*Collaboration: Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos offers an unforgettable experience under the Northern Lights, staying in a Glass Igloo and exploring a unique Snow Hotel. Staying in a glass igloo is a dream for many, and what could be more wonderful than making this dream come true in Lapland under the colorful blazing Northern Lights?

WHAT ARCTIC SNOWHOTEL & GLASS IGLOOS?

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos is like your own little accommodation and experience village in the middle of nature and forest. Here, the city lights are not dazzling and thanks to this, the northern lights also shine brighter. Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos offers idyllic accommodation in glass igloos, which include traditional two-person igloos and larger family igloos. In addition to the igloos, it is possible to experience an unforgettable adventure experience every winter season by staying in a snow hotel. The hotel was originally a family business founded by the entrepreneurial couple Heidi and Ville Haavikko, the idea for which came about when the couple was studying. Ville studied snow construction and the couple wanted to develop something exciting and different.

The snow hotel is rebuilt from snow and ice every year for the coldest season. This is one of the largest snow hotels in Lapland and there is also a snow sauna, ice restaurant and ice bar. The decoration of the snow hotel changes every year, so it looks a little different every year. In 2023, winter started early, so the hotel was built a little bigger than usual. When we visited in November this year, the walls of the snow hotel and snow sauna facilities were only just up, so unfortunately we didn’t get to see this beauty in all its glory this time. The snow hotel will finally open its icy doors on December 15th and will remain open until the end of March.

In addition to accommodation, the hotel area offers restaurant services, a hot tub and sauna for private use, and of course a traditional mixed sauna for free use. During the winter season, you can also enjoy the snow sauna. Of course, there are various activities available depending on the season. There is everything from ice carving to snowshoeing and ice fishing. Free fun can be found in the form of suopunki and traditional mölkky.

BY THE NATURE AND CLOSE TO SANTA CLAUS

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos is located in Rovaniemi, on the shores of Lake Lehtojärvi, about 30 kilometers from the center of Rovaniemi. You can get there either by your own car or conveniently by the hotel’s own shuttle, which runs several times a day between the accommodation and the center. The shuttle also takes you to Santa Claus Village and the airport and train station. The ready-made transportation is really functional and makes this northern experience possible even for those who don’t have their own car.

We traveled by night train from Tampere to Rovaniemi in a private sleeping cabin. We arrived really early and it wasn’t even 8 in the morning. We wanted to make the most of the time by looking around the center of Rovaniemi and grabbing breakfast at what was probably the only open cafe in the center. The shuttle we had booked in advance came to pick us up from a pre-arranged location and this was a private ride, because we were the only travelers. We kept our eyes open the entire ride, because when we are in Lapland, reindeer can be seen almost anywhere and at any time.

NORTHERN TREATS AND COZY DINNER VIBES

Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos offers a variety of restaurant services: You can choose between the cozy Kota Restaurant or the Ice Restaurant, which is only open during the winter season. Breakfast is served every morning in the Log Restaurant in the main building and includes a variety of savory, sweet, fresh and local delicacies. In addition, you can enjoy delicious drinks from all over, both in the Sky Bar while watching the Northern Lights or in the Ice Bar while sipping cool drinks from ice glasses.

We were able to feast on the Kota restaurant’s three-course menu on two consecutive evenings and this felt like a real luxury. It was wonderful not having to cook ourselves and in the cold winter frost, the warm fire in the Kota felt wonderful. My husband had reindeer stew for the main course on the first evening and I had salmon made in the Kota fire. These were clearly the most popular dishes, of which the salmon definitely won. If you want to eat at Kota more than once, they also offer an alternative menu for variety, so you don’t have to eat the same dishes again (although why not, everything is really delicious!). We didn’t get to try the Ice restaurant, but at least there’s something new to try next time.

GREAT ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE

The sauna and hot tub are available for private use and this experience was amazing for a first-time visitor. We have never been in a hot tub in the middle of the cold winter weather. Nothing but hot steams and hats on our heads and a hot tub to look at the scenery. In addition to the private saunas, there is a public traditional mixed sauna, which according to Finnish custom is not recommended to go completely naked, not to scare foreign tourists. Each in their own way, of course. In winter, it is worth trying the famous snow sauna, which we only got to see and hear about the progress of the construction process.

Ice sculpting, ice fishing, snowshoeing and many other fun activities are also available for winter enthusiasts. We got to see the hotel’s large ice block storage and hear a little story behind the snow hotel. Every spring, the hotel collects ice from the neighboring Lehtojärvi, block by block, and this ice is used the following winter in the construction and decoration of the snow hotel. We got to try ice sculpting and this was a fun activity. Every sculpture created by guests will be displayed in the snow hotel, or so we were told. We’ll see if our slightly deformed heart sculpture makes it to the show, or if it gets “forgotten” in the depths of the warehouse.

THE NIGHT OF OUR DREAMS UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Staying in a glass igloo has always been a big dream of mine. My husband didn’t even know about such amazing accommodation options before this. So, we were both first-time visitors to not only the winter hot tub but also to an igloo. I’ve always dreamed of lying in a plush bed under a glass roof looking at the Northern Lights sky, and now that dream came true. We spent two unforgettable nights enjoying the magic of the north. The hotel has Northern Lights alarms, meaning that as soon as the Northern Lights are visible, they alert each igloo to be ready. You can turn the alarm on or off by pressing the light switch in your igloo.

On the very first night, a strange buzzing started in our igloo. I was on the phone at the time and wondered what the hell that sound was. I had forgotten that it was the alarm. I looked out at the sky above the trees and there they were glowing bright green: Northern Lights!

I had never seen the Northern Lights before and I didn’t really know what to expect. They slowly got stronger and moved quickly, really quickly and moved across the sky here and there. I didn’t know that they moved so quickly and changed shape. I’ve always only seen pictures and videos of fairly straight and stationary Northern Lights, but these were alive and dancing like some kind of wonderful symphony. I took pictures and videos all over, I hopped around the igloo and bounced on the bed in awe. I went outside to watch when it was no longer enough to just admire inside. After all the bouncing, I got tired and layed on the bed and looked up at this wonderful splendor of different shades of green and red and even cried a little. Nature is amazing.

The next day, there was news in Finland about the Northern Lights from the previous night, which had been exceptionally colorful, clear and magnificent over a very wide area and how this beautiful show had lasted all night until the wee hours of the morning. I knew this because our alarm went off almost all night long. I couldn’t wait to turn it off because I didn’t want to miss anything, even if I didn’t much sleep. We were really lucky, because you don’t see the Northern Lights on this magnificent scale very often. The next night we didn’t see any more Northern Lights, because the weather was rainy and foggy.

TOP 6 REASONS TO CHOOSE ARCTIC SNOWHOTEL & GLASS IGLOOS:

• Shuttle transportation to all attractions and highlights in Rovaniemi
• Cozy and stylish glass igloos for admiring the Northern Lights
• Great and diverse restaurant services
• You can choose from different sauna options or try them all
• Ice sculpting and other fun activities
• One of the largest and most famous Snow hotels in the north (+ice bar and snow sauna)
  
  

HAVE YOU STAYED IN A GLASS IGLOO? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE ARCTIC SNOWHOTEL? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS! 🙂

<3: Tiina Johanna

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*Photos: Tiina Johanna, blogger