Reservation terms & conditions and guidelines
1. OWNER AND ACCOMMODATION PROVIDER
2. BOOKING AND PAYMENT
3. PAYMENT SERVICE PROVIDER
4. DIRECTIONS AND OPENING HOURS
5. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
6. YOUR STAY AND FACILITIES
7. SMOKING AND PETS
8. OCCUPANCY, ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION AND BARBECUES
9. COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE
10. COMPLAINTS
11. CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES
11.1 Bookings payable on arrival
11.2 Prepaid accommodation bookings, group bookings, joint bookings for multiple accommodation units and Villa Aava
11.3 Individual activity bookings, equipment hire bookings and family sauna bookings
11.4 Gift cards and multi-use passes
11.5 Santalahti’s right to cancel a booking
12. PROTECTION AND RETENTION OF CUSTOMER DATA
13. GIFT CARDS AND MULTI-USE PASSES FROM SANTALAHTI’S ONLINE SHOP
1. OWNER AND ACCOMMODATION PROVIDER
Santalahti Resort Oy (Business ID 0961304–9)
Santalahdentie 150
48310 Kotka
Tel. +358 (0)5 260 5055
We provide service in Finnish and English.
Santalahti Resort (hereinafter the resort or Santalahti) applies the following terms and conditions to bookings and cancellations of all premises and services:
2. BOOKING AND PAYMENT
For online bookings, the customer pays the full amount in a single payment at the time of booking. The booking terms are available in the online booking system before a binding booking is made. After a successful booking, the customer receives a booking confirmation, the booking and rental terms and conditions, guest instructions and confirmation of payment at the email address provided.
Bookings made by telephone or email are paid in full in a single payment, usually in advance by invoice or no later than on arrival.
Group bookings are generally invoiced partly or fully in advance.
If a booking is made for a person under 18, their guardian must be the person making the booking and the contracting party responsible for the booking.
Security deposit:
Santalahti may require a security deposit for an accommodation booking. The requirement, amount and payment method will be disclosed before a binding booking is made. The deposit is 50% of the accommodation price and is provided before arrival or at check-in as a payment card pre-authorisation or in cash.
The deposit may be used to cover justified additional cleaning costs and damage for which the customer is responsible under these terms. The customer will receive a written itemisation of any deductions.
The deposit or its unused portion will be refunded, or release of the payment card pre-authorisation will be requested, no later than 14 days after check-out. If an identified damage claim is still being investigated, only the amount reasonably required to cover that claim may be retained during the investigation. The customer will be informed of the reason for retention and the estimated investigation period. The time taken for a card hold to disappear from the customer’s account also depends on the card issuer.
Travel agencies:
For travel agency bookings, a booking deposit of 20% of the total price is invoiced immediately after booking. The booking deposit is non-refundable. The balance is due 30 days before the arrival date.
3. PAYMENT SERVICE PROVIDER
Payment processing and payment services are provided by Paytrail Oyj (Business ID 2122839–7) in cooperation with Finnish banks and credit institutions.
Paytrail Oyj appears as the payee on your bank or card statement and transfers the payment to the merchant. Paytrail Oyj is a licensed payment institution.
Online banking:
Online banking payments are processed by Paytrail Oyj in cooperation with Finnish banks and credit institutions. For the user, the service works like a standard online banking payment.
For complaints concerning a booking or service, please contact Santalahti Resort first at info@santalahti.fi.
Further information about the payment service provider is available at https://www.paytrail.com/.
4. DIRECTIONS AND OPENING HOURS
Directions and opening hours are available on Santalahti Resort’s website at https://santalahti.fi/
5. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
The customer must present the booking confirmation email and, where applicable, proof of payment when collecting keys or receiving the service.
Outside the summer season, when reception is not open around the clock, key collection and arrangements for activities and services must be agreed in advance.
