Responsibility is the guiding principle of all our operation. As our guest, you can enjoy the luxury and all the pleasures with a clear conscience. Elsanranta villas have been designed to minimise the impact on the environment. Every little detail is carefully planned, including materials and functionalities.
The apartments of Elsanranta villas have 37,5 square meters of sustainable and comfortable space. Each apartment has one large room with a lounge area, sleeping area, bathroom, sauna and a deck with a reasonable size Drop-pool. The apartments and pools have geothermal heating.
We have used Finnish interior design materials, designers and constructors at Elsanranta. The tableware, Terhe sauna products, wool textiles and the photographic art on the walls are Finnish design. The themes of the photographs as well as the names of the villas, such as Ilmari, Väinämöinen and Aino, come from Kalevala, the national epic of Karelia and Finland. Elsa Heporauta, writer, influencer and the founder of Kalevala Women, is an integral part of Sahanlahti Resorts cultural history. She was born in Sahanlahti.
We recycle all waste – mixed, bio, glass and metal – and we encourage you to do the same. In cleaning and laundry, we use environmentally friendly detergents and washing agents. We prefer cloth napkins in our restaurants and cloth bench towels in saunas. The woollen textiles and furniture are produced in a responsible manner using renewable natural materials.
The electricity of Sahanlahti Resort and Elsanranta is produced using renewable hydro and wind power. Sahanlahti Resort has a heating plant burning wood shavings. Elsanranta villas are heated with geothermal heating. We have recently applied for a permit to build a solar power station to increase our self-suffiency in energy production.
The restaurants of Sahanlahti Resort are well-known for their delicious, responsible food made from local ingredients. Sahanlahti Resort is a D.O. Saimaa ”We support local” company which means that we prefer local ingredients coming from about twenty local producers, such as fishermen and forest berry and mushroom pickers. Our restaurants are artisan restaurants: we prepare everything from start to finish in our own kitchen. Our specialties include the Sahanlahti sourdough rye bread which we also deliver to a local grocery store.
Our restaurants support local economy by employing local entrepreneurs directly or indirectly. The malt pork from Kaartilan mallaspossu farm in Juva, the overnight barley porridge, local vegetables and fish served at breakfast are good examples of local producers' responsible, high-quality ingredients and delicacies prepared by our kitchen.
Scooters, cycling with bikes and ebikes, rowing and paddling are environmentally friendly activities available at Elsanranta. Cruises on Lake Saimaa with an electrical ecoboat or snowshoe and snowscooter trips organised by Arto, the guide of Lakeland GTE, are other examples of responsible ways to enjoy the nature of Lake Saimaa.
We use partner companies, who share our values and criteria for responsibility, to organise a range of activities for our guests. Sahanlahti and Lakeland GTE have both been awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland quality label. In addition, Sahanlahti holds the Finnish Eco-Agrotourism Association's certificate for ecological and cultural sustainability. Read more about the responsibility of Sahanlahti Resort.
We treat our employees, our guests, and the residents of our region with equality and respect, regardless of their background. We take people’s specific needs into account in our work. We train, guide, and encourage our staff to act responsibly. We improve our cost-efficiency and reduce the use of paper by using electronic solutions. Instead of printed brochures, we prefer offering information on our website to improve accessibility and reduce our carbon footprint.
Sahanlahti Resort and Elsanranta villas are proud to be at the forefront in offering sustainable luxury holidays at Lake Saimaa as well as in supporting Finnish labour, local heritage and cultural history.
