Punkaharju: Where on Earth?

I don’t know, actually. I was sitting on the bus and let it lead to where it was meant to be. It was a field trip in my Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Marketing course. Some only ideas about the trip and the destination in my mind at that time were: Lake Saimaa area, another nature spot in Finland, the next assignment topic.

I might not know about Punkaharju, but I do know Hotelli Punkaharju.

It’s located in Punkaharju, in the middle of nowhere. But that fact doesn’t make the hotel less appealing; in fact, it shines on its own as a hidden gem in the land of tranquility.

When I walked my first step into the hotel, I was amazed. This place doesn’t look the same as anywhere I’ve been before in Finland. No boring wall color, no all-white furniture, no standardized look. To me, the hotel has many opposing but interconnecting combinations, which makes it so interesting. It has a luxurious vibe showing through a sophisticated way of decor and art exhibitions. Yet, it is cozy, it makes me feel welcomed, relaxed, and comfortable, just like “home”. Each part of the hotel, the lounging space, the bar, the kitchen, the dining area, each and every room, has a distinctive design and theme color. Yet, they are seemingly meant to be there and make up an entity - Hotelli Punkaharju. The more I wander around, the more to explore.

We met Saimi - the owner of the hotel. She impressed me with the knitted mushroom sweater. Later, I learned that she had a big obsession with mushrooms, which I found so unique and cute. Saimi told us many things, about her career, (a piece of) her life, her decisions, and her story about Hotelli Punkaharju. I like her because as I perceive, she is a bright, inspirational, brave, unique, visionary, and self-accountable person. I like her sense of humor too. I took three things from her speech: “jump”, “languages”, and “networking”. I understood more about the hotel and its value.

To me, Hotelli Punkaharju feels like home. Although I was only there for a few hours, I already fell in love with the vibe. It’s not a humongous hotel, everything is within reach. I imagined what I would do if I stayed there on a rainy day in March: sitting on the couch, taking a morning coffee, reading on my Kindle, or doing some crochet, listening to people chatting, grabbing another drink at the bar nearby, having some food when feeling hungry. The beautiful nature outside would calm down any turbulence. Also, petting the dog too! Oh, how lovely it would be! Although in reality, I don’t stay there, I wish I would someday 😂.

Hotelli Punkaharju is also a place for arts and creativity. Oh dear, I loved how the jazz lingered in the air when we walked through the hotel. Art exhibitions change every three months. The piano in the dining room looked so tempting. Plethora of events here and there: yoga, fashion show, or music and performance. I still remember how passionate Saimi was when she talked about all of her ideas to make this place become one of a kind. And I guess she is achieving it. The most exciting event might be the mushroom excursion, which I absolutely would like to join.

Hotelli Punkaharju brings a culinary experience. The food was spectacular, it brought me a flavor that I had never tried before. When I was traveling, I did not pay much attention to food, but when I had one of my best meals at the hotel, it came to my mind that “I must try good food wherever I go because it makes me so happy”. Because of my diet, the chef prepared me a vegan main dish that tasted wonderful! I was very honored for the special treat.

Hotelli Punkaharju revived my childhood hobby: treasure hunting. I hunted mushrooms there instead. Yes, mushrooms are everywhere inside the hotel. I found it on the bookshelf and in some little corners of the house. I’m sure there are more. It was just so pleasantly surprising to see a mushroom piece of decoration popping up here and there when I walked around the building. Because the little things always amaze us.

However, most importantly, Hotelli Punkaharju is a devoted passion. Through Saimi’s sharings, I could partly understand how difficult it was to get the hotel into operation. The hotel was well-established as today probably by the firm belief of the people working there, by the sheer love towards Punkaharju, and by the determination to do what you like and create value for like-minded people. That’s also the core reason why I want to write about this hotel.

It was a great opportunity, a great experience, and a great time to talk to Saimi and get to know about Hotelli Punkaharju ♥️ They are here, by the way.

Have a glance at the hotel below: