Hotel AX Awarded “Finland’s Leading Design Hotel” at the World Travel Awards Gala
A Celebration for Finnish Art and Design Tourism!
Hotel AX, located in Helsinki’s Jätkäsaari district, has received a major international recognition by winning the Finland’s Leading Design Hotel 2025 category at the World Travel Awards gala. The award strengthens Hotel AX’s position as Finland’s leading design hotel and highlights its unique fusion of art, design, and hospitality.
The World Travel Awards (WTA) are widely known as the “Oscars” of the travel industry. The awards are based on votes from travel professionals as well as travelers. This is the second win for Hotel AX in its category and a testament to its bold vision: making art and creativity an inseparable part of the hotel experience.
“We are immensely proud of this recognition. Above all, it is a tribute to our staff and partners who have created a place where art truly comes alive in every detail,” says Noora Möller, General Manager of Hotel AX. “This win reinforces our belief that design and art are the driving forces of future travel, with Helsinki playing a significant role in that vision,” Möller continues.
Opened in 2022, Hotel AX is a hotel of art and experiences, created in collaboration with top Finnish artists and designers. Every room, space, and detail draws inspiration from the Finnish art scene – allowing guests to quite literally sleep in the midst of art.
The hotel’s experiential concept has been brought to life together with iconic partners such as Stefan Lindfors, and its interiors are designed by Finnish designers and artists. In addition, the hotel bar offers multi-sensory experiences as part of the urban and continuously developing cultural district of Jätkäsaari.
The World Travel Awards have celebrated excellence in the travel industry since 1993 and are recognized as a benchmark of quality. The success of Hotel AX further strengthens Finland’s position as a pioneer in creative, high-quality, and sustainable tourism.
An Orc, Stefan Lindfors
Stefan Lindfors An Orc piece greets the customers of Hotel AX on the facade of the building above the main doors. The work is an eye-catching focal point that the viewer’s eye will inevitably find when walking towards the building. Lindfors tells about the origin of the character and the birth of the idea that the character originated in the world of dreams and appeared to him in a nightmare. The piece continues in the lobby of Hotel AX and the two-headed figure hovers from the main doors all the way over the reception and the hotel lobby.
Stefan Lindfors tells about the process of creating the work:
I stated that AX needs a frontal artwork above the front doors. I thought that the sculpture should of course attract attention, but at the same time I wanted to create an imaginary character that would leave the viewer room to think about what kind of creature it really is.
Humor is a key ingredient in the concept of this work, so that the guest arriving at AX would feel welcome. “Örkki” continues deep into AX’s lobby and in this way binds the exterior & interior to make them cohesive. Finally, I put balls of light in the paws of the two-headed whacky monster and let it’s lipping tongue glow.
Towards the Seven Seas, Pekka Jylhä
A ship that has successfully sailed all seven seas many times.
The history of the saying goes back to Mesopotamia, where seven planets were known. Through this, the number seven became a sacred number, which was then also associated with the known seas. In ancient times, the seas included: the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the China Sea, the West African Sea, the East African Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.
The Sailor’s Grave tattoo, a sinking sailing ship, means to the owner an amulet, which allows them to get home safely. The tattoo was believed to protect against sinking with the ship.
Jätkäsaari was Helsinki’s largest port in terms of traffic since the 1960s, and expansion continued in the 1970s. West Harbou continues shipping in Jätkäsaari even today.
Ship dimensions:
length 6.0 m
height 2.80 m
width 1.40 m
Material of the work:
Stainless steel, light and shade, wire.
Weight of the work:
290 kg.