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Hotel Snowflake and Apartments

in Saariselka , Lapland T rating: 4

Northern Lights viewing room
Cosy surroundings
Great activity choice

From tobogganing and husky-sledging to snowmobiling and skiing, the Hotel Snowflake gives you every excuse to get out into the snow.

It won’t take you long to get in to the festive spirit when you stay at the Hotel Snowflake. The short walk to the entrance will take you past a popular snowman-building spot and the rows of sledges the hotel lends its guests.

Once you’ve checked in you can make a start on the long list of activities this place offers. One of the longest toboggan runs in Europe is nearby, and you can brave the full one-and-a-half-kilometre gauntlet or just slide down the gentler slopes at the bottom. Alternatively, have a go at co-piloting a rally car driving on ice, or try your hand at ice fishing, husky sledging or snowmobiling. What’s more, because this is a Santa Stars hotel, a team of Thomson entertainers will be on hand to put on activities and play games with little ones.

At the end of an active day, the hotel is a great place to warm-up. Take your turn in the sauna before heading to the bar for a mulled wine by the crackling fire. Later, make your way to the Linnansali restaurant where the likes of stews, crusty bread and steamy potato dishes are on the menu.

When it comes to nightlife, the hotel relies on nature to put on the theatrics. The property is home to a special Northern Lights viewing room, where you can watch as the colours contort in the sky.

Finally, accommodation here comes in two forms – rooms and apartments. Both are dressed in warm colour combinations of coppers and browns, and come with cosy seating areas. Plus, the latter have the added luxury of a sauna and kitchen area.

Apartment features

Meals

Buffet restaurant
Waiter service available for lunch and dinner

Activities

Sauna
Massage
Gym

For Families

Playground
Cots
Highchairs

Facilities

Lounge
Bar area
Internet access
Money exchange
Souvenir shop

Important Information

What's included?

Gala meal
Santa Stars entertainment programme
Meeting with Santa
Present from Santa
Activity tasters
Thermal clothing
Santa's elves and Thomson rep service
Visit to Santa's Resort

Thomson SnowClub

This is one of our Thomson SnowClub properties, which means Thomson the Dog will be on hand for plenty of festive fun. He’ll entertain little guests with activities like snowdog-building, Christmas-themed storytelling and arts and crafts. Plus, he’ll be hosting special festive parties and singalongs. Family-friendly quizzes and games are part of the line-up, too.

Extra Charges

Some facilities may incur extra local charges, please see the A-Z Guide

Other Information

We've plotted your holiday accommodation as accurately as possible. But for some smaller hotels or villas the map may pinpoint the centre of the nearest town rather than the property itself, so make sure you read the location description too.

Only from Thomson

In the UK, from November 2013, this holiday is only available from the Thomson Group.

Our rating

Official Rating

4 Star

No. of floors

No. of lifts

No. of rooms

196

No. of apartments

Apartment facilities

Room facilities

All rooms have heating, satellite TV, phone, minibar, hairdryer and balcony. Standard rooms are Twin rooms sleeping up to 4 adults with twin beds and a sofa-bed.

Apartment facilities

All apartments are in the annexe, 100m from the main building, with facilities as per the rooms plus a kitchenette with 2 electric rings and a sauna. 1 bed apartments sleep up to 4 people have twin beds and a sofa-bed. 2 bed apartments sleep up to 6 with 4 single beds and sofa-beds.

Room Upgrades

We also offer Twin rooms with a sauna but no sofa-bed and Mini-suites.

Location

200m from the town centre with shops, bars and restaurants
Please note: The official name of this hotel is Hotel Riekonlinna

Transfers

25 minutes

Your guide to Saariselka, Lapland

“Set alone in northern Finland and circled by miles of untouched countryside, Saariselka offers up a traditional taste of the Arctic.”

You can’t get much further north than Saariselka. Hidden away at the top of Finland, the small town is buried deep inside the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Ocean is just a two-hour drive away and the border with Russia is even closer. What’s more, Saariselka is the nearest holiday resort to the Korvatunturi fell – said to be the very spot Santa Claus himself is from. So, if you’re looking for an authentic winter wonderland, there’s nowhere better.

The town itself is tucked between two rolling fells – Kaunispaa and Lisakkipaa – and surrounded by snowy countryside so, unsurprisingly, winter sports are big business here. You can get to grips with out-of-the-ordinary activities like snowmobiling, husky safaris and reindeer sleigh rides, and try your hand at skiing and tobogganing.

Another popular attraction is Santa’s Resort, where you can meet Santa in his very own log cabin. You’ll be introduced to his reindeer, too, and get to listen to one of his elves tell their favourite Christmas tales. In the town centre, meanwhile, you’ll find souvenir shops stacked with Christmas goodies and a good mix of restaurants serving everything from pizza and burgers to Lappish specialities like reindeer steak.

Finally, because Saariselka is so far north, it’s one of the best places in Lapland for catching a glimpse of the famous Northern Lights. These dazzling natural flares light up the sky some 200 nights a year, so keep an eye out when the weather’s good.