Accommodation check-in times:
- Villa Aava, Santa Sauna Villa, Santa Spa Villa*, Santa Glass Villa*, Santa Rantamökki and Santa Glamping cabin: from 15:00
- Santa Suites: from 17:00
- Tree tents and camping pitches: from 12:00
*The hot tubs at Santa Spa Villas and Santa Glass Villas are ready for use by 17:00.
The customer must notify Santalahti in advance if arriving after 18:00. If a customer with a booking payable on arrival has not arrived by 18:00 and late arrival has not been agreed, Santalahti may cancel the booking and re-let the accommodation. Santalahti will notify the customer of the cancellation without delay using the email address provided with the booking.
Any payment obligation is determined under the cancellation terms and applicable law. A prepaid booking will not be cancelled solely because the customer has not notified Santalahti of arrival after 18:00.
Accommodation check-out times:
- Tree tents and camping pitches: by 12:00
- Keys for all other accommodation must be returned by 11:00
- (During the winter season, October–April, Sunday check-out at 13:00 may be agreed in advance on a case-by-case basis.)
Keys must be returned to Santalahti reception. Before leaving, the customer must ensure that all items in the accommodation are in their proper places, rubbish has been removed, lights are switched off, windows are closed and all external doors are locked.
Further departure instructions are provided in the accommodation information folder.
6. YOUR STAY AND FACILITIES
Indoor accommodation has an information folder containing instructions for the accommodation.
Detailed descriptions of the accommodation facilities are available on Santalahti’s website and in the accommodation descriptions in the online booking system.
The customer is responsible for cleaning the accommodation during the stay. A cleaning service may also be ordered separately.
Quiet hours on the premises are from 23:00 to 07:00.
Disruptive behaviour is also prohibited at other times. Santalahti has the right to remove persons who cause a disturbance to public order or safety, or continue disruptive behaviour despite a warning. In serious situations, removal may be immediate. The stay may then be terminated without a refund.
A door-opening service is available free of charge during reception opening hours and costs €50 outside those hours.
For a lost key, the actual costs of replacing or rekeying the lock and providing new keys are charged.
7. SMOKING AND PETS
Smoking is prohibited inside the accommodation. Unauthorised smoking indoors incurs a €500 cleaning and odour removal charge, plus the daily accommodation rate specified in the resort’s price list until the tobacco odour has been eliminated.
Pets are welcome at no additional pet charge.
Animal allergens may be present in the accommodation, and allergen-free accommodation cannot be guaranteed, although all accommodation is thoroughly cleaned between bookings.
8. OCCUPANCY, ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION AND BARBECUES
The number of guests must not exceed the number stated in the booking confirmation or the maximum occupancy specified for the accommodation.
The number of people using a hot tub or heated pool at any one time must not exceed its specified maximum capacity.
Customer-provided tents or other additional accommodation, barbecues, hot tubs or similar equipment may not be used in the accommodation’s outdoor area without Santalahti’s prior permission. Barbecue areas provided by Santalahti must be used in accordance with the applicable instructions.
9. COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE
The customer is liable for damage they intentionally or negligently cause to the accommodation or its contents, and for verifiable loss of rental income resulting from that damage. The customer is not liable for normal wear and tear.
Compensation is based on necessary and reasonable repair or replacement costs, taking account of the age and condition of the damaged property. Santalahti will provide an itemisation of its claim and take reasonable steps to limit the loss. The same loss will not be recovered twice.
10. COMPLAINTS
Any concerns or complaints about the accommodation’s equipment or condition must be reported to Santalahti immediately, allowing Santalahti an opportunity to rectify the situation. If the issue is not resolved, the customer may submit a written complaint to Santalahti. This must be done within a reasonable time after discovering the defect.
If a consumer and Santalahti cannot reach an agreement, the customer should first contact the Consumer Advisory Services of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) and, if necessary, refer the matter to the Consumer Disputes Board.
Disputes between consumer customers and Santalahti shall be heard by a court having jurisdiction under applicable law.
