Koto - love of the home region and homely atmosphere
"The roots of Koto Hotel grew from our love for the home region, and indeed, this is where Koto Hotel gets its name. The name also refers to a cosy and homely enviroment, and creating this atmosphere is important to us.
Koto is a family business. Our values are authenticity, good yet homely service, as well as respect for the nature and our fellow human beings.
We want to invite travellers coming from other places to relax and enjoy themselves, as well as to get to know Pihtipudas – this beautiful pearl of the Heart of Finland, its unique nature, lifestyle and atmosphere.
Our dream project is still in its early stages. We bought the previous Hotel Pihtipudas building in spring 2019 and started renovating the upstairs hotel rooms soon after. The building was originally built in 1990.
The ground floor restaurant, reception and meeting facilities were completed at the end of February 2020. We will serve a delicious and versatile breakfast in our restaurant."
It was not by accident that entrepreneurs Sirpa Laitinen and Anneli Williams chose Pihtipudas as the location of Koto Hotel and their home.
”We became owners of Koto Hotel, because we have a firm belief in the countryside and its development. There is a lot of potential here now that domestic travel is on the increase, and it is very likely that we will also see growing numbers of young people moving to the country.
We have both already had one career in the Metropolitan Area and seen what it has to offer. Everything that we have learned before finds its use here now that we are juggling the various elements of our own hotel’s business. When needed, we grab hold of a mop as well as a hammer, a pile of invoices, or a paint brush. An important reason for settling here is also that a small country village like Pihtipudas is an ideal living environment for us.
When we moved from Espoo to Pihtipudas in the summer of 2019 and started to renovate an old hotel building, we could not have guessed what a rich and diverse project this will be. What has been particularly rewarding has been the interaction with our customers. Some of them come to us directly from the E75 on their way to the North of Finland, or from the North to the South, or indeed from East Finland or the West Coast to the North. We have welcomed honeymooners, hikers, hunters, business travellers, skiers and volleyball teams. Some come to the surrounding area for a meeting, a family celebration or an event and need a base here.
We want to offer every one of our visitors an enjoyable place to take a rest and an opportunity to have the local experiences that they are interested in. The best place for us to relax is in the pine woods and lakesides of this lovely country village, and we are proud of the active and versatile nature tourism options, cultural experiences as well as outdoor activities the region has to offer.
Koto means a cosy atmosphere and a homely environment. All our customers are here as our guests, and they only deserve the best.
Welcome to Koto!”
Who are we?
Anneli Williams
”I have a long experience of administration and office management in Finland and in the UK. Before starting the Koto project, I was responsible for the administrative functions of a privately owned Family Office investment company. I also act as a part-time translator. I am responsible for the hotel’s administration, marketing and reception functions.”
Sirpa Laitinen
”I came to start Koto Hotel from the Parliament of Finland, where I worked for 12 years as security advisor. In the hotel, I am responsible for operative functions, among others security and occupational safety matters, as well as for the evening restaurant.”