Sustainability at Haikko

Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko became the first travel company in Eastern Uusimaa to receive the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label in February 2022. Located in the middle of a beautiful archipelago landscape and a 14-hectare seaside park, the hotel has a long tradition of sustainable development. Haikko has a desire to impact the environment through its own actions, so that future generations will also have a clean living environment.

Sustainable Travel Finland label

The STF program is intended for Finnish travel companies and destinations to develop more sustainable practices. Participants who have completed the STF program and meet the criteria will receive the Sustainable Travel Finland label. Companies and destinations that have received the label will be audited regularly.

The Sustainable Travel Finland label is a guideline for companies to develop their operations in the field of sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is committed to positively impacting nature, society, and the economy, leaving a small ecological footprint and respecting local cultures. Everyone can contribute by acting as a responsible traveler both domestically and abroad, for example, by keeping nature clean, choosing environmentally friendly travel options, recycling, reusing, reducing overall consumption and waste. It is also important to choose locally produced and ethically manufactured food and products, as well as to respect local communities and traditions.

Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko has held an environmental certificate for years; it has been part of the international Green Key system since 2018. Applying for the Sustainable Travel Finland label was a natural continuation of our activities in the field of sustainable development. The application process for the label is comprehensive and at the same time provides the company with guidelines for managing the criteria of the label.

Haikko is a responsible energy user

Over 60% of Haikko's properties' heating energy comes from sea heat, and 35% of the heating energy is produced purely with natural gas. During the summer, cooling is provided to the hotel premises through a collection pipeline on the seabed. All the electricity used is supplied by Porvoon Energia, environmentally friendly EKO-energy certified by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. It is produced from local wood chips at the Tolkkisten bio power plant in Porvoo. Regular product reviews also guide towards making more sustainable and environmentally friendly choices.

Manor & Spa HotelHaikko joined the European Union's energy efficiency agreement in 2008. Energy efficiency agreements are voluntary agreements chosen by the state and sectors as a means to fulfill the international energy efficiency obligations set for Finland without new legislation.

Seasonal domestic ingredients in restaurants

The à la carte menu changes three times a year and depending on availability, the food is local and organic. This way, seasonal Finnish ingredients can be used in the dishes. Our restaurants always offer vegetarian and vegan options as well.

We encourage our guests to engage in outdoor activities

Manor park and the nearby nature in the Haikko area are ideal for outdoor activities. We rent out walking poles and bicycles to customers, and on our website, we provide guidance on the best locations for independent activities in Haikko and Porvoo. During the summer, there is kayak and paddleboard rental available at the beach. There is also a bus connection from Porvoo to Haikko, and hotel guests are instructed on how to use it. It is easy for customers to visit both Haikko and Porvoo by bus.

We honor the local history and culture by guiding customers in the footsteps of Albert Edelfelt; to visit the artist's Atelier Museum and the painting locations of his famous paintings.

More environmentally friendly products and reducing the amount of detergent load

When purchasing products in Haikko, attention is paid to their environmental impacts throughout their lifecycle.
When acquiring new internal combustion engine equipment, it is ensured that they are low-emission or environmentally certified. For future acquisitions, guidelines have been established, such as not purchasing tropical wood for hotel room interiors. In Haikko, the focus has shifted mainly to digital marketing, and the quantity of printed materials has been consciously reduced for environmental reasons.

The textiles used in the hotel do not require chemical cleaning, and the valuable old carpets of the manor are washed with steam cleaning. The majority of the hotel's laundry is washed at the laundry service Comforta Ltd, which follows the ISO-14001 environmental management system in its operations.

Social responsibility

Taking care of customers, respecting human rights, non-discrimination, equality, good leadership, well-being at work, and safety are essential to us. This means providing good and equal customer service in Haikko, including long careers spanning decades.

Social responsibility includes both issues related to the organization's personnel, but more broadly also the impacts on society. Social responsibility also includes other indirect effects on different groups of people in other countries. An important aspect is also the safety of the organization's products.

Social responsibility also means taking care of partners and the responsible development of tourism in the Porvoo area together with other stakeholders. We are involved, for example, in the HelsinkiEast tourism cooperation network.
In Haikko, every task is an important part of the company's operations, so everyone's opinions are valued and operations are developed together.

