INSTRUCTIONS TO SKITUNÄS GUESTS
Welcome to Villa Skitunäs in Pyhtää!
Welcome to stay at Villa Skitunäs in Pyhtää! On these pages you will find the most important information about using the cottage, its equipment, safety and preparing for departure. Please read the instructions before your arrival so that your stay at the cottage will be as comfortable as possible.
Equipment at Villa Skitunäs and links to detailed instructions
Additional services: Saunas – Cleaning
Accommodation & interiors: Kitchen – WiFi & electricity – Heating & air conditioning – Fire safety and use of fireplaces – Water & wastewater – Detergents, paper & supplies – Pets – Equipment for families with children
Outdoor areas: Gas grill, barbecue hut and campfire site – Pier & beach – Rowing boat – Waste management
Things to remember before departure
Blogs, instructions and useful links for Skitunäs guests
Contact information and feedback
🏡 Accommodation, prices and additional services
The Skitunäs villa is best suited for 10 people, and the rental price includes accommodation for up to 12 people. There are additional mattresses in the loft and two large sofas in the living room that can also be used for sleeping if necessary. When the number of guests exceeds 12, an additional charge of €25 per person per day is charged.
The cottage has its own small wood-heated sauna. In addition, there is a separate spacious wood-heated sauna right by the sea, which can be rented separately all year round for €45/day.
There is no hot tub at Skitunäs. Bringing or installing your own hot tub in the yard is not permitted without separate written permission. The amount of well water available at the property is not sufficient to fill a hot tub.
| Included in the cottage rental | Available for an additional charge* |
|---|---|
| Basic rental price includes accommodation for up to 12 people | Additional guests €25/person/day |
| Wood-heated cottage sauna | Bed linen and towels €20/person |
| Billiards | Seaside sauna €45/day |
| Rowing boat | Pet fee €10/day |
| WiFi | Final cleaning €160 or full final cleaning including kitchen cleaning €220 |
| Gas grill and gas | Services can also be booked later if they were not ordered when making the reservation. |
| Hand towels and kitchen towel | |
| Kitchen and toilet paper |
🔑 Keys and check-in
The key to the Skitunäs cottage is located in a key box. The location and code of the key box will be sent to the guest before arrival. You may arrive at the cottage from 16:00 onwards, and on the day of departure you must leave the cottage by 12:00 at the latest.
There is a barrier at the junction leading to the Skitunäs cottage, which is normally open. If the barrier is closed, collect the key from the key box according to the instructions you have received.
If the key does not work or is lost, please contact the landlord as soon as possible. Do not leave the key at the cottage or in the key box in a way that prevents the next guest from entering.
📍 Location and directions – Skitunäsintie 272D, Pyhtää
Drive from Helsinki on the E18/E7 towards Kotka. Take exit 70 (Pyhtää KK) and follow the signs towards Pyhtää church.
After passing the ABC service station, the church and the bridge, turn left onto Pirtnuora road. Cross the E18 by bridge and continue for about 3.5 km, then turn left towards Skitunäs.
Continue along Skitunäsintie for about 2.8 km. At the junction to the cottage, you will see a black-and-white “Suomen Kotteria” sign and number 272, with mailboxes on the left. Turn right.
The barrier is normally open. If it is closed, use the key box according to the instructions provided.
Drive about 100 metres downhill towards the sea. At the four-way junction, take the road slightly to the left. Villa Skitunäs is the large dark log cottage ahead. The neighbouring Karhulan Lasi cottage is on the right.
More information about directions to Skitunäs can be found here.
Arrival by bus
The nearest bus from Helsinki stops at Pyhtää church. The distance from Pyhtää church to the cottage is another 6.7 kilometres. If you arrive in Pyhtää by bus, you can ask Kymenlaakson Taksi for a taxi ride to the cottage. The telephone number is 0100 87227.
Parking
There is parking space in the yard of the Skitunäs cottage for the vehicles of cottage guests. Cars can be parked in a suitable place in the yard. Please make sure, however, that there is enough free space around and in front of the waste containers, so that the waste collection vehicle can reach them without obstruction.
Charging electric cars and heating cars
Electric cars must not be charged at the cottage. Car engine heaters must not be connected to the cottage’s electrical sockets either. The nearest electric vehicle charging point is located at Pyhtää ABC.
📋 Traveller registration form
All persons staying at the cottage must complete a traveller registration form when arriving at the rental cottage. Traveller registration forms can be found underneath the television or in the small cardboard box in the living-room cabinet. When leaving, please leave the completed traveller registration form containing the details of all guests on the dining table.
