Sustainability

We bought an abandoned, historic railway station and turned it into a small hotel in the heart of Hanko, a quaint seaside town on the southernmost tip of continental Finland. We wanted to bring the building back to life, thus preserving an important piece of Hanko´s heritage. The railway station was built in 1952 to replace the old one destroyed in the war. It is a beautiful representative of late functionalism and therefore nationally protected.

In addition to complying with environmental regulations, we work on sustainability in a number of ways. The large building is heated with geothermal energy. There are 270 m2 of solar panels on the roof, generating electricity. Hangon Asema is nationally protected, so great care had to be taken during the substantial renovation in 2021. For example, original paneling, ticket counters and an indoor newsstand were preserved. Old plumbing, electricity and lighting were replaced with new and efficient ones. We pay continuous attention to water and energy consumption and encourage our guests to do the same.

The stone floor in the hall and stairway is original. Hotel rooms were renovated with durable and easily maintained materials. The wall-to-wall carpets are made 80% from recycled plastic bottles. Thus they are allergy-friendly and easy to keep clean. The impressive lamps in the hall are original, as well as the round lamps in the hotel corridor. Some of the furniture and for example children´s toys and books in the rooms are second hand, thus diminishing their environmental impact.

When we bought the building, it was surrounded with asphalt with a single ”railway apple tree” (malus hyvingiensis). Now there is a big south lawn with green grass and clover as well as bushes to attract bees. We are happy this beautiful landmark has a new life.

As our guest, you are part of this development by sharing your feedback and suggestions with us on our sustainability journey. We are continuing our efforts and are currently finalizing the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) path. Developed by Visit Finland, this programme provides tourism businesses with a concrete toolkit for advancing sustainable tourism. Once the programme is completed and its criteria are met, the company is awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label.