4-Star Hotels in Lapland, Finland

I stayed at Apukka Resort and it was truly unforgettable. Everything was perfect, from the spotless cleanliness to the peaceful location near the airport. The service was exceptional; they even picked us up by car from the reception and drove us directly to our room, which made everything feel so warm and personal despite the -30°C weather. Sipping hot chocolate in the freezing Arctic air felt surreal, and our private sauna session was incredibly relaxing, the perfect way to end a snowy day. But the most magical moment? Watching the Northern Lights dance right in front of our room. So vivid, so clear, so unreal. It was honestly one of the best experiences of our lives. A dream I will never forget.

We stayed at Pyhalinna and overall found the apartment itself to be decent. The facilities inside the unit were quite complete and convenient. However, the cleanliness was disappointing — the bed sheets were not clean when we arrived. The funny (and slightly frustrating) part was that after we reported it, someone came to do a light cleaning of the room (even though we were previously told mid-stay cleaning required an extra fee), but the sheets still weren’t changed. The property is ski-in/ski-out and located next to the “family slope,” but there are many areas that really need improvement. First of all, for beginners without a car, it takes around 30 minutes to walk down to the base area to rent equipment(experienced can use the shop on the mountain), and the path is quite unsafe. Honestly, this alone almost made me give a one-star review. Secondly, the so-called family slope wasn’t fully open, and the upper section was surprisingly steep — definitely not what we expected for a family-friendly run. Returning the rental equipment was also inconvenient; you must ski all the way to the bottom because the shop on the mountain doesn’t accept returns. After returning our equipment, we were very lucky that the ski patrol officer Markus kindly offered to take us back up the hotel. We really appreciated his help — without him, it would have been another long and difficult walk. There are simply many practical issues that should be improved. I truly hope the resort can learn from more established ski destinations to create a safer and more beginner-friendly experience. The positive interactions with the staff were the main reason we didn’t give this place a one-star rating — they truly made a difference despite the other issues. Really thank you, Coach Joni, Peter, Markus, Joonathan and the other staff I didn’t get your name.

This was our first trip to Finland and our first time staying in a glass igloo, and overall, it was a wonderful experience. The only inconvenience was that we couldn't drive directly to our room; all cars had to be parked in a central lot. If you have a lot of luggage, be prepared for a bit of a trek as you'll have to pull it all the way to your room. If you have too much luggage and your room is far, the front desk does offer sleds to help you push it along. 😂 But it's understandable, as there are many people walking around the property, and with all the glass igloos, cars driving around would definitely compromise privacy and create light pollution. Our room type didn't look very big, but it actually had a separate sofa area for relaxing, and there was plenty of space on both sides of the bed. We were able to open up three large suitcases with room to spare. Most importantly, there were many power outlets in the room, which was incredibly convenient. The food provided was also quite good, with very fresh vegetables. We had satisfying dinners and breakfasts, and there were many choices for tea, coffee, and desserts. For those who enjoy alcohol, you can purchase it at the bar at your own expense. The overall service was excellent. The hotel offers many activities for an additional cost, so you can easily fill your days and then rest up to chase the Northern Lights at night. The hotel also provides a free Aurora borealis notification app (which usually costs money) that was very accurate. Basically, as soon as we received a notification, we could get ready and see the Northern Lights. Whether striking various poses in our room or walking around the hotel grounds, we saw beautiful auroras. This trip to Finland, staying in the glass igloo, truly made our dreams come true and completed our journey.

The hotel is located right in Santa Claus Village, and you can park right next to your cabin. There are also slow charging stations available. The room was well-equipped, even with a sauna, making for a comfortable and warm stay. Breakfast is served next to the Santa Claus Gift House, and the variety was quite good.

Bad management during check in. I book an Apartment for 2 nights for this stay but I got the room for 1 night each. Staff told me I have to change room tomorrow and check out at 12PM. So that mean first night I stay and tomorrow check out 12PM and wait for a new room. Also, the apartment is very far from reception. Luckily, I have a car. Imagine if I don't have a car, I have to carry big luggage from the apartment to reception to check out and wait for new room later and move my luggage to new room again, how was it? Moreover, when I check out at 12PM staff told me the room will ready for check in around 2 hours. Then came back to check in again for second at 3PM another staff told me the room is not ready yet and policy for the Apartment check in time is 6PM. ***!!! I said I need the room now because this is unacceptable. Then staff told me the room is ready and give me the key card. So, for this situation I waste the time for half day to pack my luggage, move a lot of luggage to my car with a lot of snow, check out, go to reception for check out, wait the new room, wait, wait, wait, and come back to check in and got very bad answer that she told the room is not ready, and go to check in again, move my luggage to new apartment with a lot of snow, and take a rest. VERY BAD!!!!!

The staff of the Villa is very helpful and the reception is locared in the main building with a souvenir shop and a small snow castle. It's pitiful that I checked in late and checked out early in the next day's morning, and could not enjoy the beautiful sunset in the Villa.

The room was good and cosy. It was near to the appuka resort shuttle bus if you have booked activities with them. The breakfast was good too. All the necessary shop and restaurant are closed and round the corner. I would choose this hotel again if I come again. Thanks for storing my luggage from morning until close to 6.30pm

Good sauna, well-considered vegetarian diet at breakfast. The veggie balls are especially good, as is the vegetable garnish

The staff was really amazing, very friendly. I wasn’t very impressed by the room. The heating was not fully working, there were no basic amenities like a kettle, or even drinking water. Biggest concern was cleanliness as I asked for cleaning on one occasion and beds were poorly made, sheets weren’t changed, the toilet wasn’t properly cleaned as there a piece of paper on the floor which was clearly visible, tissues weren’t restocked and also one of the over covers from the bed was removed and just chucked over the ironing board which was absolutely horrifying to see. Food at the hotel was good and restaurant staff were also very helpful.

The place is absolutely beautiful, only few steps from Ounasvaara Ski Resort. The Chalet was really good and cosy with amazing views from the windows and balcony. Our private Chalet had a second bedroom which we didn’t use as my daughter and myself preferred the first floor. We loved having our own sauna in the bathroom, great addition to relax and we enjoyed it sooo much! Breakfast was excellent with great selection, we loved the waffle maker! Staff were all helpful and pleasant. Location is excellent, not far from the airport, city centre, and Santa Claus Village. Overall, perfect Chalet, we would definitely recommend staying here, we had a great time!