A team offsite in Oulu is far easier to run when the meeting room, the sauna, dinner and the beds are close enough that nobody needs a taxi. At De Gamlas Hem, a protected wooden art nouveau villa from 1906 at Kirkkokatu 54, the whole programme fits into one address: a meeting package on day one, a sauna or gym break, five o’clock tea, dinner, a night in one of 22 rooms, breakfast, and a second session the next morning.
Below are the two days in order, with a few notes for teams new to Finland.
Why hold a team offsite in Oulu
When a team spread across cities or countries finally meets in the same room, one day is rarely enough. The agenda gets done, but the conversations that build trust tend to happen later: over dinner, in the sauna, or at breakfast the next morning.
At De Gamlas Hem, the meeting rooms, the kitchen and the guest rooms share one building, and a meeting package also gives 15% off the accommodation day rate, which makes a team offsite in Oulu simpler to budget as well as to run.
The house was completed in 1906 as a home for elderly educated women and reopened as a hotel and restaurant in 2018. During the Winter War, Swedish volunteer fighter pilots stayed here, and the smallest meeting room, F19, is named after their air wing. Read the story of the house.
How a Finnish meeting day is paced
If your team is new to Finland, a few local habits will shape the schedule. Working days start and finish early, and lunch, often the main hot meal, comes sooner than many visitors expect: the house serves its weekday lunch between 10.30 and 13.30. Meeting packages run on weekdays between 8.00 and 16.00.
Menus mark dietary information with letters: on the evening menu, L means lactose-free, G gluten-free and V vegan, while V* and M* mean a dish is available vegan or dairy-free. Share your team’s dietary needs when you book.
Day one: the meeting package and the right room
All packages include catering, and prices are per person:
- Coffee meeting (up to 2 hours): coffee – €18
- Lunch meeting: lunch – €22
- Morning meeting (up to 4 hours): breakfast and lunch – €40
- Afternoon meeting (up to 4 hours): lunch and afternoon coffee – €40
- Full-day meeting (up to 8 hours): breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee – €52
A full-day package on day one and a shorter one on day two works well. Details are on the meeting packages page.
Choose the room by headcount. F19, an 11 m² downstairs bay-window cabinet near the lobby, seats 6–8, a good fit for a leadership team or a board. Charlotta (47 m²) takes up to 25 and looks out over Kyösti Kallion puisto park, with no room fee when catering is ordered for 15 or more. Ester and Regina (60 m² each) take up to 40, with no room fee from 20 participants. Combined, they form a 120 m² space for up to 100, with no room fee from 50. Every room has a screen, a whiteboard or flipchart, Wi-Fi and notepads. See the facilities page and the wider meetings and events offer.
The sauna break: Finnish sauna culture as a team activity
Hotel guests have access to Liikuntakeskus Hukka, a sports centre about 600 metres away in the same Heinäpää district, with a gym, a traditional sauna, an infrared sauna and group classes.
In Finland, sauna is widely seen as part of spending time together, and the steam from water thrown on the hot stones even has its own word, löyly. Nobody should feel obliged to join, though; the gym or a rest in the room are equally good choices.
For current details, ask the sales team before you fix the schedule. More on the sauna and sports page.
Five o’clock tea and dinner
Back at the house, five o’clock tea is served Monday to Saturday from 17.00 to 18.00. It is included for hotel guests and costs €10.50 for day participants.
The evening restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday from 15.00 to 21.00, and the kitchen takes orders until 20.00. The menu is casual and reasonably priced, with the house double cheeseburger (Hemmetin juustoburgeri) or fish and chips (Kala ja ranskikset) at €18 each, so the team can eat together without any ceremony. The F19 cabinet can be used for dinner at no room charge; book it through the sales team. See the restaurant page.
