Five New Hotels in Finnish Lapland This Season, From Glass Igloos to a Lodge for Six on a Former Radar Station
Octola III, a lodge for six guests built on the foundations of a former radar station, opens on December 1 at 500 meters above sea level in protected Sámi wilderness in Enontekiö, Finnish Lapland. It was designed by UKI Arkkitehdit under the direction of Hannu Voutilainen, and it is booked only through a private waiting list.
The lodge has three bedrooms and can be taken whole or as one or two suites. Stays are fully serviced, with a dedicated host and a private chef, and the grounds hold a wood-burning sauna and an ice-swimming pond.
A Cold War site and a Rovaniemi practice
The old radar base on the same estate, once a classified Cold War site, is now the Aurora Radar Station. It has ten bedrooms across five apartments and can be booked with Octola III for larger groups.
Voutilainen ran his own Rovaniemi practice for 30 years, alone for the first decade, and grew it into the largest architecture firm in Lapland. UKI Arkkitehdit, which bought it in 2024, designed the recent expansions of the Rovaniemi and Ivalo airports. Octola III is the third Octola property, a year after Octola II opened in November 2025.
Halo Riverside, Rovaniemi
Halo Riverside opened on October 16 with 39 glass igloos on the river at Vikaköngäs, just north of the Arctic Circle. Its Arctic Sky Deck is built for watching the night sky. Rates start at €500 a night for up to four guests, with half board.
Aava Glass Igloos, Rovaniemi
Aava Glass Igloos, a locally owned hotel, opens on November 13 on Ollerovaara hill outside Rovaniemi with 13 suites under heated glass roofs, their glass walls mirrored for privacy. Rates start at €599 a night for two, with breakfast.
North Resort, Pello
North Resort opens on December 1 with 14 villas, a restaurant and a sauna on the shore of Lake Miekojärvi near Pello, a short walk from the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive, with full board, airport transfers and outdoor clothing, from €1,375 a night for two.
Arcora Boutique Hotel & Villas, Muonio
Arcora is the newest project of Harriniva Hotels & Safaris, a family company that has welcomed guests in this part of Lapland since 1973. It opens on December 14 in Torassieppi, Muonio, on the edge of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, with 59 suites and villas.
Octola III is about 20 minutes by private transfer from Enontekiö airport. North Resort is 1 hour 15 minutes from Rovaniemi airport.
