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Star Arctic Hotel is located at a unique spot on the top of the Kaunispää Mountain “Beauty Hill” of Saariselkä, near Ivalo, and 270 km north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland. Saariselkä’s Ski Centre as well as a newly-built 1.2 km long sledding slope are just a minute’s walking distance from the hotel. There is an excellent transportation network in the area, despite laying in the heart of the Arctic. Ivalo International airport is just 25 kilometres away from the hotel, which have regular direct flights from Helsinki. Here, the Nordic modern civilization is perfectly integrated with Lapland's own unique culture, which are all surrounded by a pure and touchless natural environment with a beautiful and unique arctic landscape. Star Arctic Hotel offers you custom made full-service packages in Saariselkä, Finland’s Lapland, including transfers between Ivalo airport, full restaurant services, wide range of winter excursions and Nordic style accommodation.
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Had an absolutely cosy and comfortable stay at Star Arctic! The room was very well-kept with extremely high housekeeping standards alongside the strong room heater and high shower head pressure. The only con was that the temperature of the heated water was way too high that you may very well end up scalding yourself during your shower.
Buffet spread was great with a relatively wide spread of variety. I especially like how the breakfast hours are till 12pm. We booked the snowmobile and Aurora hunting with husky activities with Star Arctic, and I would strongly recommend all in-house guests to do their activities with the hotel’s partners as it’s extremely fuss-free and takes away all the coordinating stress.
The snowmobiling activity was fantastic, and my friend and I had a ball of time. We went on an hour plus long ride and the scenery throughout the ride was just breath-taking beyond words. The pace was perfect as well, and we also got to enjoy some free flow soup and coffee.
However, I wouldn’t say the same for the husky ride as it was really just dog-sledding the whole time with little photo opportunities. When approached for help with photo-taking, the guide simply brushed us off saying she was busy (well to be fair to her, she indeed was occupied at that moment, but she could have offered to help thereafter. Honestly it wouldn’t have taken more than a couple of seconds.) There also wasn’t any food for this activity during the campfire time - just some warm glogg.
For those who are looking at booking with Star Arctic but concerned about the transport to the hotel, know that you can arrange for a pickup with the hotel at a fee - either from Rovaniemi, Ivalo airport or Saariselka Holiday Inn bus stop. I had arranged for the pickup from the Holiday Inn bus stop as well as the ride to the airport and both arrangements were extremely fuss-free.
And for the million dollar question about northern lights sighting from the igloo, we unfortunately did not get to see it during our stay :( it was snowing pretty heavily on both nights, so we caught zero lights from the igloo. But still, the hospitality of the staff and well-kept room made for a very enjoyable stay, and I would definitely recommend Star Arctic in a heartbeat!
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you’ve booked this hotel expecting a 5 star experience you may be disappointed . Upon arrival the location of the hotel is pretty special with great views over the town.
We were immediately taken to our room which in fairness was ready on arrival. We stayed in one of the glass cabins as a family of 4 and I was extremely disappointed! The room is tiny with no real room to unpack. The bathroom is a small wet room shower only so no hot baths for the kids. Plus of course the whole floor floods.
Our tv wasn’t working and the room does get pretty cold (this may be due to the glass roof). When you arrive the staff explain there are no guarantees of seeing the Northern lights which of course isn’t fully explained when you book the room type. I would 100% book a different room type at this hotel it did kind of tarnish our whole stay
The staff are good and the food decent only comment would be sometimes we were waiting for things on the buffet to be topped up.
The bar area is very small, only room for 2 families so having a room you can chill in definitely helps.
I’m not sure there are better hotels as we went down into the town and didn’t see any that stood out.
Book the right room type and I’m sure you’ll have a much better experience than we have.
The rest of the trips and the in resort reps were brilliant. Just a shame we didn’t get better advice from our Santa Claus trips rep on the room!
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The attention given by Charlotte and Niina at Reception; Cass and Julia the event booking team; Racine and Kalle, and one other driver; and Maria the waitress in the restaurant was marvellous, each and every one of them went above and beyond to ensure our four day stay was amazing. The room was spotless and very warm with great views, especially the morning sunrise. The food for breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious with lots of choice. Meals when out on excursions tended to be freshly made home-made soup and bread, salads, and cake with custard. Every excursion was fabulous, exciting and thrilling. From seeing the Northern Lights to Raindeer Hurding, Snowmobiling at night-time and Husky trail riding all in small groups with individual attention; definitely a holiday to make memories. We booked via Vaycay Travel.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Front Office Department Star Arctic Hotel , Owner at Star Arctic Hotel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Twinkc2021, Your feedback made our day! Thank you! It was a pleasure hosting you and we hope to see you again in the future :) Kind regards, Jamie / Reception
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We stayed 4 nights. Everything was wonderful. Staff very friendly and extremely helpful! Breakfast diversified and delicious. Dinners of the highest quality and refinement.
