Best hotels to stay in Oulu

The best thing about Oulu is the sea – it’s what makes this northern city so distinctive, in every sense. It offers spectacular views, yes, but also that brutally cold sea breeze that seems to blow almost all year round. Nallikarin Aalto, a modern apartment hotel, lets you enjoy the very best parts of its coastal setting: uninterrupted sea views and a kilometre-long sandy beach right on your doorstep. And when the weather turns frosty, you can still take in the same stunning scenery from the warmth of your own room.

Aalto has 21 apartments, with options for solo travellers and families alike. Opened in 2024, everything still feels brand new. Each apartment comes with all the essentials – a kitchen, sauna and washing machine – plus those all-important sea views. Every unit also has a balcony, and some even come with a private hot tub. Picture this: a crisp winter’s day, the sea glowing in sunset hues and steaming bubbles in the open air – a combination you’ll rarely find anywhere else.

Some might say Nallikari is a little far from the city centre, and fair enough – but you can’t really experience Oulu without visiting this seaside area. The city centre is easily reached by bus (or onnikka, as locals call it), or better yet, hop on a bike and do as Oulu locals do – even when the frost bites and the sea is steaming.

Downstairs, the hotel’s restaurant serves breakfast for guests, while evenings bring Neapolitan-style pizzas and, in summer, one of the city’s most scenic sea-view terraces.

Time Out tip: Stay at Aalto in midwinter and wait for that magical moment when the afternoon light turns pink and the frozen sea mirrors the sky. That’s Nallikari at its purest – icy, infinite and breathtakingly beautiful.

Address: Leiritie 10

Expect to pay: Apartments for 1–4 people from €125 per night

The Radisson Blu Oulu overlooks the very heart of the city. From your room, you can watch the hustle and bustle of the market square – and from the upper floors, you’ll even catch a glimpse of the sea. When night falls and the city lights come on, the urban view is truly mesmerising. And the outlook is just as good on the other side of the hotel, where the Oulujoki River flows by.

Recently renovated, the hotel’s rooms strike a balance between modern elegance and personality. Standard rooms feature bold floral motifs, either as a soft carpet pattern or on the wallpaper behind the bed. The colour palette moves from muted mint-green walls to cognac headboards and coral-red armchairs. The beds are dreamily soft – the kind you sink into and never want to leave.

The top-floor executive rooms offer panoramic views of the sea and city, right from the bed. In the presidential suite, you can admire the same view from the corner-window whirlpool bath. Both suites and executive rooms come with private saunas.

Guests in the higher-tier rooms also enjoy access to the Blu Lounge in the hotel lobby, where complimentary drinks and snacks are served – a lovely spot to unwind before dinner.

The hotel has two restaurants: Restaurant Ule and Ravintola Toivo, the latter serving as the breakfast room. Breakfast is a generous buffet, with coffee and tea brought straight to your table. Restaurant Ule serves both lunch and à la carte dinner, and room service is also available.

The location couldn’t be better for a city break – all of Oulu’s restaurants, shops and attractions are right on your doorstep. There’s a large car park in front of the hotel, so you won’t have to leave your car far away, and public transport stops just a few blocks off.

Time Out tip: The breakfast buffet is open to non-guests too and costs €31. In summer, head to the hotel’s sheltered sea terrace for gorgeous waterside views – and when it’s chilly, you can still dine outdoors in the cosy greenhouse pods.

Address: Hallituskatu 1

Expect to pay: Standard double rooms from around €140; executive doubles from around €235

Stylish, recently renovated rooms, a location right in the city’s beating heart and perhaps the best playroom in all of Finland – that’s Original Sokos Hotel Arina in a nutshell. If location is your top priority when staying in Oulu, you literally can’t get any more central than this. Arina sits on the corner of Rotuaari, the city’s main square, right next to the Valkea shopping centre, so every downtown restaurant, shop and attraction is just steps away.

For a big hotel chain, the rooms have a surprisingly local feel. There are nods to Oulu everywhere – from charming mini Toripolliisi statues to room themes inspired by local symbols like tar, salmon and the midnight sun. The hotel also has two special themed rooms celebrating Oulu’s pride and joy: one dedicated to the Kärpät ice hockey team, and another to the rugged beauty of nearby Hailuoto Island.

The hotel’s 260 rooms were fully refurbished in 2022, along with the gym, sauna area and the incredible kids’ playroom – so good it might tempt adults to join in. It’s spacious and full of fun for children of all ages, with reading nooks, a slide, a ball pit and an impressively long toy car track. The gym is conveniently located right next door.

