The accommodation activity at Lemminkäisenkatu 36 dates back well into the last millennium. Before the year 1997, the building operated as a guesthouse called Turisti-Aula, after which the building was known for a long time as Majatalo Kupittaa of Guesthouse Kupittaa.
In past years, the customer group has largely consisted of (in autumn, winter and spring) visiting workers, who worked either at the shipyard or at the many construction sites in the area. In the summer, the house was filled with sports teams, tourists, backpackers and festival and event participants. From those days many remember Mauri - host of the Guesthouse - whose favorite hobby was to chat (often during breakfast) with the people who had spent the night in the Guesthouse. The house was like a second home to him in those years.
During the corona years, the building slowly moved to a more automated reception, and the keys could be collected either from the city-reception located in the city centre or from a 24/7 keysafe. Some customers appreciated this, but others missed the stories and the presence of the owners and the staff.
B&B Retro started from the idea of bringing back the Guesthouse's glory years. Only this time with a little twist: not trying to hide nor cover the past, but rather highlight it in full.
Behind the idea is Mauri's younger son's wife Emma, who eventually got the whole family excited to join the project. In summer of 2024, Guesthouse Kupittaa will become Bed & Breakfast Retro!
You can follow the story e.g. from Instagram and TikTok. Although, the best way is to come onsite and see how successful the project has been!
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Guesthouse Kupittaa in May 2024.