Hotelli Keurusselkä

I needed to stay overnight in Keuruu and was left with little choice. I booked a twin room in the ”lomahotelli” annex for 70 euros. The receptionist was quick and efficient, if perhaps not overly friendly. I received my key and found my way to the annex, built in the 1950s, about 250 meters from the main hotel building. The room was small, shabby and incredibly worn-out. Renovated in the late 1980s, the room came with two narrow (90 cm) beds, a desk and a chair. The sheets seemed clean, the pillows must have been the thinnest in the world. There are no amenities, no safe etc, not even wifi. The curtains were flimsy and did nothing to keep the room dark at night. The room was also incredibly hot even if outside temperatures were in the high 10s (centigrade) – I can’t imagine how hot the room becomes in summer heat. There is, of course, no A/C. There was a narrow, mosquito-infested terrace with two plastic chairs and a great lake view. The bathroom was cramped and featured an equally 1980s design. Water pressure in the shower was excellent and hot water ample. No bathtub. The only amenity found in the bathroom was one wall-mounted soap container. Breakfast is always included in the room rate. Served in the restaurant from 6:30 to 10 (weekends 8 to 10:30), it was a tired, basic affair. It did the job but was definitely not memorable in any way. Think scrambled eggs from powder, meatballs and sausage, basic cold cuts, toast, croissant, Karelian pastries, yoghurt, tomato, cucumber, watermelon. The smoothies were a positive surprise. In true Finnish way, they expect you to bring the dishes to a separate return station to be able to keep staffing at a minimum. The restaurant also serves à la carte lunch and dinner, with last orders at 8:30 pm. Food was mediocre and incredibly expensive, but service was quick, efficient and friendly enough. The hotel is located a ten-minute drive away from Keuruu village and enjoys a lakeside setting. There is a small beach as well as a 2 km nature trail leaving from the hotel, but beware of the mosquitoes – there are plenty. While the two-star motel-style accommodation was good enough for a quick overnight stay, I cannot see myself spending any excess time here. The hotel was not worth the money, espeially if comparing to prices in Central Europe, however, in Finland, where the duopoly routinely charges three-figure prices for similar accommodation I suppose the price was okay.