A hidden treasure opened its doors to visitors in the centre of lahti – a new hotel offers unique accommodation

Solo Sokos Hotel Lahden Seurahuone's 50 new hotel rooms opened their doors to visitors on 19 April. With its beautiful design rooms, indoor garden and lounge area, Seurahuone Loft House offers visitors a memorable setting for a lovely stay in the centre of Lahti.

Seurahuone Loft House's rooms, which have been designed with great attention to detail, are located on the 3rd floor of the Sokos Lahti department store. With their luxurious design, these rooms are unique in Finland.

‘Loft House is located on the top floor of a department store and the floor plan differs from a standard hotel. While some could find this challenging, we saw it as an opportunity to create hotel rooms that are different in terms of their size and style. The hotel's two-storey rooms are unique in Finland,' explains Lari Rusila, executive vice president of hotel and catering services at the retailing cooperative Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa.

Seurahuone Loft House's rooms feel airy, thanks to their ceilings that are higher than the standard room height. In some of the rooms, the ceiling height is seven metres. Of the hotel's 50 rooms, 15 are two-storey spaces. ‘We are really excited to be able to welcome visitors to our Loft section soon. The increase in capacity and rooms that are designed to an even higher standard serve as a draw, not only for Seurahuone but also Lahti and Päijät-Häme as a whole,' says Lari Rusila, with hotel manager Marika Haavisto agreeing with the statement.

‘Being an experience in itself, a stay at Seurahuone Loft House gives your break a little touch of luxury. Fulfilling the wishes of even the most demanding traveller, the new rooms offer a memorable experience. Loft House is a hidden treasure in the centre of Lahti, which will offer joy to visitors for decades to come,' says Rusila.

SURPRISING DETAILS

In the new rooms, a rustic style, harmonious details and modern features come together beautifully. Warm colour tones have been used for their elegant decor, and visitors can spot interior designer Jaakko Puro's trademark, a bird, in several places.

Bathroom fixtures are made of composite wood, with the wood coming from Finnish forests.

‘The Finnish design brand Woodio produced most of Loft's bathroom fixtures. They are ecological as well as beautiful,' says Marika Haavisto.

Woodio is a design-oriented material technology company that produces low carbon footprint products. All of Woodio's products can be used for energy generation once they reach the end of their life cycle.

The rooms are equipped with a luxurious bed that guarantees a good night's sleep, and room-specific heating and cooling systems and smart TVs bring added comfort.

Depending on the room you choose, these unique premises come with a sauna for that special Finnish touch, a skylight for added light and atmosphere, an elegant and spacious bath or a pleasant patio.

Some of the rooms afford views over Lahti's main street while others overlook the conservatory area, which is bathed in natural light that pours in through the glass ceiling on sunny days.

‘In Loft House, you can relax on a garden patio in the centre of the city, whatever the weather and season. All rooms offer surprising details and features, including oval windows by which you can relax reading a book while sipping coffee or watching people on busy Aleksanterinkatu or bathrooms with wooden baths for relaxing soaks,' explains Lari Rusila.

In addition to the indoor garden and pleasant rooms, visitors can enjoy the relaxing heat of two rental saunas and the atmosphere of Loft's elegant and cosy lounge area.

LOCAL FLAVOURS ON A PLATE

Lahden Seurahuone's delicious breakfast never fails to wow visitors. The breakfast spread that offers something to suit all tastes is prepared with real love for food and all visitors in mind.

‘All the food in our breakfast buffet is clearly marked so our guests know what is on offer. Of course, our staff are always happy to provide more information on the breakfast,' explains restaurant manager Anne Kajaniemi.

The influence of Lahden Seurahuone's skilled staff is evident in the spread laid out each morning.

‘A lot of the food is hand-crafted. We make some of the baked goods ourselves, and the waffle mixture, porridge and egg mixture for scrambled eggs are also made here. We crack all the eggs ourselves – and that means a pretty large number of eggs,' says Anne Kajaniemi, laughing.

Seurahuone's breakfast offers the opportunity to savour locally produced delicacies. For example, the sausages and corned beef come from Maatila-Liha Meronen, a meat producer based in Orimattila. The breakfast also includes fresh bread rolls from Pekan Leipä in Heinola, porridge made from oats produced by

Vääksyn Mylly, Puhtikaura oat-based sports drinks made by the bakery Viipurilainen Kotileipomo in Vääksy, berries cultivated by the Tuloinen berry farm, and products from Fazer's plant in Lahti.

‘We pay attention to special diets in the planning of our breakfasts. For example, we serve gluten-free and vegan foods,' explains Anne Kajaniemi.