If you wish, you can also print the traveller registration forms from this Traveller registration form link (Matkustajailmoitus) and send the completed form to us as a scanned document at asiakaspalvelu@kotteria.com.
🛏️ Accommodation and living areas, approximately 130 m²
🛏️ Three double bedrooms and a sleeping alcove above the sauna for two
🎱 Loft with 5 beds and a billiard table
🔥 Living room with fireplace
🛌 Pillows and duvets for all beds
🧺 Bed linen & towels: €20 / person
🧖♀️ Cottage sauna and separate large seaside sauna
🚽 Two toilets (one in the shower room)
Sleeping places
| Room | Location | Beds | Sleeping places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom 1 | Ground floor | 160 cm | 2 |
| Bedroom 2 | Ground floor | 160 cm | 2 |
| Bedroom 3 | Ground floor | 2 × 80 cm | 2 |
| Loft | Upper floor | 5 × 80 cm | 5 |
| Sleeping alcove above sauna | Above the sauna terrace. Access by ladder | 1 × 130 cm | 1 |
| Total | 12 |
Kitchen equipment
🍽️ Cutlery and tableware for 12 people
🍷 Wine glasses and champagne glasses
🍕 Oven and microwave
🧊 Full-size fridge-freezer and under-counter drinks refrigerator
☕ Coffee maker and kettle
🍞 Toaster
Dishwasher detergent and hand dishwashing detergent are included in the cottage equipment.
📶 Wi-Fi and electricity at the holiday cottage
Sometimes the electricity at Villa Skitunäs may go out because of a storm. You can check the Kymenlaakson Sähkö power outage information. The page also works on mobile phones.
If there is a power outage, the Wi-Fi device may lose its network connection. In this case, switch the equipment off for approximately five minutes and then turn it back on to establish the connection again. No password is required. The equipment is located on top of the kitchen wall cabinet.
🌡️ Heating and air conditioning
To save energy, we lower the temperature of the cottage when there are no guests staying there. The temperature is lowered using the home/away switch. The switch is located in the entrance hall next to the door. The switch controls the room temperature and reduces hot-water heating, so please switch it to the home position when you arrive so that the cottage heats up and there is enough hot water. Please switch it to the away position when you leave.
The cottage has an air-source heat pump. When you arrive at the cottage and it is cool inside, set the air-source heat pump to +20°C so that the living areas warm up quickly. During colder seasons, lower the temperature to +16°C when leaving the cottage. The air-source heat pump heats when the sun symbol is selected from the MODE functions on the remote control. More information and instructions for using the air-source heat pump can be found here.
There is an exhaust fan with a humidity sensor in the shower room. The fan switches on and off automatically. The toilet in the entrance hall has an exhaust fan with a motion sensor. After operation, the fan continues running for a few minutes and then switches off automatically.
💧 Washing machines, water and wastewater
The cottage has drilled-well water. Please note that the well water is not sufficient to fill a hot tub. For this reason, there is no hot tub at the cottage and a hot tub cannot be brought to the property.
Water supply to the washing machines
There is a dishwasher and a washing machine in the kitchen. Before using the machines, open the water tap so that the machine receives water. The washing machine water supply is opened using the lever underneath the kitchen sink tap. Remember to close the tap after use.
Important information about the wastewater system
The toilet in the shower room is a SaniCompact 43 toilet with a macerator pump, which pumps waste into the sewer through a 32 mm pipe. Because the pipe is very narrow, it is extremely important that nothing other than human waste is put into the toilet. For example, plastic or sanitary towels can damage the macerator pump or block the pipe.
Please note that you must not stand or sit on the toilet lid!
💦 Water leakage
In the event of a water leak, the water supply can be shut off using the electrical switch labelled “vesipumppu” (water pump) on the rear wall of the cottage.
Freezing of the incoming water pipe
If the water supply stops or is interrupted during severe frost, a possible cause is a frozen incoming water pipe. In this case, switch on the pipe heating using the switch outside on the long wall on the incoming-water side. The switch is next to the electrical cabinet.
If cold water initially comes out of the tap hot, the most likely cause is that the incoming-water pipe heating has been left switched on. During the warm season, switch off the incoming-water pipe heating. The switch is located outside on the long wall on the incoming-water side, next to the electrical cabinet.
Wastewater
Wastewater from the cottage toilet is collected in a tank and transported to the wastewater treatment plant in Kotka. We treat grey wastewater locally through filtration and absorption to keep transportation to a minimum.