Only tip: the hotel has a restaurant open to everyone but if someone has already arranged the stay with half board, I recommend you to notify immediately if someone has allergies / does not eat meat or fish, as those who have half board has a “selected” menu that varies every day and has the possibility to choose only between 2 appetizers and 2 main dishes.
The excursions offered were wonderful and almost all include lunch.
It is a facility that, like others, also offers all the structure and clothing you need to be able to stay out in low temperatures - including boots (basically you can only bring all thermal clothing, thermal/ski pants and down jacket to use when you are not using their suits!)
The beautiful and warm rooms with a crazy view in when the location is situated on a small promontory overlooking the city.
I mean, we didn't want to go home! I recommend it
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Before even arrival, contacted hotel via email and they were so helpful and very quick to respond with any questions, including transport from Rovaniemi Airport to Saariselka.
Our bus had been delayed and had issues getting there on the first day, the hotel rang us to make sure we were alright and reserved a table much later at the restaurant to ensure we didn't miss out.
We were given all the dates and times of our activities included, and also overalls, boots, gloves.
We arranged on the last day to be dropped of for the bus back to Rovaniemi from one of our activities and they even packed up a tea for us as we were unable to attend for our last night.
Reception staff and staff at the restaurants were super friendly and spoke very good English, nothing was ever too much trouble. Had an issue with the hair dryer not working and they unsure it was replaced for when it was required.
There is a ski bus from the hotel that will take you to they key skiing spots and also to the only shop in Saariselka.
There is a nice little lobby area with seats near a fire that is lovely to sirlt and have a drink by.
There is a sauna but we did not use it, the Finnish etiquette is to go in naked or with a towel. Sauna was open 10am-10pm.
Hotel had shower gel, shampoo and conditioner which great when wanting to travel light and not take loads of toiletries.
Breakfast was a continental either some traditional Finnish food, which was absolutely amazing. There was typical scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, hashbrown. Cold meats and cheeses. Different types of bread, cakes and pastries. Fruit and salad. Granola, seeds, cereals, berries and dried fruit.
Only negative was that we found the room to be too hot, despite it dropping to -23 at night. The heating wouldn't go any lower than 20c and found we were waking up with a dry throat every morning so had to leave a window slightly open.
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Date of stay: March 2023
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Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Hotel recommended booking a reservation for dinner as can get quite busy, we were at the end of...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Got good service when my wife had an accident on a toboggan and thank then for that but this hotel is missing a massive trick here. After a day of activities there is no where to relax at the property . The reception area has a bar but no where for hardly anyone to sit and enjoy a drink so it forces people back to their room which incidentally has doors that rattle all night and you can barely sleep . No cleaners in your room the entire stay and when you leave to go home you all have to struggle in the snow up an icy hill your self with your cases. Near on killed me . No porter service and barely no staff to be seen.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Front Office Department Star Arctic Hotel , Owner at Star Arctic Hotel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi Ferguson19, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're glad to hear that our team was able to assist when your wife had an accident, and we hope she is doing well. We're sorry to hear that some aspects of your stay did not meet your expectations. We'd like to reassure you that our reception is open 24 hours, and our staff are always available to assist for any room issues. We apologize if there is a time when our team failed to service your room during your stay. Please know that daily cleaning can be requested at any time - just approach us at the reception and we are more than happy to send our housekeeping team to your room. Regarding the icy conditions, as our hotel is located on the top of the fell, snow and some ice are inevitable. However, our maintenance team works continuously to clear the snow and spread sand around the hotel vicinity to keep the area as safe as possible. For safety purposes, wearing proper winter shoes also are very essential while travelling in Lapland. Our hotel management team are working on improving our facilities to offer a better lounging area. Rest assured that we gathered all valuable feedback from all our guests and your input are considered on the planning process to help us provide a better experience to all our guests. We truly appreciate your visit and we thank you for your valuable feedback. Kind regards, Jamie Front Office Department
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In winter 2022. we visited Star Arctic hotel with extended family and were totally amazed about the place. The hotel is situated on a hilltop with a great view to the mountain range, close to skiing site, and with all needed amenities on site.
