My lovely Boutique Hotel (Hotel Onni) in Porvoo and why I couldn’t sleep
Porvoo is a little town about half an hour’s drive from Helsinki located in the southeastern coast of Finland. It’s one of the picturesque medieval towns (it is actually a city) that tourists flock to for a day trip, but I wanted much more than that so I decided to spend the night here.
From Helsinki I took the public bus to Porvoo. The bus to Porvoo (and all buses with destinations outside Helsinki) is located in the underground of the Central Bus Station. Luckily, the bus is equipped with a credit card machine so I was able to pay with my Amex. The bus ride took about an hour (half an hour with a private car) because it stopped along towns and villages to pick up and off load passengers.
There are a few accommodations in Porvoo, and I am talking about the old town of Porvoo (the new one is on the other side of the bridge). Since it is going to be my last night for this holiday, I wanted to splurge a bit and take a nice boutique hotel in town. I was torn between two boutique hotels, Pariisin Ville and Hotel Onni but decided to choose the later because of its interior colour scheme—haha, I know it is trivial but I love green hues. Later, I found out that both boutique hotels are owned by the same company.
Hotel Onni
Website: Hotelli Onni
What can I say? This small boutique hotel is as cute as a button! It’s so charming that when one of the staff showed me my room I was grinning from ear to ear like Joker of the Batman series. You know, there are only four rooms in this hotel. FOUR! And the fourth room is a suite located outside. The night I was there, I was the only guest though. I have the whole hotel to myself?! YES!
Let me give you a tour of the boutique hotel first…
The hotel also hosts meetings and parties so they have this adorable banquet hall. Everything is white and heavenly. I really love it. Just imagine the room in her immaculate glory with white flowers, white linen and silverware.
This is the restaurant bar located in the semi-basement of the hotel. I call it semi-basement because it is part on the ground and part underground. Very design. SOHO style with industrial touches. The lovely staff actually gave me a mini tour.
And now, here is my lovely bedroom with a four poster bed. It is quite spacious and I love the big windows. I did not take pictures of the windows because the light was against my camera which gives pictures the wipe-out effect.
The room shall I say is bit enchanting and antique looking. If you are the superstitious kind this room could easily be a haunted hotel room with visions of a long-haired woman dressed in white standing in the corner (that could be me, haha).
When I arrived back in the hotel room after my dinner outside, I had these waiting for me. Fresh strawberries, sliced oranges, a flask of chilled water and a drinking glass with fresh mint leaves. Very intimate, very country, very healthy, thank you.
Why I couldn’t sleep
As a backgrounder, I am one of those people who watch a lot of late night Investigation Discovery on TV. Mind you, there’s a lot of murder scenes filed in the archives of my mind. Having lived on my own as well for a decade in a big untamed and unkind city, I have become utterly suspicious. I am paranoid at times! I am a lone woman travelling in this trip so that only aggravated the situation. Believe it or not, at times I pull a chair and barricade my hotel room’s door with it. That makes me sleep.
So upon knowing that I am the only guest in the hotel, I initially thought—Oh wow, I have the hotel all to myself tonight! Then I further thought—Uh oh, will I really be alone? Like ALONE, no caretaker and all in the hotel? Just me alone in this boutique hotel? This old house that is somewhat set back far away from the driveway? You know the entrance of the hotel is at the back and not in the front. Hmmm... suspicious radar red alert.
Let me tell you this. When I came back from my dinner that night, I found the hotel indeed empty and eerie, and I was a little bit worried.
I tried to console myself. There was TV and internet to accompany me so I was quite occupied for the first few hours but then I get confronted in my mind with ***flashes of bloody Investigation Discovery episodes*** Aaaaaaaaahh, I cannot help it!!!
I kept checking the door, peeping behind the window blinds, then stepping out into the living room checking all corners of the room and wondering if I should turn down the lights—I decided not to so people would think that someone, er some people are still up. My freaking mind is so alert and suspicious as a fox. A little noise from the garden, something creaking, whatever, and my ears are up. They are standing up, the size as big as Bugs Bunnys’. Now it was really getting late and my body was begging for the needed downtime. I AM TIRED AND I WANT TO SLEEP!
But then I kept slipping in and out of this morbid drama prediction playing at the back of my mind -- What if someone arrives and opens the door to the hotel? What if that someone tries to open my door? What if I see someone peeping behind the blinds of my windows? What if.... argh, so many WHAT IFS! I mean, how am I going to ask for help? Post on Facebook that I am being attacked in my hotel in the middle of nowhere in Finland?
It went on like this until the wee hours and the mental strain was draining the life out of me until I fell asleep involuntarily, which let me guess, at past 03:00? Maybe 03:30? 04:00 perhaps? I cannot recall anymore except when I was awakened by my telephone’s alarm for my 08:00 breakfast.
Travel Period: May 2013
Destination: Porvoo (Uusimaa), Finland
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
From Helsinki I took the public bus to Porvoo. The bus to Porvoo (and all buses with destinations outside Helsinki) is located in the underground of the Central Bus Station. Luckily, the bus is equipped with a credit card machine so I was able to pay with my Amex. The bus ride took about an hour (half an hour with a private car) because it stopped along towns and villages to pick up and off load passengers.