Time Out tip: Book a room during one of Rotuaari’s big events, like the Air Guitar World Championships. If you’re lucky enough to get a room facing the square, you can enjoy the show from the comfort of your room.

Address: Pakkahuoneenkatu 16

Expect to pay: Double rooms from €180 per night

The yellow Art Nouveau wooden house of De Gamlas Hem stands out instantly against the urban backdrop of Heinäpää. The building was originally a retirement home dating back more than a century, once housing elderly members of the gentry – and even Swedish fighter pilots at one point.

Today, it’s a beautifully restored boutique hotel with 22 rooms, where traces of the building’s past remain in the old tiled stoves and room layouts. As the interior walls of this listed building couldn’t be altered, the rooms are on the smaller side, though glass-walled bathrooms add a sense of space and light.

The minimalist design supports the hotel’s philosophy of peace and calm: unnecessary distractions have been removed so guests can truly rest. It worked wonders for me – it’s the first place in years where I drifted off for a proper afternoon nap, only waking to the clinking of teacups downstairs.

Every day at five o’clock, the hotel serves afternoon tea, featuring three kinds of loose-leaf tea, the hotel’s own dark-roast coffee and a selection of sweet and savoury bites. Guests are encouraged to join rather than stay in their rooms – it’s a lovely way to connect with others. The tea service is included in the room rate.

The hotel’s own restaurant makes it easy to stay in your little De Gamlas Hem bubble, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ingredients are often locally sourced – fish from Hailuoto fishermen, berries picked nearby. Breakfast is a gourmet affair with quality cheeses, juices and pastries from the local Bakery Huovinen.

Guests also get free access to the nearby Hukka Sports Centre, which has gyms, classes and saunas. There’s a private car park for hotel guests, and the city centre is just a ten-minute walk away.

Time Out tip: Non-guests are welcome to join the five o’clock tea too – €8.50 for tea, coffee and a small selection of treats, with the option to add a glass of sparkling wine.

Address: Kirkkokatu 54

Expect to pay: Double rooms from €133 (including breakfast, five o’clock tea and access to the fitness centre)

Old-fashioned villa charm on a budget? Hostel Café Huvila in Toppilansalmi offers wallet-friendly accommodation in a beautifully restored 19th-century villa. Built in 1856 as the villa for a local brewery owner, the building has been carefully renovated in recent years with great respect for its history. The slender tower looks like something straight out of a fairytale, and inside you’ll find numerous traditional tiled stoves adding warmth and character.

The hostel can accommodate up to 30 guests, with options ranging from private doubles to shared dorms for up to six people. The private room, located in the villa’s corner tower, is bright and decorated in soft, romantic tones. A vintage dressing table adds charm, and a chandelier hangs from the ornate ceiling. The space also doubles as a wedding suite, as the villa is a popular venue for celebrations.

The shared kitchen is cosy, spotless and impressively well-equipped. Guests can use the communal ingredients available or store their own food in the fridge. During my stay, I made breakfast from the hostel’s supplies – simple sandwiches and a freshly brewed cup of tea. For something more substantial, guests can enjoy a paid breakfast in the adjoining café, which also serves excellent lunches during opening hours.

Communal areas include a TV, books, toys, games – and even a piano for those who feel like playing. The décor continues the villa’s period style, with antique furniture and vintage touches throughout. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming rather than formal or fussy – easily the cosiest hostel I’ve ever stayed in.

The location, a few kilometres from the city centre, is peaceful yet convenient. There are restaurants, pharmacies and shops nearby, including Finland’s award-winning K-Supermarket Toppila, right next door, offering great takeaway meals and gourmet treats.

Toppilansalmi itself is a fascinating district where old industrial buildings stand alongside new apartments. It’s also close to Nallikari Beach, just a couple of kilometres away. Scenic walking routes lead to the city centre via the picturesque island of Pikisaari or along the Oulujoki River. There’s a bus stop nearby and plenty of free parking right outside.

Time Out tip: Take a stroll through Oulu’s seaside scenery and unwind at Olosauna, a floating riverside sauna, before looping back via the popular Varikko Brewery Restaurant for a drink.

Address: Panimotie 1

Expect to pay: Private double rooms from €98; shared dorm beds from €49 (shared dorms for 4–6 guests can also be booked as family rooms)