When I booked my trip to Helsinki, I was a bit worried about how expensive it was going to be. Scandinavia has quite the kerching reputation, so I knew it was going to be a hostel stay for sure. But I did struggle to find somewhere that looked like my kind of hostel – y’know, quirky, cool, a bit more than basic ammenities.
I ended up booking The Yard, somewhere that looked like it ticked most of the boxes. And actually, it was a lot nicer in real life than online, and I really enjoyed my stay!
It’s in a super central location, walking distance from the train station and near the main shopping area. And you can walk to places like the Helsinki Cathedral and South Harbour (for boat trips) very easily. Although I would take the hop-on, hop-off bus for some of the further away attractions like the Loyly Sauna or Linnanmäki amusement park.
The only thing is that The Yard can be difficult to find at first. It’s actually on one level, on the second floor of a large building, so it doesn’t have an obvious entrance. Just look out for the ‘City Forum Hostel’ sign, opposite the ‘Beer House’ bar.
On entering the hostel, my first impression of the The Yard was that it has very friendly staff. The check-in experience was really easy and the woman that helped us was so nice. It’s a really relaxed atmosphere in general with an open-plan reception, lounge and kitchen.
The lounge part is very chic with a neon sign (I’m a sucker for a neon sign), stripy rugs, scandi furniture and cosy little nooks dotted around. I felt like it had a definite community vibe, y’know? People seemed to be chatty but it’s not a party hostel. It’s quiet but still has lots of persionality. There’s also Netflix on the TV and lots of video games to play and it’s not like bigger hostels where you don’t feel like you can watch what you want. Good vibes here.
With the kitchen next door, this is also where you have breakfast.
Breakfast is really simple – think toast and spreads, cereal and fruit. But I actually really enjoyed it. Sometimes less is more y’know? (That is the Scandi way after all!) It also helped that I was experiencing morning sickness at the time and eating jam on toast was like the best part of the day as it was one of the few things that didn’t make me feel nauseous!
What I also liked is that every morning they had Friends playing on the TV in the lounge as people casually ate their breakfasts and chatted. It reminded me of restaurants in Southeast Asia that have Friends or Family Guy playing on a loop!
The kitchen itself is clean and tidy, with a dishwasher which means no washing up!
Now, I said that The Yard was better than I had expected based on online photos, and that is mainly down to the bedrooms. On Hostelworld they look quite basic but actually they’re furnished really nicely with colourful cushions and nice furniture. We stayed in a private twin room and the beds were super comfy, with the totally essential blackout blinds to block out that midnight sun in the summer!
There are bars across the street that you can hear with the window open, but I didn’t find it too noisy at all. Just nice chit-chatter, not a party place really.
Bathrooms are communal but the water is hot, they’re really clean and there’s plenty of room to change in the cubicles. So I mean, what more could you want?
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at The Yard in Helsinki.
I think the main attraction to this hostel is the chilled-out community vibe and the lovely people. It really felt homely and like somewhere I could easily stay for a longer timeframe. If you’re heading to the Finnish capital, I’d definitely recommend a stay.
Book your stay on Hostelworld over herrreeee, pal.
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Total Blogger Transparency: I enjoyed a complimentary stay at The Yard but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.