Kalajoen Lokkilinna Oy — Hotel in Ylivieska sub-region

For the past 20 years or so I've been visiting Kalajoki beach, and Lokkilinna hotel. ||Apart from the co-operative chain hotels, true architectural eyesores of the beach, Lokkilinna once represented new, individual and private entrepreneurship that was very welcome to the tourism scene of Kalajoki. The cozy human size beach house style still attracts and gives promise of something better... but during last few years something went wrong. Wear and tear, and mediocre service as its best, became new normal. They even called in Finnish TV-Chef Jyrki Sukula to fix the problems - an embarrassing version of Gordon Ramsay's "Hotel Hell" - but apparently Jyrki-boy didn't fix anything. ||Our recent Easter visit might be the last one to the Seagull castle (Lokkilinna in Finnish). I've seldom experienced such poor professionalism and lack of enthusiasm within hospitality industry. OK, the staff wasn't hostile...but just lacked all skills and understanding of service. They kept doors closed to the seaview terrace on a beautiful sunny afternoon missing many sales opportunities. There were four (4) servers behind the counter, and none of them couldn't say which wine you could buy by glass (so we had to buy a bottle...maybe that was upselling...) or recommendations about the menu or yet about anything. They just stood there, no smile. ||We didn't give up but came back the day after for buffet lunch. Big mistake. It was cheap (15 eur/pp) but not value for money. I was merely afraid of food hygiene. Many local families and senior citizens attacked the buffet like seagulls, apparently because of the low price. ||Kalajoki beach is now developing fast and new exciting cafes, bars, restaurants and accommodation alternatives are available. So why go to Lokkilinna? Just leave it to...

After reading some of the previous reviews, it seems that - at least during our one-night stay - they had taken the relatively poor feedback into account. Our spacey and very up-to-date room, with a kitchenette and a sitting area, had a large balcony facing the sea. One of the best views anywhere (we travel a lot)! Very comfy beds and a spotless bathroom. We enjoyed a delicious, well prepared dinner on the sun terrace. Breakfast was good. The only minus was the band that kept playing in the terrace bar until midnight; it was really loud even if you closed the...

We stayed for one night in Lokkilinna in early August 2021. A strong early 90s shines through everywhere, and the entire hotel would be in need of a comprehensive modernization renovation so that it could compete with even a little newer accommodation in the same area. Our apartment was really poorly cleaned, e.g. there was a large spider web in the bathroom doorway. In the shower, the shower head was at the end of its service life and leaked violently from the seals. If you want to stay in Kalajoki, I recommend choosing higher quality...