Sokos Hotels is the first in the accommodation sector to be granted the Allergy Label

Sokos Hotels is the first accommodation company in Finland to be granted the right to use the Allergy Label of the Allergy and Asthma Federation. Six years of development have resulted in improved indoor air in hotel rooms and changes in the interior decoration and cleaning material used. Currently, 30 Sokos Hotels have received the label and the goal of the chain is that all its hotels in Finland would gain the right to use it.

The Allergy and Asthma Federation and Sokos Hotels launched a joint development project in 2006. The project has particularly improved indoor air quality, surface and interior decoration material, and cleaning methods and agents. A special focus has been on having easy-care interior decoration material of a high quality. In addition to odour-free cleaning agents, Sokos Hotels now also provides odour-free personal hygiene products, and rooms suitable for pets and smokers are located on designated floors for more convenient accommodation of those with allergies.

"We wanted to highlight comfort and the well-being aspect as service factors, and thus provide our hotel guests with a more comprehensive service. For us and the entire accommodation sector, the well-being aspect is a new way of considering the quality of the service. For example, cleaner room air makes all our customers happy. The goal is that you sleep at our hotels at least as well as you do at home," says Peter Jung, Concept and Development Director of SOK Travel Industry Chain Management.

Up to 50% of Finns suffer from temporary or permanent allergies. The Allergy and Asthma Federation has specified the criteria of the Allergy Label for hotel rooms. The goal of the Federation is to improve the travelling quality of those with allergies and asthma and to encourage consumers to travel. 

"Our goals has been to eliminate the 'allergy room' term from the market and to thoroughly improve the quality of accommodation services in Finland. We want to bust the myths related to allergy and to also increase know-how related to it in the tourism sector," says Niki Alanko, Communication Services Director of the Allergy and Asthma Federation.

For additional information, please contact:
Peter Jung, Concept and Development Director, SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, tel. +358 400 755 845, peter.jung@sok.fi
Ulla Kivilaakso, Account Manager, SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, tel. +358 50 66 288, ulla.kivilaakso@sok.fi
Niki Alanko, Communication Services Director, Allergy and Asthma Federation, tel. +358 9 4733 5315, niki.alanko@allergia.fi

Sokos Hotels
S Group's Sokos Hotels is the leading hotel chain in Finland and comprises 51 hotels in Finland, Tallinn and St. Petersburg. All hotels are situated in city centres or in the middle of recreational locations alongside good transport connections. In addition to accommodation, Sokos Hotels provides diverse meeting and restaurant services conveniently under the same roof. The best restaurants and clubs in each city are located near the hotels.

The Allergy and Asthma Federation, and the Allergy Label
The Allergy and Asthma Federation is a health organisation which improves the life quality of Finns. Services include allergy counselling, indoor air and repair counselling, rehabilitation and training.

The purpose of the Allergy Label is to improve the quality of life of those allergies and asthma. Services with the Allergy Label have been developed by taking into account the clear benefit from the allergy viewpoint.

www.allergia.fi,  www.allergiatunnus.fi

Criteria for the Allergy Label
A hotel can apply for the Allergy Label for some hotel rooms or the entire hotel. The criteria are assessed room- and floor-specifically.

1. Smoking and rooms where animals are allowed
Most hotel rooms must be smoke-free. If the hotel has rooms where smoking and/or animals are allowed, they must be located in a designated area of the hotel, which other customers are not required to pass by unnecessarily. In addition, sufficient ventilation to other rooms is ensured. The rooms in question are also cleaned using separate cleaning equipment. 

2. Ventilation

• ventilation must meet the guide values for incoming and exhaust air flow (10l/s, person and 1l/s, square metre)
• the ventilation system is cleaned every five years and maintained on a regular basis
• the filtering of incoming air must be at least of class F 7
•  room temperature in winter is 21.5C +-1C, and in summer <27C (adjustable)

3. Interior decoration and surface material

• the surfaces do not gather much dust and are easy to clean
• the interior decoration textiles are smooth and washable
• the bed linen is in a good condition and can be washed in 60 degrees
• there are no actual plants in the room (suitable ones are also available when selected)
• new construction/renovation uses M1 construction material

4. Cleaning

• the washing and cleaning agents used are odour-free
• the cleaning equipment is clean and separate from other spaces (rooms where animals and smoking are allowed), and the vacuum cleaner is a central vacuum cleaner or one with a HEPA filter.
• daily cleaning is carried out in the rooms with damp wiping as per the degree of use
• upper dust is wiped as required (every six months is recommended)
• bed linen is washed as per the room's degree of use (annually)
• other interior decoration textiles are vacuumed or washed as required (annually)

5. Odour-free personal hygiene products
The personal hygiene products in the bathrooms are also available as odour-free alternatives.

Sokos Hotels which are granted the Allergy Label
Espoo: Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden
Helsinki: Sokos Hotel Albert, Aleksanteri, Helsinki, Presidentti, Torni ja Vaakuna
Joensuu: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Jyväskylä: Sokos Hotel Jyväshovi
Kokkola: Sokos Hotel Kaarle
Koli: Sokos Hotel Koli
Kouvola: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Kuopio: Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi
Lahti: Sokos Hotel Seurahuone
Leppävirta: Sokos Hotel Vesileppis
Levi: Sokos Hotel Levi
Mikkeli: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Nurmes: Sokos Hotel Bomba
Oulu: Sokos Hotel Arina and Eden
Rovaniemi: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Salo: Sokos Hotel Rikala
Seinäjoki: Sokos Hotel Lakeus and Vaakuna
Tahkovuori: Sokos Hotel Tahkovuori
Tampere: Sokos Hotel Ilves, Tammer and Villa
Turku: Sokos Hotel Caribia and Hamburger Börs
Vantaa: Sokos Hotel Flamingo
Vuokatti: Sokos Hotel Vuokatti

Fully smoke-free Sokos Hotels
Espoo: Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden
Helsinki: Sokos Hotel Albert, Aleksanteri, Helsinki, Pasila, Torni and Vaakuna
Hämeenlinna: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Iisalmi: Sokos Hotel Koljonvirta
Joensuu: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Jyväskylä: Sokos Hotel Alexandra, Jyväshovi and Paviljonki
Kokkola: Sokos Hotel Kaarle
Koli: Sokos Hotel Koli
Kotka: Sokos Hotel Seurahuone
Kouvola: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Kuopio: Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi
Kuusamo : Sokos Hotel Kuusamo
Lahti: Sokos Hotel Seurahuone
Lappeenranta: Sokos Hotel Lappee
Levi : Sokos Hotel Levi
Leppävirta: Sokos Hotel Vesileppis
Mikkeli: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Oulu: Sokos Hotel Arina and Eden
Rovaniemi: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna
Seinäjoki: Sokos Hotel Lakeus and Vaakuna
Tahkovuori: Sokos Hotel Tahkovuori
Tampere: Sokos Hotel Ilves, Tammer and Villa
Turku: Sokos Hotel Caribia ja Seurahuone
Vantaa: Sokos Hotel Flamingo
Vuokatti: Sokos Hotel Vuokatti