Wilderness Hotel Nangu & Igloos

The accommodation provides well-maintained, cozy rooms with private saunas and stunning views. Guests praise the friendly staff but find it overpriced for the services offered.

Had a fantastic holiday at Nangu. The complex really is in the middle of nowhere, 30mins drive from the nearest town, and the setting is stunningly beautiful. We had a few days in a panoramic log cabin, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking through the trees onto Lake Inari, and it was a very good choice. We woke at 3am to find the Northern Lights were out, and we just sat on the end of the bed for an hour watching them. Sitting in a hot tub on the balcony at minus 30C wearing a beanie was odd but very relaxing. For the final night we stayed in a Lake Inari Aurora Hut, where half the walls and ceiling are glass. It was comfortable and surprisingly toasty but very small, the staff advised us to leave our large cases at reception. Be warned, the huts have no running water, so there bottles and flasks for drinking, and a chemical toilet with hand wipes. The food was fantastic. Buffet breakfast and lunch, with loads of options. The main course at dinner was adequate (in size - quality was amazing) but not huge, so you might want to get extra at the starter buffet, again there are loads of options. All the excursions were very well organised and run, and the staff were lovely. The hotel ask you to wear the snowsuit, boots and gloves they provide for the excursions, to protect your own clothes. Since one of the sled dogs wee'd on someone's trousers, this was probably a good idea! Btw, the sled dogs were gorgeous, and we got chance for cuddles after the ride. Totally recommend.

We have just come back from the trip of a lifetime at Nangu, and cannot recommend it highly enough. From start to finish our stay was an absolute delight – staff are friendly and attentive and the whole setting is stunning. We were very lucky in that we were able to see the Northern Lights on 3 nights out of 4, which was an absolute dream come true! We booked via an agent – Aurora Zone – a package which included accommodation, all meals and activities. They were really helpful in swapping activities on our itinerary to meet our preferences, and putting our minds at ease regarding tight flight connection times…those connections really are guaranteed! We stayed for 3 nights in a standard double room, which was everything we needed – warm, practical, quiet and we had the best nights’ sleep we’ve had in ages in the pure darkness in their super comfortable beds. For the final night, we upgraded to a Panorama Log Cabin (we did this once we were there rather than in advance, and think this worked out the cheaper way to do it) – it was stunning in terms of the views and access to private hot tub and sauna, but as a room was less practical for the day to day activities (less storage space/hooks for kit and towels, no bin etc) and for this reason, if we returned we would probably look to do the same again – standard room for majority of time with a one night treat. We did have the option of upgrading to an aurora cabin, but staff put us off saying they were fairly small – we did not see inside so cannot offer any guidance there. The activities were well run, all the guides were friendly and helpful – we did the snowmobile safari, aurora camp, gentle snowshoeing and meet the reindeer. The kit provided was substantial (warm/waterproof boots, thick socks, full snow suit, mittens, plus balaclava and helmet for certain activities), just ensure you have the recommended base and mid layers to go underneath. The mistake we made was assuming it would be cold everywhere and only having thermals with us – you really don’t need warm pyjamas and some normal clothes for mealtimes etc will suffice as the bar/restaurant is lovely and warm. On that note, it’s no fashion show, no need to dress up for dinner etc, it’s perfectly acceptable to turn up in your ski trousers and a fleece! Finally, the food – we’d read mixed reviews before we went on the food and made sure we had packed some snacks for between mealtimes…but we were so well fed we didn’t touch them at all. Breakfast is a buffet of hot and cold options from bacon, sausages and beans, to waffles, yoghurt, cereals and fruit, as well as cold cuts, breads and pastries. Lunchtime and Dinnertime there was always a soup option as well as breads and salads as a buffet starter – always different from day to day - at lunch this would be followed by a buffet main, usually a meat and a veggie option with different accompaniments, while at dinner there would be a meat/fish or veggie option delivered to you at your table, fol