the World - Travel Trade". Travel Trade. Archived from the original on 2018-08-24. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Kolbe, Laura (2017). Kämp : hotellet och dess stad (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kämp.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Aho, Kimmo (2019). Minä menen Kämpiin takaisin : cocktaileja ja tarinoita Kämpin baarista (in Finnish). Docendo.
- ^ "Norjalainen miljardööri osti legendaarisen Hotel Kämpin – jättikauppa kymmenestä hotellista Helsingissä". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-08-10.
- ^ "New birth of the legend – Hotel Kämp will be renovated by 2025". Hotel Kämp. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
- ^ a b Matkalla Maailmalka: Luksushotelli Kämp Archived 2021-05-17 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
- ^ Tukiainen, Emilia (24 June 2024). "Mel Gibson yöpyi luksushotellissa – eräs yksityiskohta Hollywood-tähden tekemisissä yllätti". Seiska (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hotel Kämp, Helsinki.
- Hotel Kämp – Official website (in English)
- History and photographs of Hotel Kämp by cosmopolis.ch
- Hotel Kämp: a History of one of Helsinki’s most famous Hotels
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