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Finnish hotel innovation gains international success – Heymo 1, a hotel by Sokos Hotels and Rune & Berg Design, advances in high-quality design competition

Heymo is a hotel type that challenges traditional hotels with a community-driven, urban and bold hotel experience. Its first-ever hotel, Heymo 1 by Sokos Hotels, has been selected from nearly 5,000 projects to the longlist of the Dezeen Awards, a leading international design and architecture competition.

Heymo 1, located in Keilaniemi, Espoo, has advanced to the longlist in the Interiors category of the renowned Dezeen Awards. Organised by the British design publication Dezeen, the competition rewards the world's best architecture, design and interior projects. This year, the competition received over 4,800 entries from 94 countries. Heymo 1 was the only Finnish project to make it to the top 17 in the "Hotel and short stay interior" category.

Named after the Finnish word "heimo", which stands for tribe, Heymo is the latest hotel type launched by Sokos Hotels. It represents a flexible service concept where guests only pay for what they need. Heymo serves as a modern traveller's hub, providing all the essentials for a quality stay while the city and its surroundings offer everything else.

Opened in 2022, Heymo 1 is a collaborative project between Sokos Hotels, Sokotel Oy and design agency Rune & Berg Design, combining an automated and human-centred hotel experience. The graphic look was designed by the creative agency Bob the Robot. Riina Ruska, Lead Designer at Rune & Berg Design, the agency responsible for the hotel's interior architecture, expresses her delight over the project's success.

"Heymo 1 has been a dream project for us. It has allowed us to design a new kind of hotel experience and interior concept right from its inception. We are proud of the end result, which is fresh, functional and unique. It's great to witness that the project has now achieved global recognition", Ruska says.

"We are extremely pleased with how Heymo 1 has been received by the public. It was with excitement that we launched an entirely new concept to the Finnish travel industry, and customers have already discovered it much to our delight. Heymo is an excellent home base for travellers who value convenience. The innovative and colourful interior architecture designed by Rune & Berg Design brought the concept to life and keeps on delighting our guests daily. The success obtained at the Dezeen Awards serves as great recognition for all parties involved", says Jaana Matikainen, Director, Development & Concepts at SOK Travel and Hospitality Industry Chain Management.

Smart technology, tribe-like community and intuitive spaces

Dezeen Awards assesses projects based on innovation, aesthetics and sustainability, all of which are showcased throughout Heymo 1.

Heymo 1 offers a hotel experience that merges community with peace. The minimalism-inspired hotel rooms prioritise relaxation and a good night's sleep. With a colour palette that is warm and serene, each room features a high-quality bed. What makes the hotel unique is the playful "Lucky You" hotel room. It cannot be booked but is awarded daily to one lucky guest through a random draw. Beyond the privacy of their rooms, the guests can enjoy the communal Heymo Station, equipped e.g. with a lounge, a co-working area and a self-service kitchen.

Almost all hotel services are automated. Instead of a traditional reception, the check-in and check-out are performed using self-service machines. Smart technology-powered self-service lockers offer everything from all-day breakfasts and takeaway meals to hygiene essentials. In addition to the digital experience, personalised service is available around the clock. The staff, known as "Fixers", ensures the comfort of the guests and provides them with the best tips for what the city has to offer.

Sustainability has played an essential part in the design of Heymo's spaces and services. Special emphasis has been placed on the accessibility and intuitive use of spaces through colours and visual cues. Sustainability is also present through the use of durable, low-carbon materials. Heymo's core sustainability principle, however, is to encourage guests to consume only what they need.

The winners of the Dezeen Awards will be announced in November 2023.

Sokos Hotels continues to be Finland's most respected hotel brand

8.9.2023

The Finns have once again rated the Sokos Hotels chain as the best hotel brand in Finland in the Brand Valuation 2023 survey conducted by market research company Taloustutkimus.

Sokos Hotels took a clear lead among the hotel brands. The study comprised 665 brands. A total of approximately 6,000 respondents participated in the online survey conducted by Taloustutkimus Oy.

"Being recognized as Finland's most respected hotel brand feels exceptionally well deserved and valuable this year. We have, after all, experienced a couple of special and challenging years", says Commercial Director Nina Nieminen.

