Hotel Review
Whilst visiting the Finnish capital of Helsinki it’s also a perfect opportunity to spend a couple of days exploring Porvoo. Located 50 km east of Helsinki, it’s Finland’s second oldest city and its best preserved. The small city is noted for its old wooden town, charming cobblestone streets and ochre painted riverside warehouses. Porvoo is also famous for its local craftspeople and artists including Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg. RUNO translated from Finnish is ‘poet’ in recognition of the town’s association with Runeberg.
Location:
Porvoo is easily accessible from Helsinki by car in around 45 minutes. Frequent public transport bus services from Kamppi take approximately 50 minutes (details can be found here). If you are visiting between May and September then it’s very pleasant to take a leisurely cruise one way on the M/S JL Runeberg steamship, which was constructed in 1912 and operates between Helsinki and Porvoo.
Arrival and check-in:
We had travelled to Porvoo on the OnniBus express bus service and the Porvoo terminus was just a short walk from the hotel. For guests arriving by car the hotel has limited parking spaces available on a first come first served basis (extra charge). RUNO Hotel is located in a beautiful yellow, art-nouveau building dating from 1912. The hotel sits next to Porvoo’s old town gate and has been restored and refurbished in keeping to preserve its original features.
The front desk is positioned at one end of the hotel’s open plan lobby where we were welcomed by two charming receptionists who checked us in very quickly before being escorted to the lift and shown up to our room on the second floor. Receptionists are all dressed in white which immediately creates a vision of calm just like when you are entering a spa.
The Room:
The hotel has 56 rooms and suites, all uniquely designed and the one we were booked into was bathed in natural light. With its neutral palette of Scandi furnishings and light wood flooring, it had an uncluttered look, feeling very pleasant to the eye.
The room was fully equipped with high quality appliances including a Mysoda sparkling water maker, a Smedbo makeup mirror and a Stockholm Steamery clothes steamer. It’s the inclusion of useful gadgets such as these that elevate the room experience from others of its type. Also at our disposal was a 50″ television, minibar and well stocked hospitality tray including a personally signed welcome card and some delicious handmade chocolates.
The mattress was extremely comfortable and topped with a lighter than air duvet. The stylish bathroom comprised a powerful shower, luxurious deep pile bath towels, RUNO bathrobes, matching slippers and high quality fragrant Dermosil Finnish skincare products.
Dining:
Breakfast is served each morning in the hotel’s restaurant comprising a wide selection of tempting items to start the day.
These included freshly baked bread, pastries, fresh berries, yoghurts, cold cuts of meat, salmon and delicious porridge. The light and airy restaurant is also open to non-residents with an excellent weekend brunch being available.
Runo Kitchen also offers an all day menu with examples including smoked salmon salad, a charcuterie board and hot roast beef sandwiches. Dinner is not currently available but with several highly rated restaurants within walking distance and the opportunity to use a delivery service with the hotel providing tableware, cutlery and napkins, we didn’t find this to be a problem.
The Facilities:
With an extremely comfortable living room / lounge to relax in and complimentary teas and coffee available throughout the day, RUNO Hotel is an oasis of calm.
It’s impossible to visit Porvoo without tasting at least one of the speciality Runeberg cakes. These are available year round in Porvoo but only for one week of the year in the rest of the country in celebration of Runeberg Day in early February.
There’s also an attractive cocktail bar located between the open plan lounge and restaurant.
On warmer days guests can also enjoy drinks seated in the secluded courtyard sheltered by Alder trees.
Wellness:
Attic Sauna: located at the top of the building there’s a traditional Finnish sauna accommodating up to 15 guests with an invigorating cold water bucket shower and a relaxation room with a cosy fireplace. Gym: Guests are able to have complimentary access to the hotel’s partner gym, Fitness24seven located just 100 metres away. RUNO Spa: beauty treatments including facials and massages can be booked in the hotel’s spa with single and double occupancy rooms available.
Function Rooms:
The hotel has several rooms of varying sizes suitable for meetings, small conferences, events and parties converted from Porvoo’s first cinema and its associated rooms.
Out and About:
Wander along the cobbled narrow streets of Porvoo’s medieval old town which is lined with quaint, pastel painted wooden buildings. The majority of the buildings still in place today date from the 18th and 19th centuries as an earlier fire destroyed many of the previous wooden structures.
Pop into Brunberg, Porvoo’s 150 year old chocolatier for some delicious locally made sweets and chocolates including foam kisses, caramel toffee, truffles and liquorice, all of them popular countrywide. If you really want to stock up on confectionery then you can also visit their factory shop which is a 30 minute walk from the old town.
Porvoo Cathedral is one of the town’s oldest buildings dating back to the 15th century with some parts even older. This Evangelical Lutheran church is one of the oldest in the country and was the site of the Diet of Porvoo which was a key event in the road to Finnish independence taking place in 1917. Numerous fires over the years have badly damaged the church with the most recent taking place in 2006 when the entire roof was destroyed in an arson attack. Now restored, visiting the beautiful old church is free of charge and not to be missed.
Porvoo Museum is located in the old town hall building with its mansard roof and wooden clock tower. Completed in 1764, the building has housed Porvoo’s administrative court, the council and police constabulary, continuing to serve as the Town Hall until the end of the 19th century. Since then, the building was converted into a museum containing exhibitions by masters of Finland’s golden age and local history. Porvoo Museum.
J.L. Runeberg’s home has been open as a museum since 1882. Finland’s National poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg lived in this house in Porvoo for 40 years from 1837 until his death in 1877. He is best known as the author of the lyrics of the Finnish National Anthem and for his poetry about life in rural Finland.
Slightly further afield:
A lovely way to experience the natural beauty of the Porvoo archipelago is by taking a boat trip out to Pellinge Island. We travelled with SeaSport who operate trips on their swish new motor boats which can accommodate small groups or families. Bespoke four hour packages can be arranged to include picnic meals and beach barbecues.
The boat owners are highly skilled and we found them to be very friendly on our tour of the islands taking in Klovharun where the Finnish author of the Moomim stories spent her summers.
Pellinge Marina Beach Sauna
We were taken over to Pellinge where we experienced the newly created boutique sauna. I’ve had the pleasure of luxuriating in numerous Finnish beach saunas over the years but have to admit that the one here at Pellinge takes some beating.
We had private access to the sauna suite with its stunning coastal views adding to the relaxing experience. There was also a hot tub out on the terrace ready for our use with direct access into the sea for those wishing to take an invigorating dip.
The relaxation lounge was idyllic too and was where we enjoyed a delicious Nordic lunch before heading back to Porvoo. If time allows, I highly recommend arranging a boat trip out to this archipelago resort as it compliments so well with a stay at the RUNO Hotel. Pellinge Marina
Overall:
Staying at theRUNO Hotel left us with a feeling of calm and with artwork displayed throughout the building, it almost felt as if we were in a living art gallery.
The traditional Finnish breakfast served with a modern twist summed up the beauty of the hotel with its art-deco features enhanced for today’s discerning traveller and I’d have no hesitation in booking a return stay next time I’m over in Finland.