Disputes between business customers and Santalahti arising out of or relating to these terms or a booking shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Kymenlaakso District Court in Finland, unless mandatory law provides otherwise.
11. CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES
Submitting cancellations and requests to reschedule
A cancellation or request to reschedule a booking must be submitted in writing in Finnish or English by email to info@santalahti.fi.
A cancellation takes effect when Santalahti receives the cancellation email. Santalahti confirms the cancellation by email.
Compliance with the deadline for a request to reschedule is assessed based on the time the email is received. Rescheduling takes effect once the new dates and any price difference have been agreed and Santalahti has confirmed the change by email. A request to reschedule alone does not cancel the original booking. The original booking remains valid until rescheduling has been confirmed or the customer has cancelled the booking in accordance with these terms.
Shortening a booking or reducing the number of booked accommodation units or services is subject to the cancellation terms for the cancelled portion. If the customer shortens a booking of at least seven nights, the cancellation scale based on the original booking duration continues to apply.
Failure to pay an invoice or failure to arrive for a booking does not constitute a cancellation and does not release the customer from their payment obligation. If the customer does not arrive without having cancelled in accordance with these terms, Santalahti has the right to charge the booking price in accordance with these cancellation terms.
Cancellation and rescheduling deadlines are calculated from the accommodation or service start time stated in the booking confirmation, using Finnish local time, unless a different deadline is specified below. A day means a 24-hour period. Percentage cancellation charges are calculated on the agreed total price of the booking or the portion being cancelled.
Rescheduling terms for bookings under sections 11.1 and 11.2
A booking under section 11.1 or 11.2 may be rescheduled once within the deadlines specified in those sections. The rescheduled booking must begin no later than six months after the original arrival or service date. Rescheduling is subject to availability, and the new dates are agreed when the change is confirmed.
The price for the new dates is determined by Santalahti’s price list in effect at the time of rescheduling. Promotional, special-offer or other discounted rates available in the online shop or other sales channels are not used to determine the price of a rescheduled booking.
If the price-list rate for the new dates is higher than the original booking price, the customer pays the difference. If the rate is lower than the original booking price, the total amount payable remains equal to the original booking price and no price difference is refunded.
A rescheduled booking cannot be rescheduled again. Cancellation of a rescheduled booking is subject to the cancellation terms of section 11.1 or 11.2 that applied to the original booking, based on the new start date and the total price of the rescheduled booking. However, the cancellation charge is at least the amount that would have been charged for cancelling the original booking when the rescheduling request was received. Any refund processing fee is determined separately under the refund terms below.
Bookings under section 11.3 are subject to the rescheduling terms specified in that section.
Reason for cancellation and insurance cover
These terms apply to cancellations made by the customer regardless of the reason for cancellation. They do not restrict the consumer’s rights under mandatory legislation. If a contractual term or its application would result in unfairness, the matter is assessed in accordance with the Finnish Consumer Protection Act.
We recommend taking out insurance that covers cancellation due to unexpected illness, accidents or other circumstances preventing you from using the booking. Customers should check the scope of cover and the policy terms with their insurer.
Refunds
A single processing fee of €30 per booking is deducted from the amount refunded following a cancellation by the customer, up to the amount otherwise refundable. The processing fee is deducted from the amount remaining for refund after any cancellation charge.
Any separate charges levied by the bank for a refund made abroad are deducted from the refund. Neither the processing fee nor bank charges are deducted where the law requires a refund without deductions.
11.1 Bookings payable on arrival
This section applies to accommodation bookings payable on arrival, excluding group bookings, joint bookings for multiple accommodation units and Villa Aava, which are subject to section 11.2.
Bookings of 1–6 nights
- Cancellation more than 7 days before the booking begins: no cancellation charge. Alternatively, the booking may be rescheduled once without a separate rescheduling fee.
- Cancellation 7–2 days before the booking begins: 50% of the total booking price is charged.