In such exceptional times, keeping customer promises and providing good service are highly valued. Finns have, during the past two years, vacationed and become acquainted with their home country on a completely different scale than before. Sokos Hotels has also welcomed new guests, who may not previously have been familiar with the chain.

"The fact that the survey respondents consisted of both business and leisure travellers indicates that our brand's service and quality level has met the wishes and requirements of different customer and age groups. Based on our customers' experience, we have maintained our position as the most respected, reliable and responsible operator in Finland. Our professional, caring and committed staff carry out the Sokos Hotels mission of Happiness every day. We are here for our guests and this type of recognition brings us a lot of joy and encourages us to continue our good work in order to maintain our rating", Nina Nieminen continues.

We wish to thank our customers for their recognition.

You have made us very happy.

Consumers again perceive Sokos Hotels as the most sustainable hotel chain in Finland

21.3.2023

Our sustainability efforts have not gone unnoticed, as the Finnish consumers, in the Sustainable Brand Index study, named Sokos Hotels the most sustainable hotel chain in Finland for the eleventh consecutive time. The recognition from the Finnish consumers is a matter of honor for us, states Jaana Matikainen, Vice President Development & Concepts at SOK Travel and Hospitality Industry Chain Management.

The work towards sustainability at Sokos Hotels is multifaceted and continuous. All Sokos Hotels are part of the Green Key programme which encourages businesses to improve their sustainabilty work each day. One such act is our carbon footprint compensation. Sokos Hotels has since late 2021 been the first hotel chain in Finland to offer its guests the possibility of offsetting the carbon footprint of their hotel stay and breakfast. More than 30,000 guests have already made use of this possibility.

The chain has strived to reduce food waste already for years, there has been a significant reduction in single-use plastics and improvement in the efficiency of energy consumption. The restaurants have increased the proportion of Finnish produce, and procurement is driving the S Group's sustainability agenda. Sokos Hotels cooperate with local operators when it comes to construction, materials, food and travel-related activities. "Our sustainability work supports the S Group's Mission: Together we build a better place to live. One of our most important objectives is to achieve carbon-negativity during 2025," says Jaana Matikainen.

The European Sustainable Brand Index maps consumers' brand perception on sustainability

Sustainable Brand Index is based on research among 12 000 Finnish consumers and shows how the 228 largest Finnish brands across 26 industries are perceived. Sustainable Brand Index is Europe's largest independent brand study on sustainability, and has been conducted in Finland already since 2013.

Brands are selected independently based on market share, turnover and general brand awareness. Brands cannot choose to be included or excluded from the study. The study also analyses trends and drivers of sustainable consumption.

Further information:
Jaana Matikainen, director, Concepts and Development,
jaana.matikainen@sok.fi
tel. +358 50 388 163

Sokos Hotels is a Finnish hotel chain consisting of 45 hotels. The chain's four hotel types offer a unique hotel experience for everyone. Sokos Hotels has been chosen as Finland's most responsible, most valued and most reliable hotel chain several years in a row. All Sokos Hotels have been awarded the Green Key eco-label.

Responsibility at Sokos Hotels »

S Group's Responsibility program »

Consumers' choice – once again Sokos Hotels is the most trusted hotel chain in Finland

3rd of February, 2023

With almost half (45%) of the mentions in the category concerned, the Reader's Digest European Trusted Brands survey has chosen Sokos Hotels as Finland's most trusted hotel chain for the 12th time in a row.

"We're proud of the confidence Finnish consumers have shown in us", rejoices Outi Vitie, Marketing Director at Sokos Hotels. "Sokos Hotels has been part of Finnish hotel life for 49 years. In addition to our 1,300 employees, we also offer local operators a significant amount of work at the different locations of our hotels. The share of locally produced food served in our restaurants is continually growing and in our procurement of materials we favour Finnish suppliers. I believe that Finnish origin is a sign of quality and trust for Finnish consumers."

