Back in 1976 something remarkable happened in a small town in Eastern Finland. The first hotel in town opened. It had 50 rooms, a restaurant for 300 people, a bar and a night club. It even had the only pool in the town.
Business went so well, that the hotel’s capacity was doubled to 100 rooms just a few years later. It even featured three conference rooms for up to 140 people. There was live music in the restaurant five nights a week.
In the late 1980’s the hotel was sold to a group of entrepreneurs, the number of which got smaller and smaller. In November 2019 the hotel went bankrupt.
The hotel was sold to a Swedish company owned by an Estonian, who is notorious for buying properties and stopping to pay their expenses leaving them on their own. He promised to open the hotel again in 2021, but nothing happened. He stopped paying rent for the land the hotel was on, and the town now wants to evict him and demolish the property.
And here it is.
Built in a brutalist style, it sits on one of the most beautiful places in the town by a large lake.
A closer look. I haven’t censored the name, as this is a very well known location in Finland.
It was indeed brutalism in its purest form.
The door handles were very classy.
First looks through the glass to the lobby of the hotel. According to an architecture website, that there is a fountain with a glass floor. You can see through it to the nightclub below.
The nightclub had its own, separate entrance – and its own door handle.
This section of the building really looks like a bunker. It probably hosts the kitchen, as there’s also a loading dock here.
A better look at the area.
I started a walkaraound to try to find a way in. At this stage the hotel was still pretty intact despite being abandoned for around 2,5 years.
I really can see why they chose this location. This is about the most Finnish scenery I can imagine.
Upstairs is the lobby, downstairs is the nightclub. This hotel really is a prime example of good 1970’s architecture.
The original section of the hotel. Notice the parking lot below it.
And a look back towards the fan-shaped lobby and restaurant wing.
The tiles were a nice detail.
The section to the right with the balconies is the 1980’s extension.
An emergency exit.
The parking lot.
Back under the original structure again.
The terrace bar. You could really choose where to get your drink in here.
Below the building in the parking lot again. Pretty soon after this I discovered an open door.
I had found the biggest catch so far this summer.