Havsvidden Resort — Hotel in Ålands Countryside

We visited HavsVidden Resort and had a great experience. The food was very good — the wiener sausages, the spaghetti was cooked perfectly, and the panna cotta dessert was outstanding, especially with the edible flowers that you could actually eat. The tea and coffee were served well, and the fresh orange juice was tasty, though they didn’t ask if I wanted ice.

The total bill was €41.80, which felt fair for the quality and service.

The resort itself is a wonderful place. It’s modern, well thought out, and located in a beautiful spot surrounded by nature. I really liked the two halls near the reception where you can find some privacy and quiet. We also saw the pool and sauna up on a hill — the view was like paradise.

There’s a veranda exit from one hall and another from the restaurant, both offering a magnificent view of the sunset and the bay. The benches on the seaside rocks to watch the sunset are really something special.

I also appreciated small but important details like hooks in the restroom to hang bags or clothes, which is rare to find. Accessibility for people with limited mobility is easy and well thought out.

There’s also a grill table near the reception that caught my attention and looks perfect for gatherings.

They have two conference rooms, a lift for accessibility, separate toilets downstairs, and a small kids’ playroom. The hidden gym with big windows is a nice touch, even if it’s small. The helipad was a surprise and gave a touch of luxury.

There’s a 2.5 km nature trail marked with blue signs starting from the pier that goes through the forest and back. Umbrellas are available for free if it rains, which shows they care about guest comfort.

One thing to keep in mind is that it’s better to book in advance. We didn’t get to sit where we wanted, and oddly, guests who came after us were offered three different seating options, including the table that was supposedly reserved. Also, we were told the food would be ready in 10 minutes but it took about 20.

I was happy that you can still pay cash here, which is rare nowadays.

Overall, this is one of the coolest places I’ve visited recently. The combination of modern buildings, great location, and thoughtful details makes it a perfect spot to relax. I’ll definitely come back, maybe just for that amazing dessert and the...

First, what is the value proposition? Until this is defined, Havsvidden will be a mediocre-at-best resort.

The prices charged here (approx. 600€ a night) would make you think -and expect- Four Seasons quality and service. In reality, Havsvidden is well below average, and this is being rather generous.

The room: a private house overlooking the water. 1. Wasted 30 minutes figuring out how to lock doors and windows, and another 20 learning what light switches worked for where. Simplify! 2. Never told the WiFi code was on the back of the key, so poor communication on reception’s behalf. 3. Height of summer and no AC in units. Could barely sleep due to searing temperatures. Sure we could have slept with doors open, but there goes all privacy. 4. TV didn’t work and settings were in Finnish, so no way of even trying to configure it. 5. How about a complementary bottle of water or two?!

The restaurant: most room for improvement. Exorbitant price-quality ratio. Food was average at very, very best. Service was horrendous and no communication among service staff. Examples: 1. Never received lunch beverage but charged for it. 2. Check never brought by our server so had to ask another, who then proceeded to walk off with my card after paying. 3. Had been in contact with resort by phone and email about fixed menu, yet what we were told varied drastically from what we received... no choice between meat, fish or veggie options. Complete lack of staff understanding about kid menus. 4. No assigned server, but instead random visits by random people at random moments of meal. 5. Had to clear our own table at breakfast, as staff never came around to pick up plates.

The pool: how about adding a retractable roof, or even a second pool but outdoors?! Nothing pleasant about swimming indoors when it’s 26 degrees Celsius outside!

Havsvidden has plenty of potential, but it will take time to get there, if comments such as these are even considered. But traveler beware. If you are looking at the price and pictures and expecting a five star resort, please count Havsvidden...

Before our trip I read other customers’ reviews about very small rooms with terrible parking area views. We choose a standard room without the sea view because this time we didn’t want to pay for the sea view or a more spacious room. Our room was small but comfortable and clean. We had good sleep and enjoyed the sea views outside and at the hotel’s restaurant. We were very pleased with our choice but if you prefer rooms with sea views, terrace or space, we recommend to choose other room types.||||The room building has been nicely renovated. Our room didn’t include air conditioning, but its temperature was pleasant even outside temperature was +26 - +28. The room also didn’t include a minibar, but there was a shared refrigerator in the corridor.||||The hotel’s pool house and its surroundings were nice. There was also a pool bar and massage available. The biggest weakness of this hotel was that access to the sea was through the pool house and the house’s doors were closed until 10am. We called the hotel reception if we could get a code for the doors but received none. So it was not possible to swim in the morning.||||Breakfast was good, including for example warm bread, variety of fresh fruits and local apple juice. The breakfast area was quite crowded in the first morning when we ate breakfast after 9am. In the second morning, we went to breakfast an hour earlier and it was more pleasant visit. We also ate at the hotel’s restaurant once and food was very tasty. Please note that the nearest grocery store is 12 km away, but the hotel’s restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, terrace food and dinner and also pizza at the pool bar.||||The hotel’s staff were friendly and willing to serve. It took about 40 minutes from Maarianhamina by car and all the attractions and activities are also quite near if you have a car. The location and the whole HavsVidden resort are unique in Finland. We recommend this hotel for...