For a larger group or a private dinner in your own room, choose from the group menus. Menu de Syys-talvi (autumn–winter) is €58 per person; its main course is roasted arctic char or slow-cooked beef cheek, with salad starters before and yogurt panna cotta and coffee after. The sales team confirms the menu details with your quote. Buffets include de Keitto (€42, salmon soup or creamy game soup), de Salaatti (€38) and de Kana (€29). The whole party has one menu, special diets are plated separately, and minimum billing is 15–50 people depending on the room.
One scheduling tip: hold your team offsite in Oulu on Wednesday–Thursday or Thursday–Friday. Both days are then weekdays for the meeting packages, and the first evening falls on a restaurant night. For other evenings, ask the sales team.
Staying overnight: a team offsite in Oulu with 15% off rooms
The hotel has 22 rooms: 16 in the 1906 main building, which keeps its original protected layout, and 6 in a courtyard building with its own entrance on the parking side. Room types run from a 10 m² single to a 23 m² suite.
Every room has a desk, Wi-Fi and blackout curtains. Check-in is from 15.00 and check-out by 12.00. Reception is open Monday to Saturday 7–22 and Sunday 7–19.
With a meeting package, accommodation is 15% off the day rate, and the sales team arranges it together with the meeting booking. Special requests, such as connecting Queen+ rooms, are arranged directly with reception. Colleagues flying in the night before or staying for the weekend can book extra nights directly; browse the rooms first. The breakfast buffet runs 7.00–10.00 on weekdays and is included.
Sample two-day schedule (example only)
This is one way a team offsite in Oulu could run, not a fixed package. Times follow the house’s published hours.
Day 1, Wednesday
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 8.00–16.00 | Full-day meeting (up to 8 hours) with breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee |
| around 11.00 | Lunch break (weekday lunch hours are 10.30–13.30) |
| from 15.00 | Check-in, for example during the coffee break |
| 16.00 | Meeting ends; free time in your room or at Hukka (about 600 m; ask the sales team for current details) |
| 17.00–18.00 | Five o’clock tea |
| 18.00 | Dinner in the evening restaurant (open Wed–Sat; food orders by 20.00) or a private group dinner at a time agreed with the sales team |
Day 2, Thursday
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 7.00–10.00 | Breakfast buffet, included in the room rate |
| after breakfast | Check out (by 12.00) |
| 8.30–12.30 | Morning meeting (up to 4 hours) with lunch |
A coffee or lunch meeting also works for a shorter morning. Tell the sales team who is staying overnight, and they will tailor the day-two package to your group.
Getting there and practical notes
De Gamlas Hem is in the Heinäpää district near Oulu city centre. Whether your team arrives at Oulu Airport or the railway station, put the address, Kirkkokatu 54, 90120 Oulu, into your map app to see the current routes. If you come by car, the house has its own parking area on the courtyard side; ask the sales team for details. VisitOulu is a useful starting point for seeing more of the city.
The protected 1906 building is not fully accessible, and step-free access is limited. Mention any mobility needs in your enquiry so rooms can be chosen accordingly.
Plan your team offsite in Oulu
For a quote on your team offsite in Oulu, send the sales team your dates, headcount and how many people will stay overnight, and they will put the whole programme together.
- Email: sales@degamlashotel.fi
- Phone: +358 75 325 7605
- Address: Kirkkokatu 54, 90120 Oulu
Full details are on the contact page.
Frequently asked questions about a team offsite in Oulu
Do meeting groups get a discount on rooms? Yes. With a meeting package, accommodation is 15% off the day rate. Breakfast, five o’clock tea and access to Hukka’s gym and saunas are included for hotel guests.
What does a two-day offsite cost per person? For example, a full-day package (€52) plus a morning package on day two (€40) comes to €92 per person at list prices, plus discounted accommodation and dinner. The sales team tailors the final package to your group.
Is the sauna included? Yes, for hotel guests: Liikuntakeskus Hukka, about 600 metres away, has a gym, traditional and infrared saunas and group classes.
How large a group can you host? Meeting rooms range from F19 for 6–8 people to the combined Ester and Regina for up to 100. With 22 hotel rooms, larger groups should confirm accommodation early.
