Beach Hotel Santalahti

The views are lovely, but getting around here without a car is a real problem. The nearest shop is a 35-minute walk away, the bus stop is closer to 40 minutes through the forest, and a taxi to the nearest town cost nearly €30 each way. There’s nowhere nearby to eat, and the on-site restaurant was closed in the evening, so you need to plan ahead or pay for transport. My bed was comfortable and the bathroom looked modern, but the drainage was poor. After showering, the whole floor was soaked and stayed wet for a while. The room could have been cleaner, and nobody told me there’d be no housekeeping during my two-night stay. The mini fridge hummed through the night and disturbed my sleep. Around the entrance, skips and construction equipment made the place look messy and unfinished. Breakfast was adequate, though very basic and sparse, with little bread choice and not much variety. The staff were polite and seemed genuinely friendly, but the service was just okay, not especially attentive or memorable. The surroundings are isolated, and even the lovely views don’t make up for the lack of convenience, comfort, and essential amenities. You really need a car to stay here.

We’ve stayed at the Beach Hotel twice now, and both visits were wonderful. This time we got to enjoy lovely autumn sunshine, and we were looked after perfectly. The surroundings are beautifully arranged and close to nature, while Kotka city center is still quick and easy to reach if needed. Many thanks, we highly recommend it.

The breakfast was expensive, and despite the range of dishes, none of it was enjoyable. The eggs were rock-hard and the pancakes dry as cardboard. We also weren’t offered any compensation for all the trouble, so I wouldn’t recommend staying here. The setting itself is lovely, with a beautiful beach, a calm atmosphere, and stylish furnishings. But a few hours before we were due to arrive, someone called to say a private event in the restaurant area would have music until 11 PM and the restaurant would be closed. The caller didn’t say who they were, so it took a while to work out it was the hotel. Check-in was another mess. We arrived about 20 minutes after the agreed time, only to be told it wouldn’t start for another 2 1/2 hours. Maybe we’d missed something in the instructions, since they’d asked us to give an arrival time when booking. We went for lunch and came back a little after the time they’d said was okay. Then the desk manager said, looking a bit pained, that they’d told the cleaner to do our room last and it would take another half hour. We filled out some forms, got our door numbers, and waited. The music ended up going on well past 11 PM. Wedding guests were banging doors and cursing. It didn’t delay our sleep too much, but I didn’t like it.

Room 8 worked really well for our family, with two adjoining rooms and comfortable beds in both. One had a queen size double bed; the other had a single 90 bed and an elevated 160cm bed by the window. Both rooms had good bedding and large TVs with Netflix. There was also coffee and tea, a fridge, and slippers. The bathroom was small, but the overhead shower was great. Even with -22c outside, the rooms stayed warm. You can tell the place is loved and looked after from the little details. Breakfast was great for a small hotel in the off season, and the restaurant has a magic view. The lady on duty there made us feel very welcome. We’ll definitely be back!