Drinking water
Villa Skitunäs has drilled-well water, which was tested on 24 May 2024. The tested water sample had a fluoride concentration of 6.7 mg/l, exceeding the drinking-water limit value of 1.5 mg/l. The sample also contained 3 coliform bacteria per 100 ml, indicating that surface water has entered the drilled well. The tested water sample meets the quality requirements for drinking water and household water use in the microbiological tests carried out, but does not meet the quality recommendation.
The kitchen has a water tap equipped with an AQVA water filter, which provides drinking water that also meets the quality recommendations.
🔥 Fire safety and use of fireplaces
Using the fireplace and sauna stove
The fireplace at Villa Skitunäs is an open fireplace and there is no separate flue damper. The sauna stove has a flue damper above the stove. Remember to open the damper before lighting the fire in the stove.
The timing of closing the sauna stove flue damper is important to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide. It is advisable to stir the embers so that all the remaining pieces of wood burn completely. When the embers begin to die down – meaning there are no blue flames visible – the damper can be closed slightly. Only after the embers have completely burned out may the damper be closed fully.
After using the fireplace and sauna stove, ashes can be emptied into the black ash container located in front of the cottage sauna.
Smoking
Smoking inside the cottage is prohibited. For the benefit of the next guests and your own final cleaning, please make sure cigarette butts are placed in ashtrays and eventually disposed of with the rubbish.
Smoke detectors
The holiday cottage has smoke detectors in all bedrooms and in the living room. There is also a carbon monoxide detector by the fireplace wall in the living room. If the battery of a smoke detector runs out, the detector will make short beeping sounds every few minutes. Remove the smoke detector and replace the battery. Spare batteries can be found in the drawers underneath the seating area in the changing room. If you cannot find a new battery, please leave the smoke detector on the table.
Fire-fighting equipment
There is a powder fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in the entrance hall. Please check the location of the fire-fighting equipment immediately when you arrive at the cottage.
Firewood
Firewood for the sauna and fireplace is available in the storage building. Use newspaper, birch bark and small sticks to light the fire. If you wish, you can bring firelighters with you. The use of flammable liquids to light fireplaces is strictly prohibited.
Open fires
Open fires are prohibited during a forest fire warning, including at designated fire sites. The tenant is responsible for following the instructions.
📺 TV and HDMI
The cottages have a stereo TV with an HDMI connection. However, HDMI cables and other connection cables may not be available at the cottage. Please bring your own cables if you want to connect separate devices to the television.
🧴 Detergents, paper and supplies
The cottage has:
- Dishwasher detergent, hand dishwashing detergent and hand soap. Detergents are stored in the changing-room cupboard, kitchen and toilet.
- Spare light bulbs, clothes pegs and a mousetrap are in the drawers underneath the changing-room bench.
- Kitchen and toilet paper can be found on the storage shelves in the loft. If you are staying with a larger group for a longer period, please bring extra paper with you in case the paper at the cottage is not sufficient.
- Hand towels hanging in the bathroom, a kitchen towel and sauna seat covers on the changing-room shelf are available to guests free of charge. Bath towels and bed linen are not automatically included in the rental price. Guests may bring their own bed linen and towels or rent them from the cottage. More information about renting towels and bed linen can be found here.
- We cannot guarantee that the cottage has laundry detergent, shower gel or shampoo. Guests often leave detergents behind, but others take them with them. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that detergents will be available.
🧹 Cleaning, bed linen and towels
Final cleaning, bed linen and towels are not automatically included in the rental price of Villa Skitunäs. Guests may clean the cottage themselves or order final cleaning from us. Bed linen and towels can also be booked from us.
Final cleaning
You can order final cleaning from us in advance or also during your stay. Cleaning instructions and more information about cleaning services and bed linen can be found here.
Full final cleaning €220, including kitchen cleaning and washing dishes.
Basic final cleaning €160
Bed linen and towels
Hand towels hanging in the bathroom, a kitchen towel and sauna seat covers in the changing room are available to guests free of charge. Bath towels and bed linen are not automatically included in the rental price.
You can bring your own bed linen and towels or rent them from us for €20/person. The rental includes sheets, duvet cover, pillowcase and bath towel. Rented bed linen and towels can be found in the wardrobe on the left side of the larger downstairs bedroom. After use, leave the rented bed linen and towels on the changing-room bench. The cleaner will take them to the laundry.
🐕 Bringing a pet to the cottage
You may bring a pet to the cottage. The pet must always be mentioned when making the reservation. The pet fee is €10/day per pet. If you are very allergic yourself, you can ask our customer service when pets were last staying at the cottage.
