Lapland Hotels grows – Haikko Manor to join Finland’s largest private hotel chain

Press release | Tue Oct 31 12:00:00 2023

Haikko Manor, a spa hotel in Porvoo, will become the newest member of the Lapland Hotels chain. North European Invest Oy, the owner of Finland’s largest private hotel chain Lapland Hotels and the Nordic countries’ largest experience service company Lapland Safaris, is acquiring the entire stock of Vuoristo-Yhtiöt Oy, which operates Haikko Manor’s business. At the same time, the ownership of property company Haikon Kartano Oy will also change.

Haikko Manor, starting operations in 1966 by Satu (now Tiivola) and Leo Vuoristo, is Finland's first manor hotel and is the largest tourism sector employer in eastern Uusimaa. Nowadays, the 211-room hotel is especially known for its diverse restaurant, meeting and party services, as well as its spa.

Haikko Manor’s services and activities will continue as usual after the change in ownership, and customers will be guaranteed high-quality visits going forward as well. The staff of Vuoristo-Yhtiöt Oy will continue as old employees.

United by family business, sustainability and quality

The acquisition will combine two Finnish family businesses which share the same vision of sustainability and building high-quality customer experiences. North European Invest Oy is a company owned by Pertti Yliniemi and his family. Similarly, Haikko Manor is a traditional company owned by Veikko Vuoristo and his family.

“Haikko Manor is an excellently managed family business. The hotel has been made into a Finnish classic over the course of decades. It is a great honour for us to get to continue Haikko’s story and take the legacy of Veikko Vuoristo and his family forward,” says entrepreneur Pertti Yliniemi.

Veikko Vuoristo, too, highlights the values of private family business and is delighted that the acquisition will enable the development of Haikko.

“Together with our skilled and committed staff, we have turned Haikko into a high-class, successful tourism product which is known throughout Finland. Now, with a new owner at the helm, Haikko has the opportunity to increase its awareness among new customer groups as well.”

Lapland Hotels’ CEO Ari Vuorentausta says that the merger supports Lapland Hotels’ growth strategy.

“This is a natural step for us to grow our operations and offerings in Finland. We value Haikko Manor’s heritage and brand deeply, and we will honour them as the hotel joins the Lapland Hotels family.”

Vuorentausta emphasises that Haikko Manor’s historical appearance will remain unaltered, and it will have its own attractive brand going forward as well. Lapland Hotels’ resources in sales and productisation will especially enable the development of Haikko to the next level. The aim is particularly to increase the number of international customers.

Concluding the acquisition will still require an official decision from the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Media contact:

Veikko Vuoristo, Haikko Manor
tel. 0400-401450, veikko.vuoristo@haikko.fi

Ari Vuorentausta, CEO, Lapland Hotels
tel. 0400-419 896, ari.vuorentausta@laplandhotels.com

Travel enterprise Lapland Hotels & Safaris offers northern experiences for all the senses. It consists of Finland’s largest private hotel chain, Lapland Hotels, the largest experience service company in the Nordic countries, Lapland Safaris Group Oy and Lapland Ski Resorts.The Group has approximately 1,700 employees in total.

Lapland Hotels has 19 hotels, more than 2,400 rooms and apartments, as well as over 10,000 restaurant seats around Finland: In Ylläs, Levi, Saariselkä, Rovaniemi, Olos, Luosto, Kilpisjärvi, Pallas, Hetta, Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu and Kuopio.

Lapland Safaris offers unique outdoor activities in five destinations in Lapland: Rovaniemi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Levi and Luosto.

