Saimi Hoyer
Official Ambassador for Saimaa, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2024
Hotelier
Saimi Hoyer is the owner of Hotel Punkaharju and the Queen of Mushrooms. After working internationally as a supermodel, she found her home in the wilderness of Saimaa. Saimi runs the prestigious Hotel Punkaharju, which is the oldest hotel in Finland still operating in the same place – since 1845. Hotel Punkaharju is a part of the multi-awarded Saimaa Gastronomy company network. She firmly believes in the grounding magic of Lake Saimaa and its pure offerings for all senses. For her, the biggest passion is mushrooms – she can’t help it, whenever she walks to the woods and finds delicious mushrooms for dinner – pure love is in the air.
“The serenity in the wilderness of the Saimaa region has been hidden from visitors for too long. When I moved to Punkaharju, to my beloved childhood landscapes in Lake Saimaa, I decided to restore Hotel Punkaharju, our national treasure, to its former glory. During the years I worked as a supermodel in several of the world’s metropolises, I learned to understand what true prosperity is and what is truly meaningful for people.”