We stayed for a week and truly enjoyed our stay: 1) fantastic staff and owners who made us feel like home, 2) beautiful location for sports and arctic lights, 3) very well organized trips (we chose a reindeer safari and snow mobile rides which all of us loved), 4) very taste food for breakfast and dinner (we ate lunch at the skiing site), 5) well furnished rooms, and 6) easy to get to/from the Ivalo airport.
Only thing that was lacking was a supermarket, but one can take a taxi ride and refill for a week, so this is not a problem at all.
Overall, a fantastic and memorable stay for us, and we can truly recommend this for everyone. Thank you so much Star Arctic team for everything - we will come back one day.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
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We stayed 4 days at the Star Arctic Hotel - booked through DER tour as a package tour. From the included airport transfer to the really great outdoor activities included in the package (husky safari, snowmobile tour, reindeer safari and Aurora hunting) to full board, everything was really well organized! With the equipment provided (overalls, shoes, gloves and socks) you are super equipped for the very cold temperatures - but still pack enough layers for “under”! We had booked the Aurora Glass cabin and could admire the aurora borealis directly from bed in 3 out of 4 nights. The rooms are small but nice and functional. We found both the service in the restaurant (especially Maria) and at the reception or at the various excursions super friendly and helpful. The food in the restaurant was good - with the booked full board you can choose in the evening with starter and main course from 2 suggestions, with the excursions there is a lunch break and the breakfast buffet is rich and was quickly replenished during our stay. The only downer - for coffee connoisseurs the espresso and also the coffee specialties from the machine at the breakfast buffet is a challenge! All in all, an unforgettable experience that we can recommend without restriction!
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I booked a group of 13 for a 4-night, all-inclusive package that covered rooms, full board, and winter activities. Our group ranged from 11 to 65 years old and we had a fabulous time. The staff was kind and helpful at every turn, my sauna room was comfortable and spacious, the breakfast buffet had lots of options, the lunch and dinner menus were limited but delicious, and the activities (snowmobiling, reindeer sleighs, dog sledding, aurora hunting) were lots of fun. I would love to return in the summer and explore the area more.
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Date of stay: January 2023
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Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Excellent hotel and good experiences, we did the package with activities included. Everything is arranged and sorted prior to your arrival, which will suit some people but others may not enjoy. We had a scenic view suite and that it is with a lovely view, the bed area is up some very steep steps somewhere between a ladder and stairs. The room was well appointed and clean. The restraunt is good but the full board menu is not the Al La cart menu and you have a choice of main course each night. The food is good and very tasty but some may find the options limited. Lunch on the activities is generally a soup and salad option. Again very tasty. The activities are well organised and most take place at the wilderness centre which is a 25 minute drive away. The Husky ride was really good but be prepared to put some effort in when going uphill. The reindeer experience was much more sedate and a lovely ride around a frozen lake. The snow mobile experience was a trip around the local countryside but be prepared to stop start a lot as you meet other groups going the other way. The aurora hunting by car is a minibus trip and it is already scheduled for you so it’s pot luck about weather. We were lucky and the guide was able to take us to the wilderness centre for a nice 45 minute gap in the cloud to see the lights followed by a lovely chat about them and life in Lapland around a lovely fire. We had an additional activity of dinner at the wilderness centre added and that was nice with fish and meat cooked over an open fire. The activities are all well managed and make for a really easy break but for the more independent person they may find the lack of flexibility an issue. The town centre is a 1 mile walk down hill and then an uphill return but worth it to purchase some snacks and drinks at more reasonable prices. The hotel is well positioned, well maintained with friendly staff and was a lovely way to explore this beautiful area.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The area gets busy at weekends.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, I can't answer your question but I'm guessing you've already been and can answer your own question for me, as we're going to the same place and on the same dates as you (23-26 Dec). How was it?!
When you try the suits on, go in the clothes you’d like to wear underneath, they can be quite roomy, or you can choose one that is more fitted. When we went on a trip and then to lunch people either pulled them down to the waist or took them off and hung them up. Everything is provided and you choose your own comfort level. And yes, gloves, balaclavas and boots are provided. The boots give great grip in the snow.
It’s a fair old trek down to town, so I would as above suggest either a taxi, when we were there last month a ski bus operated from the restaurant just up the hill from the hotel. The receptionists have the timetables.
You will LOVE it. Food is great and they can’t do enough for you…..we saw the aurora!
Have an AbFab stay!
There are more places to choose from in the Saariselka area.
PRICE RANGE
€199 - €471 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
FinlandLaplandSaariselka
NUMBER OF ROOMS
57
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