Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna, Pori

We had an enjoyable stay at the Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna in Pori, and while the staff were very friendly and efficient and the room was comfortable, it is not the best hotel we have stayed in. However, if you are looking for a dog-friendly hotel in central Pori, this is still a very good option.  

Overall, we thought the hotel is in need of a bit of refurbishment to bring it up to a more modern standard. The public areas may have been refurbished recently (not sure), but still seem a little dated, and the bathroom in our room could especially benefit from some modernization. However, many of the rooms on the hotel website seem more recently refurbished than the one we had, so it could be that the dog-friendly rooms have not been updated to the same degree as other rooms. But as we have only stayed here once, our experience is very limited.

Nevertheless, the room was spacious enough, the bed was very comfortable, and there was piping hot water and good water pressure in the shower. The room, linen, and crockery etc. were all clean, and there was tea and coffee making facilities, a mini bar (unstocked), and a couple of small glasses.

As noted above, the staff were very friendly and efficient. For example, we arrived very early and were able to store our luggage in a secure room in reception, and after checking in, we asked for an ice-bucket to be brought up to the room, and it arrived quickly and with a smile.

For those thinking about staying with dogs, there are a number of points worth noting. First, there is a limited number of dog-friendly rooms, so it is best to book in advance. Also, be sure to make a note that you have a dog at the time of booking or call the hotel after making the booking. In terms of price, if you have an S-Card, there is no charge, otherwise it costs €15 per night for pets, and we thought the price was very reasonable given that the hotel provides a “welcome package” containing a great selection of high-quality Best Friend products such as snacks and a roll of poop bags. Bertie thoroughly enjoyed the snacks, and we think there is close to €15 of products in the bag. The only negative points were that there was no dog bed in the room and dogs are not allowed in the restaurants (the Breakfast restaurant and Amarillo). The hotel also operates Pub Winston and Rosso, but we did not ask about the dog policy there as we did not plan to go.

In terms of other facilities, the hotel has a gym and sauna freely available for guests, but we did not use them. The in-room Wi-Fi was easy to connect and seemed to be very fast.

Overall, we had a nice stay here and will most likely go back. A solid 3-star dog-friendly hotel in central Pori.