소코스 호텔 카를레(Original Sokos Hotel Kaarle)

5* employees! Great breakfast! The bedrooms were very good! Free parking was an asset!

CENTRAL LOCATION, CLOSE TO "NERISTAN", THE CHARMING WOODEN OLD TOWN OF KOKKOLA. A MOST WELCOMING, POLITE AND HELPFUL STAFF, A QUIET AND COMFORTABLE ROOM (SEE THE ATTACHED PICTURE) WITH EXCELLENT BEDS. WE EVEN ENJOYED A TASTY MEAL IN THEIR LIVELY TEXMEX RESTAURANT, DECORATED IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT.

We returned from Oulu by train and split the long journey by making stops in Kokkola and Tampere. This hotel has a 10-minute walk from Kokkola railway station. The hotel is not the prettiest architectural building in Kokkola but the interior has been revamped with interesting details in the decor. Originally, we booked a SuperiorX room which has a very special decor: the sea-themed Tankar or the old-town-themed Neristan. On arrival morning, I discovered that Junior Suite is with a price of 177 euros just 25 euros more than our original booking and I changed our reservation for it. This hotel has two Junior Suites. They both have a sauna and a jacuzzi. We got the one which has a separate small living room and a small bedroom. The other one has a somewhat more open floor plan and an electric fireplace. The breakfast was one of the best we have had at any Sokos hotel. The buffet is beautifully placed in a room with striking old decor. The food selection was wide. The staff was very friendly at the breakfast and at the reception.

Located on the main square in Kokkola. Check-in and welcome was polite and friendly. The room is fairly standard, no frills. Nevertheless, no minibar (fridge) and could also add night table / stand for storing e.g. mobile phone for the night. The gym area is average size. However, the gym equipment works on “air pressure” and are pretty awkward to use. Would recommend changing gym equipment for standard weight-based equipment. The saunas located in the hotel are excellent. So was the breakfast which had an extensive assortment of food and tasty selections. The staff was also very friendly!

The hotel was a big establishment which (together with the fact that it is part of a large hotel chain in Finland) lowered our expectations. The scale did not bring anything bad with it though - except for that perhaps the breakfast could have been a bit less "lively". Having criticized the atmosphere of the breakfast, I must admit that the food was good with plenty of local specialties and products. The room was comfortable and nice enough. The only negative remark is that the cleaning of the bath room could have been a bit better - it looked at first like that the tiles on the floor were a bit worn, but in fact there was just some "concentrated" dirt that the daily cleaning had not been able to dispose of (it had clearly been accumulating over a longer period of time) . The location at the very center of Kokkola was just perfect and they have also plenty of parking spaces (free of charge). Perhaps the very best thing was the easygoing friendliness of the staff!:

Polite and helpful staff, breakfast with varied selections. Unique decorated room, very warm room with put working air condition. Room temperature through the night over 26. Movable fan was no help. Suffering