Holiday Village Inari

Excellent and very helpful service. Close to the lake and village centre. Good access by public transportation. Great location to spot the Northern Lights. Nice cabins. Highly recommended. Thank you for having me!

Stayed 2 nights in Holiday Village in hope to see the northern lights. It is a very expensive stay, but the hotel room is top class. The room is quite large for a couple. There are supermarts within walking distance, and a few restaurants as well.

We stayed 2 nights in a panoramic cabin and one in an aurora cabin. While they both had the same view, the aurora cabin is infinitely better. It also costs a lot more. And, they aren't always available. There was nothing really wrong with the panoramic cabin. It has large windows that overlook the lake, a kitchenette with a small refrigerator, stove, sink, and electric kettle, and a small bathroom. The shower is really tiny, but had plenty of hot water and good water pressure. There's no room for more than a toothbrush at the bathroom sink. On the other hand, the aurora cabin really feels luxurious with a huge bathroom, sitting area with two chairs and a couch, and (best of all) heated floors. There is also an area to remove your boots and things when you come in the door. There is no kitchen facility, but there is an electric kettle and tea/coffee. The most amazing thing are the views of the sky from the bed area. The overhead windows are heated so that snow/ice doesn't cover them and we were able to see the aurora as we lay in bed. The office staff were as lovely as they could be. They have some tub-like sleds to haul your luggage to the cabin (really, this helps a lot in the snow). Breakfast was offered in the reception area and there was usually a cheery fire there, too. It was a simple buffet with cold meats and cheeses, bread, oatmeal, yogurt, and different egg and protein dishes each day. There was tea/coffee and juice. However, for dinner, you have to trudge to the Hotel Inari. It's not really that far (1/3 of a mile), but in the snow and cold, it seems pretty far. Because we were on the 1/2 board plan, there was a set menu, but they did ask if we had any allergies or dietary requirements (we didn't, so I can't speak to those offerings). We stayed 3 nights and had different foods each night. I was surprised how nicely they were presented and how tasty everything was. This is a pretty small town and we were essentially a captive audience. We had booked a package with excursions, so a van picked us up and dropped us off for them, otherwise, we would have walked to the excursion office located next to the hotel.

We stayed in a studio cabin with sauna for two nights. All the cabins are brand new - so new that some of them aren’t quite finished, and the groundworks are still ongoing. Once we’d figured out the fiddly door key, and the slightly confusing instructions for turning the sauna on/off, it was a great set up. The wifi was strong and reliable. We chose to have breakfast at the nearby Hotel Inari, taking advantage of the €10 per person special rate on offer, but we cooked in the evenings in the small but functional kitchen area. The only things we felt would be useful to supply for guests in the kitchen were filter papers for the coffee machine, a tea towel for drying dishes and some proper kitchen paper. And they desperately need to fit a curtain on the entrance door’s glass panel - the sun was so bright all night it was difficult to sleep. There’s two power points for charging an electric car, but infuriatingly they didn’t work without some kind of (non-payment) card and the staff were unable to help.

We stayed in a chalet which was wonderful with its own sauna. It was a short walk from the main lodge and was near the frozen lake. It was quiet, warm and cosy with plenty of room. We loved it and would recommend it for viewing the Northern Lights. There are plenty of activities to do and the meals are all buffet so you can stroll in to any of the meals when it suits you, within the meal times. The out door suits and boots are great.