Hotelli Onni

We came back from a day out in Porvoo at about 10 p.m. to find the room still unpleasantly hot, well above a comfortable temperature. When we first arrived, it had been over 30°C. Reception was only staffed by one person until 4 p.m., and check-in started at 3, so we couldn’t wait around to see if the room would cool before staff left. The restaurant in the same building was closed on Monday, and nobody was on site, so I called the number listed for problems. The person on the phone blamed me for not contacting the “available staff” sooner and spoke to me in a belittling way. After I explained, they said we could leave if we didn’t like the room, then ended the call. A few minutes later they called back and suggested switching the AC off and on, even though we’d already tried that hours earlier and checked the settings. They insisted they’d never had this problem in our room before, and said they’d look into a refund or reimbursement the next day and have someone check the room in the morning. A different staff member came by, confirmed the settings were right, and agreed the room was hot. At checkout, we were told all the rooms share one outdoor AC unit, which limits its performance and can cause setting problems. So there had been issues before, despite what we were told. No reimbursement was issued or discussed, despite the earlier comments. Worst service I’ve had at a so-called “luxury” hotel. Avoid Hotel Onni.

The old merchant house itself is a big part of the appeal, with a lovely atmosphere and gorgeous shared spaces. I especially liked the lounge and the breakfast room, which also serves as a party hall. There’s a handy station for coffee, tea, and snacks, and the staff were very friendly. Breakfast was excellent, with lots of tasty little touches. Hotel Onni sits high in old Porvoo, right beside the church. The building has been renovated as a small hotel, and our room was nice, though it wasn’t my favourite part. You do need to enjoy old houses to appreciate their quirks. For me, the setting and location made for a perfect old Porvoo-style stay.

Breakfast was excellent, and the showerhead that gives a massage was a great bonus. Our basic room had everything we needed. It’s a cozy hotel and restaurant in an old manor right in the middle of Old Porvoo, with a fine-dining restaurant just one floor below. I’d stay again.

Not recommended. The hotel owner, or whoever it was, gave feedback to our group leader at breakfast in front of all the guests. That should have been handled privately, one-on-one. It was a totally unprofessional way to deal with the situation.