I recently stayed at the Scandinavian Rukahovi hotel as part of a Crystal Ski half board package deal. The hotel is in an excellent location, in fact, I don’t think it could be any better! 20 seconds walk and you’re at the gondola. Covid restrictions in Finland meant that bars had to close at 5 pm and restaurants at 6 pm although takeaway dinner is available in the hotel until 7pm. I actually quite enjoyed the buffet dinners and tried some new things like reindeer, moose and pike! As well as the hot buffet selections (normally one meat, one fish and one vegetarian dish) there was always a salad bar, two dessert options and a tea/coffee bar. Breakfasts were lovely and plentiful with options to suit all including a separate gluten free station. It was taken in the large 3rd floor restaurant overlooking the slopes. It was very nice to see the restaurant staff sitting down to eat their breakfast after the buffet was closed. I stayed in a superior room which was very spacious with a balcony (looking over the back but I did get some good views-see picture attached!) The room had a sofa, a comfy chair, two comfy beds, a large dressing table, large wardrobe and hanging area, a drying cabinet and a huge bathroom with an amazing hot and powerful shower. There was also a hairdryer in the bathroom. There were no central controls for the heating but we did not have the radiator on all week as it was plenty warm enough, in fact, we opened the balcony door slightly on a few nights to let some nice fresh air in. The superior rooms are in the main part of the hotel as you exit the lifts and luckily our room was on the third floor which also housed the breakfast restaurant and the saunas. Saunas are separate for men and women. There are signs in saying no more than two persons right now because of covid restrictions but I rarely saw anyone else in there when I went. There is a playroom for children opposite the saunas and in the large reception area there is a pool table, sledges to hire and board games. There are quite a few areas to sit down and relax there but we weren’t sure if you could after 6pm just now. Also in the ground floor is the ski room. It is large and houses individual cages which you can get a key for from reception. Certainly very handy instead of carrying your equipment up and down to your room. On that note, I was shocked on a couple of occasions to see people coming to dinner in their ski boots. The restaurant floors are wooden and as I saw on a couple of occasions can be quite slippy. I personally found it quite rude and unsafe (dropping snow onto the floors) to not even have the decency to pop them off. Oh I’m fact, I did see one guy take them off at the table he’d sat at, right next to the buffet. Imagine the smell! Maybe a reminder in the room info and restaurant entrance that ski boots shouldn’t be worn in there?
Anyway, would I return to the hotel? Yes I would. The staff were all lovely and friendly despite me only knowing a couple of words of Finnish. The hotel is clean, well presented and like I said at the start, is in the best location in Ruka :)

The quality of the room is ok but of a distance from reception up a lift and down and up stairs so if you have mobility issues that’s a problem. No sauna in room I was led to believe there would be and all saunas out of order or you have to pay! pool table out of order and food no al carte just cold gloop if your going half board. Restaurants close at 8 due to covid no nightclub nothing to do part from ski and sleep