We are also a multicultural workplace where employees from different departments are treated equally and the use of many different languages in the work community is natural - without forgetting excellent customer service.

Economic responsibility

Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko is a Finnish family business that pays its taxes in Finland. Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko is also the largest hotel in Eastern Uusimaa and a significant employer in the area.

Economic responsibility covers both the sustainability of business operations and the financial impacts on entities outside the organization. Their transparency is important both locally and on a broader scale.

Economic responsibility also includes ensuring the profitability, competitiveness, and efficiency of the business. It is clear that an organization can only take care of its social and environmental responsibilities if its financial performance is sufficiently good. Risk management is part of financial responsibility to ensure the company's operations can continue in the future.

• We use water and energy as efficiently and sparingly as possible, sort and recycle waste, and educate our staff on environmental issues

• Our room cleaning service uses environmentally certified cleaning agents for daily cleaning

• Our restaurants offer a wide range of local and organic food

• We actively communicate about our environmental work throughout the entire staff and also encourage our customers to join in

• Increasing environmental awareness as part of everyday activities is the responsibility of the entire staff

• We are pioneers in Finland in utilizing sea heat. Over 60% of the heating energy we use is obtained cleanly from the sea. Only during the coldest frosts is oil needed.

• All the electricity we use is supplied by Porvoon Energia, environmentally friendly EKO energy certified by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. It is produced from local wood chips at the Tolkkisten bio power plant in Porvoo.

• The operating times of air conditioning units can be adjusted more precisely. Most air conditioning units are automated so that the operating speed of the units adjusts automatically according to the CO/2 concentration in the space. Heat recovery is included in all significant exhaust units.

• In the area of Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko, mainly LED or fluorescent tube lighting is used. Our customers are guided in many ways to save energy by turning off the lights when leaving a room/private space whenever possible.

• Water consumption is aimed to be minimized with water-saving fixtures and by adjusting, for example, the volume of toilet cisterns. Water consumption is monitored daily, and immediate action is taken during peak consumption periods. Hotel guests are instructed to leave towels to be washed on the floor to avoid unnecessary laundry, and changes of sheets have been reduced. Well water is used for watering lawns and plants. In addition, the restaurant's dishwashers are low-water usage.

• When acquiring products, we aim to pay attention to their environmental impact throughout their lifecycle. When purchasing new combustion engine-powered tools, we ensure that they are low-emission or environmentally certified. We avoid disposable products and packaging whenever possible.

• At Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko, furniture dating back to the 1800s is still in use, being restored and reupholstered as needed. The Spa Hotel side features furniture from various decades, starting from the 1960s. The hotel's practice is to acquire durable and easily restorable furniture, which is taken care of by the hotel staff themselves. Curtains, bedspreads, and other textiles are also sewn in-house. The newest bed linens are eco-labeled. When making new bedding purchases, environmentally certified options are chosen. Old items that are being phased out are sold at affordable prices at flea markets organized for the staff and residents of Porvoo.

• The textiles used in the hotel do not require chemical cleaning. The old valuable carpets of the manor are cleaned with steam washing. The majority of the hotel laundry is washed at the laundry service Comforta Ltd. Comforta follows the ISO-14001 environmental management system in its operations.

• The restaurant's à la carte menu changes three times a year, allowing the use of seasonal ingredients in the dishes. The restaurant always offers vegetarian and vegan options as well.

• There is a bus directly from Porvoo to Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko, and hotel guests are guided on how to use it. In the summer, you can also reach the pier by m/s J.L. Runeberg.

• The company encourages its employees to cycle by providing enough bike racks, shower facilities, and changing rooms at the workplace. During summers, customers can rent bicycles. The staff also has the opportunity to use the manor's bicycles.

• In Haikko, the focus has shifted mainly to digital marketing. The amount of printed materials has been intentionally reduced for environmental reasons. Customers are offered free wireless internet throughout the Manor & Spa Hotel Haikko area. The v's website provides extensive information about Haikko's services, booking system, and information about the hotel's environmental plan.