Good evening everyone.  In late June / early July, Laura and I spent 2 days in Helsinki, Finland, and 3 days in Stockholm, Sweden.  We stayed at 2 Ascend Hotel Collection properties that were bookable with Choice Hotels Points and I wanted to highlight these 2 hotels if you are looking for places to stay in either city.

Up first, we stayed 2 nights at the Hotel F6, Ascend Hotel Collection in Helsinki, Finland.  The hotel is named after the hotel’s address (Fabianinkatu 6).  Unfortunately, the reviews for Ascend Hotel Collection properties on Choice are pretty sparse, but don’t let that scare you.

I checked the Hotel F6 on Trip Advisor and this hotel has a 5 / 5 star rating, 1,131 reviews, and is the #2 hotel in Helsinki.  The location of the hotel is great.  You are a block away from the Esplanadi Park, 2 blocks away from the harbor, and a short walk to Senate Square.  The complimentary buffet breakfast was great and our room was very spacious.  I have no elite status with Choice and this was a busy weekend in Helsinki.

I booked my stay in April 2024 for 40,000 points total (20,000 points / night) by transferring 20,000 Citi ThankYou Points into 40,000 Choice Hotels Points.   I value Choice Hotels Points at 0.5 cents each, so 20,000 points x 0.5 CPP = $100 cash equivalent.

Unfortunately, the price for the hotel has increased to 30,000 points / night = $150 cash equivalent, but I would gladly pay that price for this hotel if I were going back to Helsinki.

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Up next, and don’t be confused by the name, we stayed 3 nights at the At Six, Ascend Hotel Collection in Stockholm, Sweden.  Like before, the reviews for Ascend Hotel Collection properties on Choice are pretty sparse, but don’t let that scare you.

I checked the At Six on Trip Advisor and this hotel has a 4.5 / 5 star rating, 2,173 reviews, and is the #23 hotel in Stockholm.  The location of the hotel is great.  You are a short walk from the Stockholm Central Station (where you can take the Arlanda Express to the airport in 18 minutes), a short walk to Gamla Stan (to visit the Royal Palace) and plenty of public transportation to take you to the Vasa Museum, the ABBA Museum, and Grona Lund amusement park.  The hotel is situated above a mall and there are several restaurants and cafes within a short walk. The complimentary buffet breakfast was great, but our hotel room was on the smaller side and our hotel room faced a popular rooftop bar across the street.

During the Daily Getaways promo, I was able to purchase one of the Choice Hotels packages (42,000 points for $220.00).  I then transfer 9,000 Citi ThankYou Points into 18,000 Choice Hotels Points, so that I would have a total of 60,000 points for my 3 night stay.

I booked my stay in May 2024 for 60,000 points total (20,000 points / night).  I value Choice Hotels Points at 0.5 cents each, so 20,000 points x 0.5 CPP = $100 cash equivalent.

Luckily, the price is still showing 20,000 points / night throughout the next few months.  There are nicer hotels in the city, but this location is great and for $100 / night, I would gladly pay that price for this hotel if I were going back to Stockholm.

If you have stayed at either property before, I would love to hear your thoughts.  If you have any questions about booking Ascend Hotel Collection properties with Choice Points, please leave a comment below.  Have a great evening everyone!