If you bring a pet to the cottage, it is important to make sure that the pet does not cause damage to the property and that any waste left by the pet is collected from the yard. If your pet causes damage at our cottage, please contact our customer service immediately so that we can agree together how the damage will be compensated.
More information about staying at a cottage with a pet can be found in our blog “Pet-Friendly Cottages near Helsinki”.
Mouse repellents
At Villa Skitunäs, ultrasonic mouse repellents are used from autumn to spring. The repellents are plugged into electrical sockets. People normally cannot hear them, but dogs or cats may be disturbed by the sound. If you remove the repellents during your stay because of your pet, for example, please remember to reconnect them before leaving.
👶 Equipment for families with children
Travel cot and potty for small children
There is a children’s travel cot at the cottage. The travel cot can be found in the cupboard in the billiard loft. It can be used free of charge and packed back onto the shelf after use.
The travel cot is placed into sleeping position as follows: lock the long sides first, then the ends, and only then press the bottom down. When folding the cot back into its storage position, the order is reversed.
The potty can be found in the changing-room cupboard.
🎱 Games and activities
There is a billiard table in the loft. The billiard table is lightweight and suitable for recreational play. The space around the table in the loft is also limited and the conditions do not correspond to those of a billiard hall.
- Croquet set. (in the storage)
- Petanque balls. (in the storage)
🌿 Outdoor facilities
The Villa Skitunäs grounds have a seaside sauna, private pier, rowing boat, campfire site, barbecue hut, gas grill, garden furniture and an outdoor dining area.
🌊 Seaside sauna and private pier
🛶 Rowing boat
🔥 Campfire site
🏡 Barbecue hut with open fireplace
♨️ Gas grill
🍽️ Garden furniture and outdoor dining area
🔥 Gas grill, barbecue hut and campfire site
There is a gas grill on the terrace of the Skitunäs cottage. The use of the gas grill is always the customer’s responsibility, and the condition of the grill must be checked before use. Read the instructions and find more information about safe and successful grilling here.
The gas grill can be used all year round, including in winter. When grilling in winter, you should also take into account how gas behaves and the potential challenges caused by freezing temperatures. More information can be found in our English gas-grilling guide above.
There is a log-built barbecue hut in the yard with an open fireplace. The hut has only small windows and a dim, atmospheric interior. There is seating for approximately 8–10 people.
In summer, you can also make a fire near the shore, where there is a separate campfire site. The masonry outdoor grill can be used with wood or charcoal. If you want to grill with charcoal, please bring your own barbecue charcoal. Empty the ashes into the ash container after use.
Spare gas cylinder
There is a spare gas cylinder in the storage building. Please let us know if you use the spare gas cylinder so that we know to bring a new cylinder to the cottage during the next inspection.
Open fire
Open fires are prohibited during a forest fire warning, including at designated fire sites. The tenant is responsible for following the instructions.
♨️ Cottage sauna and additional-charge seaside sauna
Cottage sauna
The wood-heated cottage sauna at Villa Skitunäs is included in the cottage rental. Instructions for heating a wood-burning sauna can be found here.
Seaside sauna
In addition, there is a separate spacious wood-heated sauna right by the sea, which can be rented separately all year round. The rental price of the seaside sauna for cottage guests is €45/day. Skitunäs seaside sauna – prices and instructions.
🌊 Pier, beach and swimming at Villa Skitunäs
The beach at Villa Skitunäs is shallow and covered with natural stones. There is a sturdy pier built on a stone embankment. At the end of the pier, the water is approximately 1.2 metres deep, and there is a long swimming ladder that can be lowered into the water. The bottom of the sea at the end of the pier is naturally sandy, with a few larger stones.
The swimming ladder is lifted out of the water and locked for the winter. The key to the lock can be found in the storage building, immediately to the left of the door. If you use the ladder during winter and lower it into the sea, please also lift it back out of the water and return the key to its place. A fee of €400 is charged for swimming ladders that are left frozen into the sea.
⚠️ Water safety
Do not jump from the end of the pier. Swimming is at your own risk. Children must be supervised particularly carefully.
🛶 Rowing boat and life jackets
There is a rowing boat at the cottage. Check that the boat is properly secured before use and always before leaving it. ALWAYS pull the boat up to the top of the boat ramp after use, because the sea level varies considerably.
Life jackets in different sizes can be found in the storage building. Always bring appropriately sized life jackets for children, as the cottage storage may not have the correct size. There are no life jackets for pets at the cottage, so bring your own pet life jacket if necessary.
