Kuru

We were sick during our two nights at Kuru, so we mostly stayed in our room, making use of the sauna and cold room and enjoying the lake views from the bedroom. There are lots of activities even in the middle of winter, and we’d normally have tried more. We’ll return with friends. The bed was so cozy that we slept for 10 hours, and after accidentally having breakfast brought to the room, we woke at 1 pm, well past the buffet’s 11 am finish. We were starving, so room delivery turned out to be a blessing. There’s also a buffet in the main building, and plenty of dining choices: fine dining, a bistro, and a bar with takeaway options. The food was excellent, with locally sourced ingredients and a clear focus on sustainability. Kuru, four hours north of Helsinki, is a beautiful resort and spa, with northern charm and five-star accommodations.

It’s quiet and peaceful, a nice place to get away, and the room looks good. The service could be better, though. Without the “stay longer for better price” promotion, I feel that around 300€ a night is too much for this accommodation. They still have work to do before this place earns the luxury title.

We stayed three nights in lake villa 3, and it was spacious, very comfortable, and had breathtaking views. The villas each have their own sauna. I’m usually not a fan of sauna drops, but Hetkinen Metsä drops were amazing. They use that scent throughout the resort, and we bought some for home, including the diffuser and room sprays. Check the view when booking, since some villas look over another building instead of having a clear view of the lake and forest. We also booked the lake sauna in advance and would recommend it. Take two hours, as one wouldn’t be enough. It comes with a jacuzzi and private jetty for swimming. The restaurant is expensive but very good. For improvement, a communal deck for swimming in the lake would be great, since when the saunas are booked you can’t swim through them. Breakfast gets a bit boring over several nights, though I understand the limits of not having a permanent on-site kitchen. We’ll definitely be back.

We loved this quiet, serene place. The Lake Suite gave us a private view without disturbance, and the in-room sauna was lovely. Everything was superbly clean, and the resort is thoughtfully designed. Check-in had some hiccups, and reception should pay closer attention to emails. That was a damper, though the lovely surroundings made up for it. There’s no room service or phone in the room, and no app, so you have to walk to reception. As foreigners, calling by phone is expensive. A short walk takes you to sister resort Javisydan, where there are more people and you can sit and enjoy the calm. The Forest Cafe has alpacas and lovely snacks. You can buy sausages at Javisydan reception, and they’ll build a fireplace so you can cook them yourself. The lady at Forrest Cafe was very helpful and gave us sauces and skewers. We went in summer and had some mosquitoes, so we brought can gel insect repellent and put it in our jacket hoods. There are walking and biking trails at Javisydan. The walking routes go up and down hills, and some signs are falling off, so they may not suit young kids. The biking routes are long, so we combined walking on both kinds of trails. There are nice benches around the resort where you can sit and enjoy the peaceful setting. A very well-thought-out place.