Grapevine: Rally Finland gets service park hotel

The Sokos Hotel Paviljonki will have 170 rooms across nine floors - and it will link to the main rally headquarters building through a covered passage.

The hotel had been expected to be built and completed in time for this year's event, but the economic downturn forced its postponement. It has been confirmed the building will be in place for the end of July, when the WRC returns to Finland.

Demand for one of the 170 rooms in the £21m hotel is likely to be high, given that 73,000 fans visited the service park in Paviljonki this summer.

"Sokos Hotel Paviljonki is a great addition to the service capacity of our Rally HQ," says Rally Finland event manager Tiina Lehmonen. "The choice of accommodation at the very heart of rally base will involve a visitor in the rally like never before. Surrounded by the Service Park, WRC Street and various sideshows, you'll be able to breathe in the rally atmosphere from your own hotel balcony."

"The expansion of the Paviljonki area is a most positive project, which we keenly support. In particular, the adjacent marina offers interesting possibilities with an eye on expanding the service park and on a more integrated rally base."

The development of the hotel facilities is further proof of Rally Finland's status as the WRC's most commercially forward-thinking event. The Jyvaskyla-based classic was the first to bag a five-year agreement for WRC inclusion with North One Sport. Off the back of that deal, the event secured long-term support from Finnish broadcaster, MTV3.