The Maria Hotel is a beautiful hotel in central Helsinki which had its grand opening last year. Previously four historic buildings dating from 1885, it combines old-world luxury with modern Nordic style and amenities.

There is a bright and spacious reception, elegant rooms and suites with two great restaurants, a romantic bar and a huge spa. The property is protected by The Finnish Heritage Agency and owned by Finnish Olympic Gold medallist Samppa Lajunen.

Who for

The Hotel Maria’s central location makes it a great base for tourists, as the city’s many attractions are just a walk away with iconic neoclassical buildings and fabulous shopping, cafes and bars.

The Hotel is also ideal for business travellers. As well as a private dining room there are conference facilities and private meeting rooms. The hotel is only half an hour’s drive from the airport.

There is a small pretty chapel which can be used for weddings and christenings and the huge ballroom with its chandelier is the perfect setting for a wedding or other celebrations

Families are welcome and the large suites are well-suited for groups. Dog and babysitting services are available.

Accommodation

The Hotel Maria has 117 rooms and 38 suites – the most in Helsinki. There is a lot of space in the comfortable rooms which have marble bathrooms with golf coloured fittings, a huge bath and fragrant Bulgari toiletries. Lighting and heating can be controlled by an IPad on the wall and there is an excellent coffee machine and well stocked minibar. The suites are all different and have private saunas or steam room and loft rooms are spread over two levels. Although lovingly restored with modern styling, the hotel retains many of its period features to create an elegant atmosphere and ambience.

Food & Drink

Lilja restaurant in Maria Hotel Helsinki

The Garden Terrace is a brasserie style restaurant in a pretty glass-enclosed space. It serves Nordic and international dishes. Signature restaurant Lilja is inspired by the traditions of French cuisine; and intimate dining experiences are on offer in suite or in the private dining room, Valley, seating up to 12 people.

Breakfast is served in Lilja where there is a plentiful buffet with both Finnish and international delicacies and a la carte dishes made to order. The Bar Maria is a cosy spot for cocktails or champagne and has a grand piano which adds to the romantic atmosphere and an eye catching icicle design chandelier shimmers over the white marble bar.

Facilities

The Hotel Maria is the only hotel in the Nordics to offer the services of a Wellness concierge who can provide personal wellness programmes including specially tailored jet lag treatments and nutrition, a weekly Run Club and in-suite spa treatments.

The spa offers the best of Nordic wellness traditions with a traditional sauna, steam room, four treatment rooms and jacuzzi and plunge pools. Afterwards, you can relax in the pretty glass-roofed atrium with its relaxing fountain. The Maria Wellness Club has group classes, personal trainers and use of lounges.

There is a boutique featuring Finnish designers, a private butler service and dog and babysitting services. There are some event and meeting spaces ranging from intimate wedding venues to large conference facilities.

Hotel Maria offers curated stays and experiences with exclusive partner hotels and resorts including the Arctic boutique Hotel Iso-Syöte with its authentic Finnish log cabins on the snowy southern border of Lapland; and the glass-roofed Levin Iglut Golden Crown hotel, located in the popular ski resort, Levi, Lapland

What’s nearby

The hotel is within easy walking distance of Helsinki’s main attractions including the neoclassical Helsinki Cathedral, the Art Nouveau Central Station and the Finlandia Hall designed by Finnish functionalist architect Alvar Aalto.

There are fabulous shops in the Design Quarter or visit some of the city’s lovely coffee shops such as the elegant Fazer café on Kluuvikatu Street which opened in 1891

Take a stroll down to the harbour to the Allas Sea pool to watch brave souls taking a dip in the open air pool before their sauna. Ferries leave regularly to islands nearby such as Vallisaari Island which hosts the Helsinki Biennial Art Festival this year.

How much

A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection, rates at Hotel Maria start from £380 per room/night, including taxes and breakfast.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

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The post The Maria Hotel review, Helsinki, Finland appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

What: Ronan Keating as star performer at the Summer Gala 

Where: Pine Cliffs

When: August 2025

Why:

Ronan Keating, the iconic Irish singer and songwriter, will be the star of a magical night at Pine Cliffs Resort, in a special concert that promises to move the audience.

Pine Cliffs Resort 

Pine Cliffs Resort is a unique and exquisite location, with a prime seaside setting on the stunning Algarve coast, in southern Portugal.

The Summer Gala at Pine Cliffs Resort has been taking place for over 22 years and has always featured renowned international music acts, making it one of the highlights of the Algarve’s summer cultural programme.

Ronan Keating

With a brilliant career spanning generations, Ronan has won millions of fans worldwide, both as the lead singer of Boyzone and as a solo artist, with timeless hits like When You Say Nothing at All, Life is a Rollercoaster, and If Tomorrow Never Comes.

With his unmistakable voice and charismatic presence, Ronan Keating continues to enchant audiences, guaranteeing a memorable show in one of the most stunning settings in the Algarve.

HOW MUCH: Early Bird tickets €49

CHECK AVAILABILITY

Early bird tickets at €49.00 pp. 

The post Pine Cliffs Resort Summer gala presents Ronan Keating, Algarve, Portugal appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

There’s a frequently overlooked post-processing technique for accentuating colors in photographs captured in the field, and you’ll learn why, why, and how to use it in today’s seven-minute tutorial from the popular Sandra D Imagery YouTube Channel.

Sandra is a very accomplished photographer, educator, and Adobe expert whose quick videos are all about inspiring other creatives with easy-to-follow tutorials, tips, and behind-the scenes peeks into the image-editing workflow she prefers. The topic of today’s episode is Color Dodging in Photoshop.

Here’s a summary of what you’ll learn: “In this video I share a technique for selective coloring to add a more intense pop to key areas within a photo.” Sandra explains the importance of applying enhancements in a specific sequence, and why she tends to apply Color Dodging in the middle of her workflow or at the end for a final finishing touch.

Sandra’s first method involves using a “solid color fill.” Her multi-layered image is quite pixelated in layer three. The first step is choosing the Solid Color option from a dropdown menu in the panel. She selects red “because “I really want to POP that roof.” You’ll see why it’s important to change the Blend mode to Color before inverting the mask.

The next step is brushing her chosen color into the roof of the building on the horizon. She drops Opacity so that this effect appears realistic. She takes a similar approach to embellish a couch on the porch by adding another color layer—this time a yellowish, mustard tone that’s brushed over this small element while experimenting with Opacity as before.

You’ll see why she recommends paying close attention to the various masks in the panel, and why subtlety is often the key for keeping these color enhancements appearing natural. At this point you’re only halfway through the tutorial, and Sandra demonstrates other quick methods for achieving a similar result, depending upon the specific look you’re after, and Sandra provides timesaving keyboard shorts for streamlining the various adjustments.

Once you done watching, head over to the popular Sandra D Imagery YouTube channel where you’ll find other instructional videos for improving your image-editing workflow.

We also suggest checking out a recent tutorial we featured with another Adobe specialist who demonstrates how to avoid ruining photographs by understanding three common post-processing tools that are often applied incorrectly.