Lapland Ski Resorts comprises five ski centres located in Ylläs, Luosto, Olos, Pallas and Rovaniemi.

www.laplandhotels.com, www.laplandsafaris.com

LAPLAND HOTELS x HAIKKO MANOR Q&A

Hotel Haikko Manor is Finland’s first and most awarded manor hotel, which has been in operation since 1966. Haikko, which includes a manor, spa and congress hotel, is located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in Porvoo, 50 km from Helsinki. Of the hotel’s 211 hotel rooms, 26 are inside the historical manor building, as are the manor restaurant and pub. The congress centre features 20 large meeting rooms, as well as 20 group work spaces. Meetings, parties and events are organised on order at Villa Haikko on the seashore. Haikko’s 14-hectare park is part of the National Urban Parks chain, and the manor area is a valuable building history site.
www.haikko.fi

ASSET DEAL

Why is Lapland Hotels acquiring Haikko Manor?

• The merger supports Lapland Hotels’ growth strategy. This is a natural step for us to grow our operations and offerings in Finland. The aim is particularly to increase the number of international customers at Haikko.

On what day will ownership be transferred to Lapland Hotels?

• The acquisition will be concluded after the decision is received from the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority during November

Will the current owners remain part of Haikko Manor’s operations in some way?

• The current owners will step away completely from the company’s operations in connection with the acquisition

BRAND AND SERVICE CONCEPT

Will Haikko Manor’s service concept change with the acquisition, and if so, how?

• We value Haikko Manor’s heritage and brand deeply, and we will honour them as the hotel joins the Lapland Hotels family.

Will Haikko Manor’s name change?

• The Haikko brand and name will remain unchanged in connection with the ownership transfer.

How does Haikko Manor fit in with Lapland Hotels’ other hotels and profile?

• Adding Haikko Manor to our hotel portfolio is a natural step for us to grow our operations and offerings in Finland. Haikko Manor will open a new strategic path for us to units operating under its own brand and name, which will, nevertheless, share the vision and values of the Lapland Hotels chain. The values of Lapland Hotels and Haikko Manor are largely the same, emphasising their nature as family businesses and sustainability.

How will the Haikko brand change, and will it be combined with the Lapland Hotels brand going forward?

• Haikko will retain its own brand going forward as well.

Does Lapland Hotels intend to make changes to Haikko’s hotel as a whole?

• Haikko Manor has been renovated regularly over the years, and, thus, we do not have any need to make changes in this regard

SERVICES

Will Haikko Manor’s Spa services and treatments continue?

• Services and operations will continue unchanged in connection with the transfer in ownership.

Will the foods served at the restaurant change?

• The kinds of foods and style of the restaurant will continue in Haikko Manor’s characteristic way.

Will the breakfast change?

• The kinds of foods served in the restaurant will continue in Haikko Manor’s characteristic way. Of course, we want to start developing the service and product to make them even better.

CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE

Will my booking remain valid?

• All bookings will remain valid as usual, and the change in ownership will not result in any changes for the customers or bookings.

Do I dare to make a booking for next year?

• Operations will continue normally in connection with the change in ownership, and you can make bookings as usual through Haikko’s sales service or online at www.haikko.fi.

Will the change in ownership impact the prices of rooms and other services?

• Bookings which have already been made are naturally valid with their agreed on prices.

Will gift cards purchased before the change in ownership remain valid?

• Gift cards will remain valid as usual, within their period of validity.

Will the change in ownership impact booked parties, events or meetings?

• Booked parties, events and meetings will be organised as before, and new bookings will also be accepted in the same way.

Will the announced events be carried out at Haikko Manor?

• Haikko’s operations and events will continue entirely normally, regardless of the change in ownership.

Will the Wine Evenings at Haikko continue? What about Haikko’s cooking classes?

• Haikko’s operations and events will continue entirely normally, regardless of the change in ownership. The aim is to strengthen the development of the various products linked to the hotel, and the offered product selection will be evaluated over time.

How will rooms at Haikko Manor be booked going forward?

• You can make bookings as usual through Haikko’s sales service or online at www.haikko.fi.

Will Haikko Manor join the Lapland Hotels Club membership programme? Will I receive Lapland Hotels Club points from my booking, or can I use a reward stay at Haikko Manor?

• In the future, Haikko Manor will become part of the Lapland Hotels Club membership programme. We will inform our members when this becomes possible.