There are a few accommodations in Porvoo, and I am talking about the old town of Porvoo (the new one is on the other side of the bridge). Since it is going to be my last night for this holiday, I wanted to splurge a bit and take a nice boutique hotel in town. I was torn between two boutique hotels, Pariisin Ville and Hotel Onni but decided to choose the later because of its interior colour scheme—haha, I know it is trivial but I love green hues. Later, I found out that both boutique hotels are owned by the same company.
Hotel Onni
Website: Hotelli Onni
What can I say? This small boutique hotel is as cute as a button! It’s so charming that when one of the staff showed me my room I was grinning from ear to ear like Joker of the Batman series. You know, there are only four rooms in this hotel. FOUR! And the fourth room is a suite located outside. The night I was there, I was the only guest though. I have the whole hotel to myself?! YES!
Let me give you a tour of the boutique hotel first…
The facade of Onni Hotel & Restaurant. The hotel's entrance is actually at the back. The hotel is in front of the Porvoo Cathedral and 550 metres from the bus station (yes I walked and dragged my suitcase with me).
This is the entrance of the hotel at the back.
One of their suites, the 4th guest room is located outside of the hotel in a separate little house.
The living room of Onni boutique hotel.
The hotel gave me a comprehensive booklet (and a welcome drink and chocolates as well) about what to do and see in Porvoo which includes a map. The best weapon for any visitor.
The hotel also hosts meetings and parties so they have this adorable banquet hall. Everything is white and heavenly. I really love it. Just imagine the room in her immaculate glory with white flowers, white linen and silverware.
This is the restaurant bar located in the semi-basement of the hotel. I call it semi-basement because it is part on the ground and part underground. Very design. SOHO style with industrial touches. The lovely staff actually gave me a mini tour.
And now, here is my lovely bedroom with a four poster bed. It is quite spacious and I love the big windows. I did not take pictures of the windows because the light was against my camera which gives pictures the wipe-out effect.
The room shall I say is bit enchanting and antique looking. If you are the superstitious kind this room could easily be a haunted hotel room with visions of a long-haired woman dressed in white standing in the corner (that could be me, haha).
This is a very comfortable bed!
When I arrived back in the hotel room after my dinner outside, I had these waiting for me. Fresh strawberries, sliced oranges, a flask of chilled water and a drinking glass with fresh mint leaves. Very intimate, very country, very healthy, thank you.
Why I couldn’t sleep
As a backgrounder, I am one of those people who watch a lot of late night Investigation Discovery on TV. Mind you, there’s a lot of murder scenes filed in the archives of my mind. Having lived on my own as well for a decade in a big untamed and unkind city, I have become utterly suspicious. I am paranoid at times! I am a lone woman travelling in this trip so that only aggravated the situation. Believe it or not, at times I pull a chair and barricade my hotel room’s door with it. That makes me sleep.
So upon knowing that I am the only guest in the hotel, I initially thought—Oh wow, I have the hotel all to myself tonight! Then I further thought—Uh oh, will I really be alone? Like ALONE, no caretaker and all in the hotel? Just me alone in this boutique hotel? This old house that is somewhat set back far away from the driveway? You know the entrance of the hotel is at the back and not in the front. Hmmm... suspicious radar red alert.
Let me tell you this. When I came back from my dinner that night, I found the hotel indeed empty and eerie, and I was a little bit worried.
I tried to console myself. There was TV and internet to accompany me so I was quite occupied for the first few hours but then I get confronted in my mind with ***flashes of bloody Investigation Discovery episodes*** Aaaaaaaaahh, I cannot help it!!!
I kept checking the door, peeping behind the window blinds, then stepping out into the living room checking all corners of the room and wondering if I should turn down the lights—I decided not to so people would think that someone, er some people are still up. My freaking mind is so alert and suspicious as a fox. A little noise from the garden, something creaking, whatever, and my ears are up. They are standing up, the size as big as Bugs Bunnys’. Now it was really getting late and my body was begging for the needed downtime. I AM TIRED AND I WANT TO SLEEP!
But then I kept slipping in and out of this morbid drama prediction playing at the back of my mind -- What if someone arrives and opens the door to the hotel? What if that someone tries to open my door? What if I see someone peeping behind the blinds of my windows? What if.... argh, so many WHAT IFS! I mean, how am I going to ask for help? Post on Facebook that I am being attacked in my hotel in the middle of nowhere in Finland?
It went on like this until the wee hours and the mental strain was draining the life out of me until I fell asleep involuntarily, which let me guess, at past 03:00? Maybe 03:30? 04:00 perhaps? I cannot recall anymore except when I was awakened by my telephone’s alarm for my 08:00 breakfast.
These red houses are the neighbours at the back of the hotel. I wondered what kind of houses they were with no windows. Perhaps they are barns of some sort. A garage? Maybe a shed to store things, or you never know, a shed to store horrible secrets....
Travel Period: May 2013
Destination: Porvoo (Uusimaa), Finland
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
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