Heymo is the newest hotel type operated by Finnish hotel operator Sokos Hotels. Heymo’s concept is built on the four Cs: comfort, caring, curiosity and clarity. Heymo offers an automated but personal experience. It is designed for urban city explorers who appreciate clarity and a good night’s sleep. The key to everything is the Flexible Service concept where you pay only for what you need. The visually captivating spaces invite guests to take pictures and share their experiences with others. The first Heymo hotel opened its doors in Keilaniemi, Espoo, in spring 2022.

• urban story
• boldness and a love for life
• wondrous peace and a good night’s sleep
• easy maintenance

It was our pleasure at Rune & Berg Design to be involved in designing a new hotel experience with Sokotel’s chain management and hotel operator. We have worked together with our client to create the interior concept for the rooms and to design the hotel’s customer facilities. The graphic look and feel was designed by creative agency Bob the Robot. “This is a totally new concept, very colourful and different”, says Satu-Anna Larvamo, Project Manager at Sokotel. “Our aim is to provide a seamless, easy and warm experience. The Fixers are always ready to help at the lobby – the staff let customers know that they are there for them”, adds SOK’s Development Manager Jukka Kaartinen.

The appealing and vibrant hotel experience in Heymo’s shared spaces is built on community, boldness and an urban atmosphere. The lobby has a self-service desk for check-ins and check-outs, a co-working space, a self-service kitchen that offers high-quality take-away meals and the hotel’s Lounge, a living room for gatherings. The shared spaces have a refreshingly bold look: delightful colours, a variety of arched shapes and interesting furnishing and material choices capture the attention.

The rooms focus on sleep and relaxation. The bed and a good night’s sleep take centre stage. Customers can choose one of three rooms: a two-person basic room, an accessible room that is also great for families or a three-room Heymo room that can house up to seven people. The hotel also includes a special Lucky you room whose guest will be chosen from among the hotel’s guests with a lottery each day. The design of the rooms was kicked off with a design sprint, while functionality was ensured with model rooms that test customers commented on. The end result is compact, peaceful rooms that make good use of limited space.

Although Heymo is largely automated and the automation is well-implemented, the design puts people first. The spaces are easy to visualise: all shared spaces and features are located on the first floor. The higher floors are fully dedicated to immaculately-designed hotel rooms. “The rooms work thanks to a number of small details. Some beds can also be used as desks, and the chairs can be folded on the wall to space. As another example, the rooms designed for families and people with disabilities have more space but also a place for changing a baby”, says the project’s Lead designer Riina Ruuska.

The hotel’s colours also direct people in the different spaces. Orange points to activities. Pink means self-service and blue signals purchasing. The room colours are more toned down and natural: warm beige, whitewashed spruce plywood and accents with orange, which indicates activities. “Signposting is very important in a self-service concept. Heymo was planned so that the colours support the hotel’s intuitive use and to make it easy for people to get their bearings”, Riina summarises. Jukka agrees: “The end result is coherent. We wanted to create a unified brand at each touch point of the customer experience, and the fact that it works in different situations a big success. The brand colours are visible and their placement is logical, for example.”

The Heymo concept was developed and designed in close co-operation with Sokotel’s project managers and concept development. “It was great working with you. Everything went smoothly and progressed well. In projects like these, we need partners like you. The end result is amazing”, Satu-Anna says happily. “You had your own vision and view to move towards, and you also provided reasons for your choices. It also challenged our ways of thinking, that is what a design agency needs to be”, adds Jukka.

The new concept has been well-received, and the customers have understood what kind of experience they will get. Of the 262 hotel rooms in Heymo, 90% were booked by the end of May 2022, only a few months after the hotel opened its doors. The average booking rate has been somewhat lower for now.

Heymo 1 was the only Finnish project to be selected among the 17 best in the “Hotel and short stay interior” category of the international design and architecture competition Dezeen Awards. Read more about Heymo’s Dezeen Awards 2023 success (in Finnish).

Watch the Sokos Hotels video! (in Finnish).
You can read more about the first Heymo hotel in Keilaniemi, Espoo, in this article (in Finnish).

Photos: Mikael Pettersson and Aleksi Tikka

Original Sokos Hotel Ilves is operated by Sokotel Oy, a Finnish hotel and restaurant chain with 14 Sokos Hotels and seven Radisson Blu Hotels. Each of the hotels is unique, and so is Ilves. The legendary Ilves was built in the 1980s, and inspiration for this international-style venue was sought all the way from the USA. The living legend has now been upgraded, respecting the existing architecture and the established brand image. The new Ilves is warm, adaptable and attractive, a refreshing hotel experience that adds a touch of luxury to every day. “Ilves has been a landmark of Tampere for almost 36 years, and its popularity and customer experience are unrivalled. At the early stages of the design, we decided that the identity that has been built over the decades must be cherished and strengthened,” says Heli Engblom, Director for Sokotel’s hotel business, describing the starting point of the renewal.

• Luxurious every day: uplifting experiences the customers remember for a long time
• Inviting: spacious living room for locals and an experience hub in the Tampere city centre
• Adaptable: lighting and furniture that adapt to different situations and the needs of customers
• Personal: boldly different, proud of its iconic identity, feminine
  Enjoyable: warm service, straightforward and pleasant atmosphere

Rune & Berg Design was responsible for the interior architecture design of the terrace, reception and lobby area, lounge bar and ballrooms of the iconic hotel and favourite living room of the locals. The project also included designing the distinctive graphic look and signs. Rune & Berg’s designers familiarised themselves with the world of Ilves by staying at the hotel and observing customer path and the personnel working at and around the reception. The guest rooms and conference facilities were designed by Vallila, and the chain restaurants by Visionary Design Partners. “We realised that the lobby is extremely important, because that is where the guests first feel welcome. It must have a wow factor! When the renewal plan is on the desk of a trusted partner, we know our project is in good hands,” Heli says, explaining the choice of Rune & Berg.

Navigation in the renewed reception and lobby of Ilves is intuitive: when the customer steps in, they immediately know where to go next. “We removed all nooks and crannies and made the space clearer. For example, we moved the luggage room to make the reception area more harmonious,” Riina Ruska says, describing the background of the design. The third ballroom is also in use again, and the wayfinding system has been upgraded. All in all, the space was designed with a special focus on customer paths and user needs. The atmosphere adapts to different events, thanks to adaptable lighting and furniture.  “The added value of using a professional design company is that the designers bring their vision to the table, give us their input and paint visions of different alternatives for the look and feel of the space. A professional designer can also give comments on the spatial programme, passageways and functional materials. People flow is vital: smoothness is an essential element of the customer experience,” Heli says.

The tailored graphic look and the wayfinding system that emphasises the identity of the legendary hotel complete the luxurious everyday atmosphere of Ilves. “The more feminine, luxurious atmosphere of Ilves differs from the dark, industrially romantic style of Solo Sokos Hotel Torni, appealing to a different target group,” Riina Ruska, Lead Designer in the project sums up. The signs feature brass elements, feminine typography and memorable lynx imagery. The result strengthens the iconic identity of Ilves and its position as an attractive and diverse hotel.

Read the Sokotel press release or article in Projektiuutiset (both in Finnish).