Name: Norwide - Hossan Lomakeskus
Address: Hossantie 278A, 89920 Hossa, Finland, Suomussalmi, Suomussalmi, Suomussalmi, 89920, Finland
Rating: 9

Smoke-free property

Heating

Gift shop

Garden

Terrace

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Diet menu (on request)

Snack bar

Meals

Internet access

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer services

Transfer

Spanish

English

French

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Bike rental

Barbecue grill(s)

Billiards

Hiking

Fishing

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Cycling

Sports

Sauna

Beauty and wellness

Ski facilities rental

Skiing

Winter sports

Pets allowed

Pets

At the hotel

Norwide - Hossan Lomakeskus

This place is located on the banks of the lake and the views out of the windows are beautiful. The area is so quiet and peaceful, the walks are just what is required to recharge the batteries. Or you can just sit on the balcony and look at the water and trees around. If you are there during the white nights - wants at night the sun going along the horizon and never setting down. Magical!

Unbelievably idyllic.
The surrounding Hossa National Park is pure magic.

The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful(!), and the accommodation itself is very comfortable. 

Perfect for an active and relaxing retreat.
Tranquility abounds - this place is a treat.

Where can i begin? Far away from the shops and tourists, just what i wanted. Loads of sporty stuff to do. I've tried the "chalets", very nice and cosy although they can seem small when 4 people stay there. I've also tried the hotel, very nice bedrooms. the beds are comfortable and the saunas are very welcome after a hard day. Now the staff: everyone there is so friendly and helpful. And the cook is fabulous!! I'd definitely go back!

My experience with Norwide at Hossa has completely met my expectations of a full immersion into nature and of an active holiday.
I was not sure about how much this trip would have been right for my eight year old daughter but she has always felt at ease and has enjoyed being an active part of the crew. 
A comeback is already on my wish list!
I only have a couple of remarks to make the service more distinctive as an ecofriendly destination (I understand that marketing targets are the same everywhere and competition bites hard even at -40° but a few thoughts would not hurt!). 
When I chose the tour, the snowmobile trip seemed a good idea, but once I arrived in Hossa I felt a bit guilty to disturb the sound of silence, which nowadays is an invaluable asset for everyone. I also believe that snowmobiling is a risky business for the organization. A lot of people drive for the first time and, although the safety rules were very clearly explained and the vehicles were brand new, damages can occur more often than in other nature-friendly activities.
 
If I may stretch the eco-concept a bit, even at risk of sounding picky, choosing quality ingredients for food might also be a good idea: most of what we have eaten was tasty, varied and adequate for outdoor life (and the way of cooking) but I would have appreciated more attention to  food provenience and the possibility to choose alternative menus (ie gluten free or veg).
Lastly garbage collection rules were not clear as everything was just put in one place and I hardly believe it would have been differentiated afterwards.

Suomussalmi

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

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9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

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6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

park access

Peace, quiet and bliss

Silence and nature as invaluable plus of a fantastic week

I'll be back!

A homely place in a place far away.

We stayed in one of the small cottages which was okay - beds were comfy and it looked cozy but interior definitely needs an upgrade/renovation. It is said that the cottage would fit for a family of four but it hardly fitted two adults with a fair amount of luggage as there is no room for storage at all. Having breakfast is fine but making diner really impossible when you do not want just to heat up water and prepare a camping meal in a bag. 

Strangely there was only one lady at the reception who also was working in the kitchen - she didn’t know a single word in English and as we arrived it was not possible to get checked-in before she organized a translator. So there was also jo instruction for food or bar- as we were told in the email “restaurant will be open”. When we came there next day, same lady was there, no communication possible. Would have liked a beer from the bar - no one was there and the lady was busy cleaning dishes.“Dinner” was left over buffet which was almost completely fine by the time we were there (18:30h) . So we left somewhat disappointed and hungry, for payment of the cabins she organized another English speaking lady. 

Surroundings of the national park are extraordinary, we spend two perfect days in the woods. 

If you go there do not count on restaurant/bar or whatsoever. Try not to bring so much baggage- in case you are into photography and have tons- rethink accommodation!

A little strange experience in beautiful surroundings

Hossan Lomakeskus, operated by Norwide, is an odd combo of newly built ‘hotel rooms’, looking like giant beach-huts in terraced rows, and old-style and slightly run down camping cabins. I chose to stay in one of the cabins, since they have their own sauna and basic cooking facilities and, being detached units, give greater privacy. Their rustic feel is also somehow more ‘authentic’, despite their need for repairs and upgrading. All accommodations are built on the lakeside, about 30 m from the water, and the complex has a restaurant and bar offering breakfast and dinner. Modernisation of the cottages would doubtless give them more allure, but they are perfectly functional for one or two persons for one or two nights, and give a nice feel of what a holiday cottage traditionally meant for Finns in years gone by. There is no wifi that my computer could detect, so make sure your device has an inbuilt SIM card if you want to communicate with the outside world. The location is perfect for day-hiking in Hossa National Park, just a few km away, but the nearest real towns (Kuusamo or Suomussalmi) are 80-100 km or so distant, so shop there in advance of arrival, if you plan to be self-catering. My cabin had washing up liquid, but nothing else, not even salt and pepper. The complex does have its own petrol pumps, offering 98E5 and diesel. Hossan Lomakeskus is also ideally situated for two of Finland’s most spectacular attractions, despite them remaining little known. The first is the canyon lake of Julma Ölkky, best seen by a boat excursion, with its towering cliffs adorned with ancient rock carvings, and the bear-viewing excursions offered by Hossan Karhut, where you are likely to see many bears in a 5-6 hour (or even overnight) session in a comfortable hide. On the negative side, I needed to watch my step when using the rickety and warped wooden stairway to my cabin entrance, the toilet was leaking unpredictably and the interior fittings were very tired.

convienient cabins, but in need of modernisation

Eco consept really standed out most of the time: beautiful nature, local activities. No air conditioning or recycling possibility or fridge and average breakfast are only things that I could wish for a upgrade.

Local (really small) store is 30km away from hotel, no vegetarian food available from the restaurant made a really hard combo.

Nature is beautiful, staff were friendly, parking was super easy.

Average hotel

I hope nobody thinks this operation is run by a Finnish person. 
At check in we were told that the electric sauna is on and mixed (men and women go at the same time). The lady didn’t know whether the woodfired sauna will be heated by the staff or by visitors. 
When we went to the sauna there was only one changing room so we had to change in the bathroom. We met some other people who said that the previous night they had waited 1,5 hrs for the woodfired sauna to be heated but it only reached a temperature of 40 degrees so they gave up. For non-Finns, this is way too cold for proper sauna. 

When we went to have dinner, the young man at reception didn’t speak Finnish. This is not a problem for us but it can be for some. We are in Finland, after all!

We got up early the next morning to go canoeing and came back to have breakfast at 8.30. We found two dozen people waiting outside a closed door. Breakfast had started at 7.30 but there was no staff present. Soon a young man biked around to open the door but there was no food prepared. Slowly food started to appear from the kitchen. I’m sure this delay mixed up a lot of people’s plans for the day. 
The French staff was apologetic but mostly seemed to make sure French customers were happy. A language issue or what, I don’t know. 

All in all a confusing experience and they need to do a whole lot better before the place can be recommended.

Norwide - Hossan Lomakeskus

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