Runo Hotel Porvoo

This is a beautiful hotel in a beautiful location, in an art deco building close to the old town and still within walking distance of the bus station and other amenities. An ideal base for exploring Porvoo. My room was spacious, clean and comfortable, and breakfast was also very good. I highly recommend the hotel and hope to stay again in future.

Helsinki to Porvoo is perhaps the most iconic cycling route around Helsinki. We hadn't done it before, so we decided to cut the distance in half by staying overnight in Runo allowing us also to enjoy Porvoo a bit longer. Runo Hotel is in a beautiful meticulously renovated building. The location is excellent, next to the old town and the river. The hotel rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors (but it is good to note that even the 2nd floor is on ground level on the other side of the building, as the building is situated along a slope). The breakfast is on the ground floor. We booked the XL room so that our rather expensive racing bikes would fit there easily, however keeping them in our room was not allowed. The staff was very flexible otherwise, organising safe keeping for them in a locked space (though not insured by the hotel), so I was not really worried for my bike, but it made packing everything on the bike in the morning somewhat more difficult. From a luxury hotel's perspective I kind of understand the decision, even if it really doesn't make any sense (our rather clean bikes would not have brought any more dirt to the room than one extra pair of shoes). Perhaps there could be some wiggle room here, when the situation calls for it? Our room (located on the 2nd floor) was located so that the windows were on street level, but the sound proofing was very good. You could only hear loud sounds like cars passing or people shouting to the room, whereas normal conversations could not be heard through the windows. This to me shows that sound proofing has been taken into account back when planning the renovations. The room was beautiful (resembling the photos on the hotel web site). The tv was a bit on the smaller side but quite adequate, and Netflix cast from the phone worked well. The slippers provided were adorable and the bath robe felt luxurious. Well done! The only real minus was that the darkening curtains could not be set to cover the windows completely (as people to whom this matters know, even a 1 cm gap on the side makes a huge difference in whether the room feels dark or not, especially in the morning). Also, there was no bidet shower (which can be found in almost every home and most hotels in Finland). The attic sauna area felt luxurious, almost like a small spa area, despite the fact that there was just one large sauna, a cooling area of sorts, and showers. It was a great way to unwind after cycling. The breakfast was one of the best I've ever had. The selection was very good (but not overwhelming), it had everything I hoped for, and everything was of excellent quality. I love my breakfast porridge, and Runo's was very good. I don't usually need eggs for my breakfast, but the chef's scramble along with bacon was so good I was happy I opted for it. The breakfast alone would be enough to get me to come back. All in all a great choice to stay in when visiting Porvoo.

The best quality I have ever faced in Finland! The hotel itself and the room (Large) were very nice and clean. The service was excellent: our room, bars and breakfast room were introduced to us personally. If you visit there, you should definitely try the sauna, it's very beautiful. The breakfast is super, and all the quests are lead to their own tables, so there are not any confusion there. Also the bar is stylish!

Great hotel in historic location. Highlights were excellent staff and elegant, even peaceful atmosphere in a busy weekend. We travelled with kids who were also paid special attention to. Baby crib was lovely, being made of proper wood. Shower was exceptionally good. Etc. Loved our stay and will definitely visit again if our travels bring us back to Porvoo.

Staff were excellent. A particular mention of 2 staff in particular. MaiJa and Minna. These two ladies were exceptional. We are from Australia and have traveled extensively and it is very rare to receive such friendly happy and professional employees such as these two. From our understanding, Minna was a new employee. If that is the case, she is certainly an excellent acquisition. She greeted us with absolute friendliness and even took us to our room. Maija had an infectious smile and laughter and seemed to have the place running so smoothly. Breakfast was absolutely beautiful and the young lady who served us was very sweet and super nice. Overall this place is wonderful and the staff certainly played a big part in making our anniversary stay a memorable one.

Runo means poem in English, and just like a beautiful poem Runo Hotel is. And it can make you relax and forget about the hustle and buzz of one's everyday life. If you want to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Porvoo fully stay here one night, great nice differ at the restaurant or one of the many super nice restaurants in Porvoo old town. After that or in the morning relax at Runos attic lounge with cold water shower, fireplace, relaxing sound bath and sauna. They also offer spa treats but did not have any at this stay. We spent one night in autumn with my teenage daughter and it was so relaxing. Also the breakfast was super fresh and tastul. The special credit goes to chef since they offered gluten-free bread after I asked one.

Check-in was efficient and welcoming. Receptionist showed us our room which was a nice touch and is not a common procedure in Finnish hotels. Nevertheless, felt quite routine-like and didn't feel that "extra dash of friendliness or extraordinary politeness" that differentiates five star hotels from four. It's all about training staff towards that international level of super attentation and kindness.  Room was stylish, clean and comfortable. Especially the wash room was warm and inviting. Basic amenities including mini bar, bath robe, slippers etc. 24/7 basic room service consisted of a simple menu which was also a positive.  Visited the sauna on the attic floor which was great. The sauna itself had ample room but the relaxation area only had 4 chairs and 2 lie down beds which can be a tight fit if over 10 people are using the area simultaneously.  The lobby, bar and restaurant area are very stylish and have great design features. Had a coffee and a drink at the bar. There seemed to be plenty of staff which is great. The staff was attentative but nothing out of the ordinary. There were a number of empty plates and glasses at tables which for some reason were not cleaned away despite numerous staff walking around. Place was stylish and surroundings were great but that slight extra touch in service was somewhat missing.  Overall, great new stylish hotel with good breakfast. Hoping that service can be even further developed to go that extra mile of "above and beyond expectations" which differientiates the very best hotels from the good. 

Runo is an excellent hotel. The free to use attic sauna was simply amazing: Huge sauna and a super chill fireplace lit lounge area for hanging out with a nice drink from the downstairs bar. Nice room with beautiful bathrooms. Great breakfast and fantastic staff - helpful receptionist, splendid service mindedcleaners, friendly bartender. Everyone delivered great service, making my stay feel like a luxury experience. Good location. Highly recommendable. This is my first ever 5 strar review and they deserve it!