11 Best Hotels in Lapland, Finland

The kind of genuine boutique hotel that Finland needs more of, the Arctic Light is a wonderful luxury haven in downtown Rovaniemi, the perfect retreat after a cold winter day of snowmobile or reindeer safaris, but it's just as comfortable at other times of the year. A range of rooms, equipped with lighting designed to simulate clear Arctic skies, is supplemented by a separate Christmas Cabin in the yard. The included breakfast, devised by Finnish TV chef Sara La Fountain, is worth the visit in itself, and the lobby lounge and bar are favorite spots for pre- and post-dinner drinks and meetings. Although a separate enterprise, the excellent Arctic Restaurant is adjacent. The giant (albeit not real) polar bear in the street outside is a guiding landmark.

What started as a roadside restaurant grew into a cozy scattering of wood cabins and eventually a sprawling resort with a variety of lodgings from traditional log cabins to glass igloos, snow igloos, and apartment-sized chalets with hemispherical glass extensions for aurora viewing, all of them at premium prices. There’s a Christmas theme to the newer West Village, with a quaint Santa’s home cabin and colorful wood carvings. Restaurants, smoke saunas, a reindeer farm, winter equipment rentals, aurora alerts, and a souvenir shop are part of the setup too. Half-board packages are available. Accommodation options vary seasonally.

One of the best examples of elevated luxury in one of Europe’s most remote and wild landscapes, lodging options here include riverside log cabins and en suite glass-roofed pods, some with their own saunas, designed for watching the northern lights in luxurious comfort. The whole ensemble is assembled around a log-cabin restaurant and reception block in the forest just far enough away from Saariselkä to make it feel deliciously remote and isolated. Muotka arranges activities for its guests too, from aurora hunting to midnight sun adventures.

Having reopened post-pandemic under family ownership in downtown Rovaniemi, the Arctic City Hotel is a comfortable base for travelers exploring the Arctic Circle region or taking a city break before heading farther north. The recent installation of air-conditioning represents a welcome addition to the compact but cozy rooms—some with hardwood floors, others with soft carpets. The hotel has two restaurants: the Bull Bar and Grill, with a menu that includes American-style burgers, and Monte Rosam which offers local Lapland fare and steaks and serves as the hotel's breakfast venue. Guests also get free sauna access.

On a north-facing slope halfway between the city of Rovaniemi and its airport, the luxurious accommodations here are strategically placed to catch views of the northern lights from the wide windows in each oblong, pine-shingled unit. Each suite has a sumptuous bed and underfloor heating (with an added "nest bed" ideal for younger guests in some units); seven have kitchenettes. The lobby bar and Rakas restaurant serve good lunch and dinner menus as well as a comprehensive breakfast spread, and the reception area has a souvenir shop and cheery fireplace; all are a short walk from the accommodations (i.e., you need to dress well in winter to get to breakfast). Fat bikes, snowshoes, and walking poles are among the items available free to guests for exploring the trails through the forest leading to some wonderful viewpoints above the resort. The underground SantaPark theme park, under the same ownership, is a five-minute walk from reception, and the Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle is 2 km (about a mile) away.

This spa center in rural Lapland, close to the Urho Kekkonen National Park and its numerous hiking and skiing options, offers rooms with casual Scandinavian style and more rustic cabins with fireplaces, as well as a glass-dome swimming area crammed with foliage, fountains, waterslides, wave machines, and a hot tub. The solarium, saunas, and Turkish baths are adjacent. Guest rooms have blond- and dark-wood fittings and slate-blue carpets. The Angry Birds Activity Park is another family attraction. Buses to and from Rovaniemi stop at the hotel.

Nicely placed in Inari village on the shore of Inarijärvi Lake, Finland's largest lake, this hotel is a good base for exploring the region or for stopping off and recharging after or between explorations of Lapland's more remote areas. It has a good restaurant and is within walking distance of the Sami museum Siida, as well as bars, tourist shops, and a supermarket. The hotel, owned by the Visit Inari safari and tour company, also provides fat bike rentals, useful for local explorations, on and off track. Almost half the rooms are fitted with their own sauna.

Modern and well-equipped for couples and families, this hotel is 1 km (½ mile) from the center of Ivalo, right on the Ivalo River. The decor is predominately wood, with a cheering fireplace close to reception. The rooms are spacious and modern, with oatmeal carpets and lots of blond birchwood trimming; ask for one by the river. The restaurant serves continental fare as well as delicious Lappish dishes.

On a clear night, you can get a good view of the northern lights (should they be shining) from the roof of this secluded, comfortable chain hotel that is far enough from town to escape the urban light pollution. Apart from this advantage, the hilltop hotel is a trailhead for some short forest walks and cycle tracks and, in winter, cross-country ski trails, with any necessary gear available at the hotel itself. The public areas and rooms are fitted out in tasteful, regional wooden style also in keeping with the Lapland Hotels brand. Mystique Deluxe rooms have their own saunas. The Sky Kitchen and View restaurant is a highly rated bistro featuring surprise Lapp-themed menus and a Lappish Delicacies main dish of fish, reindeer, cheese, and berries. It's also where guests are served a good breakfast buffet spread.

At the edge of the enormous Urho Kekkonen National Park, with its endless ski tracks and hiking trails, this hotel offers comfortable, well-heated rooms with balconies and a handful of studios with saunas. The Kaltio restaurant provides a selection of Lappish specialties, and barbecues in a traditional Lappish kota (tepee) are also available.

This cozy inn (formerly Hotel Kultahovi) on the wooded banks of the swiftly flowing Juutuajoki River on the edge of Inari, has reopened after extensive renovations and a change of ownership, offering new interiors, views of the rapids from its great restaurant, and a plethora of activities. The hotel has two sections: the traditional, original hotel block and the more modern riverside section. Rooms in both are newly furnished, and there is a nice view of the rapids from the excellent award-winning, Lapp-themed Aanaar restaurant. Husky safaris, snowshoe outings, and aurora viewing are among the winter activities offered in hotel packages, and at other times wonderful day hikes are possible along marked riverside trails.