The recently completed Barö Archipelago Hotel offers luxurious accommodation in the Barösund area of Inkoo’s archipelago.The project started when the municipality of Inkoo planned accommodation activities in the area to revitalize the town. Jussi Paavoseppä and Ossi-Matti Nieminen took up the challenge, purchased the plot, and conceived a unique archipelago hotel for the area.
The hotel features 12 rooms, each in its own building or rather a studio apartment. Here, the presence of the sea, refined architecture, and personal service come together. Additionally, the site includes a restaurant building and a seaside sauna, accompanied by a cozy fireplace room and a delightful hot tub. There are plans for seven more rooms once the workload eases. The Archipelago Hotel offers its guests unique services and activities all year round. It hosts a wide range of activities, from guided yoga to mountain biking and hunting trips.
The identity of The Barö is based on the archipelago and nature, so the entire construction project aimed to preserve and respect these. To support the preservation of nature, the construction project began with the building of roads, trails, and footbridges. Subsequently, the workers were instructed to walk only on designated paths to keep the rest of the surrounding nature as untouched as possible.
Mining is often necessary in rocky plots, but to preserve nature, the sewer lines in Barö were decided to be above ground, underneath the footbridges. Furthermore, the hotel buildings were prefabricated as complete units in a factory and transported to the site. This way, the environment was spared from the drawbacks of traditional construction, such as dust and noise. “The idea is that we are just visitors here, and we want to respect this beautiful environment.”
This destination has been meticulously planned and executed down to every detail. All the lighting in the hotel was designed by Håkan Långstedt and handmade in Hernesaari, Helsinki. “In the rooms, we have very dim lighting because we want nature to be as present as possible.”
Additionally, all the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea, bringing a sense of the forest and the sea inside. Emphasis was also placed on the exterior cladding of the buildings. The exterior cladding uses charred wood, which creates a harmonious and fitting atmosphere for the area and the archipelago.
All the building materials for the project are very environmentally friendly. The buildings are made of chemical-free solid wood logs, insulated with eco wool, and the vapor barriers are made of paper.
In addition to nature preservation, it was important for the hotel to operate as self-sufficiently as possible. As a result, the hotel’s electricity is generated using its own solar power, the water comes from a well, and the waste is treated in its own wastewater treatment plant. Even check-in and check-out are done online, and the rooms utilize mobile keys operated through personal phones.
Regarding the wastewater system, the project was not straightforward, as the ELY Center initially required only dry toilets for the site. However, this did not align with the business model of the idyllic archipelago hotel, so the hotel founders set out to explore alternative solutions.
Eventually they entered into a partnership with Vestelli, thanks to their technical expertise and professionalism. The partnership with Vestelli led to the development of a new water management plan, and subsequently, the ELY Center and the municipality of Inkoo approved the Vestelli BioKube, a wastewater treatment system for all wastewater. The BioKube achieves excellent purification results and meets even the strictest environmental requirements. This way, the site obtained a wastewater system that supports the nature of the archipelago hotel.
Vestelli provided support throughout the entire project, including equipment selection, design, and installation. Vestelli was praised for its technical expertise, flexibility, and competent staff. “This was not just a delivery of equipment but more of a collaborative partnership that other industry players could not offer with the same level of professionalism.”