The respondents of the survey have first named the brand they consider most trustworthy in the product category in question, after which they have rated how well five different features fit this brand on a scale from 1 to 5. The rated features were: quality, value for money, strong product image, understanding consumers' needs, and ethical responsibility. In addition, respondents were asked how likely they were to choose the brand when making a purchasing decision, whether they had used the brand they chose during the past 12 months, and whether they would recommend it to others. Sokos Hotels received the highest score in the category from those who selected it for understanding consumers' needs and ethical responsibility.

For further information, please contact:

Outi Vitie, Marketing Director, Sokos Hotels, tel. +358 50 66 287, outi.vitie@sok.fi

The Sokos Hotels chain is also the most sustainable hotel chain in Finland. Read more about our sustainability here »

The survey:

CIL Suomi Oy/Reader's Digest conducted the annual survey for the 23rd time. The main partner was the data research company Norstat Finland Oy. The survey was implemented as an online questionnaire, with 2,008 respondents. The sample was extracted from the customer register of CIL Suomi Oy and the online panel of Norstat Finland. The results were demographically weighted in terms of age (20+), gender and neighborhood.

Using open-ended questions, the survey studied what the most trusted brands in 40 different product groups were in the opinion of the respondents.

Sokos Hotels wins Hotel Brand of the Year award in international brand competition

Press release 4.11.2022

Sokos Hotels received the award Brand of the Year 2022 in the hotel category of the international World Branding Awards. This is the globally most recognised brand award.

This year's awards ceremonies were held on 3 November in the royal residence of London's Kensington Palace, where the Sokos Hotels award was accepted by Nina Nieminen, Director of revenue management and distribution at SOK Travel Industry Chain Management, and Jaana Matikainen, Vice President Development & Concepts.

The winners of the Brand of the Year title are selected based on a public vote, consumer market research and brand valuation. Awards are presented by country, continent and worldwide. This year, a total of 3500 brands from 45 countries were nominated, and 206 were awarded. Sokos Hotels was awarded at national level and is the only Finnish hotel brand to receive this recognition.

Creating happiness as core value in brand building

"We value this recognition highly. The Sokos Hotels brand is the result of almost 50 years of marketing, communications, service design and quality assurance. The Sokos Hotels brand is, however, best represented by our staff, as a brand identity is formed by the people who work there. Our staff carry out the Sokos Hotels mission of happiness by creating unforgettable customer experiences on a daily basis", says a proud Outi Vitie, Marketing Director.

The most sustainable hotel chain in Finland

"Our customers consider the Finnish hotel chain reliable, responsible and safe. Values that are particularly appreciated in the current global situation and in the aftermath of the pandemic," Outi Vitie confirms.

Sustainability work is continuous at Sokos Hotels. Efforts to reduce food waste have been in place for years and energy efficiency is constantly improved. Since 2021, the chain has offered its customers the possibility to offset the carbon footprint of their stay. It is committed to the S Group's goal to achieve carbon negativity by the end of 2025. All Sokos Hotels are eco label Green Key-certified.

"The Brand of the Year award and the many domestic recognitions we have received over the years serve as encouragement as we continue our important and responsible work for the good of our staff and customers," Vitie adds.

Sokos Hotels has been named Finland's most respected hotel chain, Finland's most trusted and Finland's most sustainable hotel chain for several consecutive years.

More information: Outi Vitie, Marketing Director, Sokos Hotels, outi.vitie@sok.fi, tel. 010 768 2733

Sokos Hotels is a Finnish hotel chain consisting of 46 hotels. The chain's four different hotel types offer a unique hotel experience for everyone. All Sokos Hotels have been awarded the Green Key eco-label. www.sokoshotels.fi/en

The non-profit organization The World Branding Forum has focused on the development of brand standards. The World Branding Awards is the organization's premier award. https://awards.brandingforum.org

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Current topics

Current topics

Finnish hotel innovation gains international success – Heymo 1, a hotel by Sokos Hotels and Rune & Berg Design, advances in high-quality design competition

Sokos Hotels continues to be Finland's most respected hotel brand

Consumers again perceive Sokos Hotels as the most sustainable hotel chain in Finland

Consumers' choice – once again Sokos Hotels is the most trusted hotel chain in Finland

Sokos Hotels wins Hotel Brand of the Year award in international brand competition

Creating happiness as core value in brand building

The most sustainable hotel chain in Finland

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