- Cancellation less than 2 days before the booking begins: 100% of the total booking price is charged.
Bookings of at least 7 nights
- Cancellation more than 28 days before the booking begins: no cancellation charge. Alternatively, the booking may be rescheduled once without a separate rescheduling fee.
- Cancellation 28–14 days before the booking begins: 50% of the total booking price is charged. Alternatively, the booking may be rescheduled once without a separate rescheduling fee.
- Cancellation less than 14 days before the booking begins: 100% of the total booking price is charged.
11.2 Prepaid accommodation bookings, group bookings, joint bookings for multiple accommodation units and Villa Aava
For this section, a group booking means a joint booking for multiple accommodation units for the same trip or event, and any of the following bookings regardless of the number of participants: Villa Aava, Cave Sauna World, Santa Glass Sauna and heated pool, a meeting or function venue, catering, or an activity programme arranged specifically for a group.
Individual activity, equipment hire and family sauna bookings are subject to section 11.3 even when paid in advance.
- Cancellation more than 28 days before the booking begins: no cancellation charge. The processing fee specified in the general refund terms is deducted from any refund. Alternatively, the booking may be rescheduled once without a separate rescheduling fee.
- Cancellation 28–14 days before the booking begins: 50% of the total booking price is charged. Alternatively, the booking may be rescheduled once without a separate rescheduling fee.
- Cancellation less than 14 days before the booking begins: 100% of the total booking price is charged.
11.3 Individual activity bookings, equipment hire bookings and family sauna bookings
The customer may cancel a booking without a cancellation charge or request rescheduling without a separate rescheduling fee no later than 14:00 Finnish local time on the day before the service date.
Rescheduling is subject to availability. The rescheduled service must take place no later than seven days after the original service date. The new date and any price difference are agreed before rescheduling is confirmed.
Cancellations made after the deadline and no-shows are charged at 100% of the total booking price.
Refunds are subject to the general procedures and processing fee terms in section 11.
11.4 Gift cards and multi-use passes
The purchaser of a gift card or multi-use pass may cancel a gift card order placed through Santalahti’s online shop free of charge within 14 days of receiving the purchase confirmation. The purchaser must return the gift card or multi-use pass when cancelling the order, and Santalahti will invalidate the electronic card. Unused gift cards cannot be exchanged for cash.
However, there is no cancellation or return right if the card was purchased outside the online shop or if the gift card has already been used.
11.5 Santalahti’s right to cancel a booking
If the customer has not paid the invoice by the due date, Santalahti has the right to cancel the booking.
In the event of force majeure, Santalahti may cancel the booking. Santalahti must notify the customer without delay. Payments made for services that will not be provided are refunded in full without a processing fee.
12. PROTECTION AND RETENTION OF CUSTOMER DATA
Santalahti stores customer data securely in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The processing of personal data, the use of service providers and any disclosure of data are described in Santalahti’s privacy notice.
13. GIFT CARDS AND MULTI-USE PASSES FROM SANTALAHTI’S ONLINE SHOP
The recipient may choose a suitable time for their visit. If you are unsure which gift they would enjoy, we recommend a monetary gift card, allowing the recipient to choose which Santalahti accommodation or experience to use it for.
Gift cards and multi-use passes are valid for the period stated on the card, but the card must be used within a maximum of one year from the purchase date.
Cancellations and changes are subject to section 11.4 of these terms.
Order confirmation
Purchase confirmation is sent by email immediately after a successful order and payment.
Collecting a multi-use pass
The multi-use pass is collected at Santalahti reception by presenting the gift card received by email.
Paying for a booking with a gift card
To pay with a gift card, you need the gift card product number shown in the order confirmation.
Santalahti may update price lists, service descriptions and booking terms for future bookings. Confirmed bookings are subject to the terms agreed at the time of booking. Any changes to a confirmed booking are agreed with the customer or handled in accordance with applicable legislation.
9 October 2026