Boat launching ramps
The nearest boat launch is at Skitunäs swimming beach, a little over one kilometre from the Skitunäs cottage. It is a sandy beach, so a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required. The actual boat launch ramp is located on Annulantie in Pyhtää village. From there it is approximately 3 km to the sea along the river, with locks along the route. The route is beautiful. Another option a little further away is to launch the boat at the Keihässalmi ramp or at Lökören harbour. More information about boat launching places in the surrounding area can be found here.
Spacious seaside sauna available for rent at Villa Skitunäs
🗑️ Waste management at Skitunäs villa
There is a waste container for household waste at Villa Skitunäs. Please pack waste tightly so that as much as possible fits into the container. The container is emptied every two weeks. Close the lid carefully so that wildlife cannot get into the container or spread waste into nature.
There is also a separate collection container for deposit cans. Deposit bottles and cans can be left in the separate collection container in bags.
♻️ Recycling
The nearest recycling point is behind the Pyhtää ABC service station. Another recycling point in Kotka is located in the yard of Prisma at Hakamäentie 1, Kotka. Recycling points can be used for, among other things, glass, metal, paper, cardboard and clothes.
More information about recycling and tips for responsible cottage holidays can be found in our article “Waste sorting at rental cottages”.
Post to the holiday cottage
You can have your mail redirected to the cottage. The postal address is Skitunäsintie 272, 49270 Pyhtää. The mailboxes are located at Skitunäsintie 272, approximately 200 metres from the cottage.
🚨 Emergencies and problems
If there is a problem at the cottage, please report it as soon as possible.
- The key does not work: contact customer service.
- Water leak: shut off the main water supply and report it immediately.
- Power outage: check Kymenlaakson Sähkö’s outage map.
- Broken equipment or appliance: please report it as soon as possible.
- Safety-related problem: contact us immediately.
- Emergency: call 112.
✅ Before departure – checklist
If you have not ordered final cleaning, clean the cottage carefully before leaving. If you have ordered cleaning service, please still make sure that the cottage is arranged according to the instructions. Skitunäs cleaning instructions and cleaning services.
Things to remember before departure
☐ Dishes and kitchen have been cleaned
☐ Rubbish has been taken to the waste container
☐ Grill has been cleaned
☐ Barbecue area has been cleaned
☐ Ashes from the campfire site have been emptied into the ash container
☐ Items taken from the storage have been returned to their places
☐ Yard has been tidied
☐ Boat has been properly secured
☐ Pet waste has been collected from the yard
☐ Lights have been switched off
☐ Windows have been closed
☐ Doors have been locked
☐ Keys have been returned to the key box
☐ Completed traveller registration forms have been left on the dining table
If any appliance, piece of furniture or equipment has been damaged, or if you notice any other damage at the cottage, please inform us before leaving.
📋 Blogs, instructions and useful links for Villa Skitunäs guests
Here we have collected useful instructions and tips for guests staying at Villa Skitunäs. Read the articles before arriving or during your cottage holiday – they contain practical advice and inspiration for cottage life.
| Topic | Blog / instruction | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Pets at the cottage | Pet-friendly cottages near Helsinki | Information about bringing pets to a cottage and responsible holidaying with pets. |
| Gas grill | How to Use a Gas Grill at Your Holiday Cottage | Practical tips for easy and successful grilling all year round. |
| Heating and energy efficiency | Using an air-source heat pump at the cottage | An energy-efficient air-source heat pump helps regulate the cottage temperature. |
| Wood-heated sauna | Heating a wood-burning sauna | Guide to using a wood-heated sauna correctly and safely. |
| Seaside sauna | Skitunäs seaside sauna | Guide to using the seaside sauna correctly and safely. |
| Cleaning | Cleaning and bed linen | Cleaning guide and information about ordering cleaning services. |
📞 Contact information and feedback
We want to keep Villa Skitunäs in good condition and its equipment working properly. Please let us know as soon as possible if:
- any equipment is missing, something is broken, there is a water leak or another technical problem at the cottage
- you notice a safety issue or have a suggestion for improvement
Customer service
Suomen Kotteria Oy, +358 400 868 889, asiakaspalvelu@kotteria.com
Pentti Kotiaho +358 415 345 100, Minna Kotiaho +358 400 534 269
In an emergency, always call 112.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Give us feedback
If you wish, you can read other customers’ experiences and reviews of our cottages and leave your own review on Google Maps.
Villa Skitunäs holiday cottage, Suomen Kotteria Oy. Skitunäsintie 272, 49270 Pyhtää. asiakaspalvelu@kotteria.com