Chasing The Northern Lights - Day 7 (Rovaniemi)
- Sunday, December 28, 2014
- By Iva
- 4 Comments
Click here to read day 1, day 2, day 4, day 5, day 6 and day 8 report
Day 7
Check out from Rantasipi Pohjanhovi hotel
We checked out at 12pm. Hotel staff was kind enough to allow us keeping our luggage in luggage room and collected it back the next day after we came back from Arctic Snow Hotel. We didn't want to drag big luggage under heavy snow condition, we just brought essential stuff to Snow Hotel.
Lunch
We had lunch at 21 cafe again before we moved to Arctic Snow Hotel. Just couldn't get enough of cafe 21! We ordered funky chicken salty waffle, meat ball salty waffle, creamy smoked salmon soup and special chocolate drink with marshmallow.
Funky chicken
Meatball
Salmon soup
Chocolate drink
Glass igloo @ Arctic Snow Hotel
Arctic Snow Hotel is located approximately 26 km from Rovaniemi town. Transport pick up from Rovaniemi hotels/ Santa Claus village to Arctic Snow Hotel is available at one way 15 euro per pax (2:45pm / 4:15pm / 6:45pm). Return transfer leaves in the morning from Snow Hotel to Rovaniemi city at 9am or 12pm, to airport will be charged at 20 euro per pax.
Read more about Arctic Snow Hotel here and their facebook page.
We wanted to enjoy aurora (if we could spot it) at a more comfortable place so we booked a night at their newly built glass igloo in 2014 at 469 euro per night per igloo.
The igloo is new (since 1st December 2014), modern and spacious (20m2). The bathroom is big and comes with a shower cabinet. Aurora alarm is available (for the whole night) in each glass igloo, just turn it on if you want to be alerted, alarm will beep whenever aurora appears.
There is a small fridge beside room entrance. There is no wardrobe but there is a place to hang your jackets. Keep your igloo key properly, 250 euro will be charged if you lose your igloo key.
There is no wifi connection in glass igloo, you can only use wifi at the main reception building. Main building close at 11:30pm. Lumikartano restaurant is located in this building where buffet breakfast is served from 7:30am to 10:00am. Breakfast can delivered to igloo and stored in igloo's fridge the night before.
Visit to Snow Hotel
Snow Hotel was built in front main building. The design is different every year. There is no door (only curtain), no bathroom, no locker in each snow room but you can leave your luggage at the reception area. Shower is available for everyone at the main building from 9 - 10pm and 6 - 9am. As a Snow Hotel or glass igloo guest, I would recommend you to take up their sauna option, you get to shower at a more comfortable and private environment. Sauna steam (which just beside shower area) can keep you warm while you are bathing at the main building.
We were there before Snow Hotel opened officially (20th Dec 2014) so there were not a lot of guests and we could take our own sweet time to explore Snow Hotel. Entrance ticket of 15 euro is required to visit Snow Hotel. Entrance ticket is included in glass igloo room rate.
The yellow LED lights on wall indicate different room number
No smoking is allowed inside and outside of Snow Hotel. Penalty of 250 euro will be charged.
Standard room, but I think this is for more than 2 guests
Ice table in suite room. Standard room can be upgraded to suite for additional 40 euro per pax.
Suite room
Suite room
Suite room
I guess this is a family room?
The beautiful Ice Chapel. Ice Chapel fairytale like ambient is the perfect place for a white wedding ceremony.
Dinner
We reserved a table at Kota restaurant. They only serve dinner at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. A set of 3-course dinner cost at 35 euro per pax.
Mushroom soup
Grilled salmon with potato and salad
Dessert apple crumble
Sauna
Since we traveled all the way to Finland, how can we miss this special snow sauna? Different type of sauna options are available, such as traditional Finnish sauna, snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna, hot tub + snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna. We took up the snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna 60 minutes package at 37 euro per pax.
Sauna waiting area
There are 4 snow sauna rooms
Steam was generated and filled up the whole sauna room instantly when I poured water onto the hot stone, I couldn't even see my hand! At some point I could feel the water dripping from sauna wall.
We didn't have to share the facility with others, basically the the sauna facility and shower room were only opened for us during the time slot we booked.
This is a must try, you will not experience a sauna like this anywhere else in the world.
Ice bar
Ice bar is open during Snow Hotel opening hours, however drinks only served from 9:30pm - 10:30pm.
Drinks coupon (10 euro alcoholic drink, 6 euro non alcoholic drink) has to be purchased from reception as barman doesn't handle any payment there.
Enjoy a drink made from ice glass! Drinks can only last 5 minutes before the ice glass melts. How do you dispose the ice glass after you are done? Just throw them onto the wall! That's fun.
You can also choose to enjoy dinner in ice restaurant.
There is no TV in glass igloo so the only entertainment is to wait aurora to appear. I woke up almost every hour checking out the sky but the weather just got worse and worse.
Thick cloud
Overall rating for this place, 4 out of 5! It is expensive to stay, to visit and to dine here, but you are paying for the experience. It's an once in a life time thing. Highly recommended!
Interested to visit Finland? Click here to read day 1, day 2, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7 and day 8 report
Day 7
Check out from Rantasipi Pohjanhovi hotel
We checked out at 12pm. Hotel staff was kind enough to allow us keeping our luggage in luggage room and collected it back the next day after we came back from Arctic Snow Hotel. We didn't want to drag big luggage under heavy snow condition, we just brought essential stuff to Snow Hotel.
Lunch
We had lunch at 21 cafe again before we moved to Arctic Snow Hotel. Just couldn't get enough of cafe 21! We ordered funky chicken salty waffle, meat ball salty waffle, creamy smoked salmon soup and special chocolate drink with marshmallow.
Funky chicken
Meatball
Salmon soup
Chocolate drink
Glass igloo @ Arctic Snow Hotel
Warning! This post is gonna be overloaded with Arctic Snow Hotel photos. This place is simply fantastic and so interesting to someone like me from tropical country!
Arctic Snow Hotel is located approximately 26 km from Rovaniemi town. Transport pick up from Rovaniemi hotels/ Santa Claus village to Arctic Snow Hotel is available at one way 15 euro per pax (2:45pm / 4:15pm / 6:45pm). Return transfer leaves in the morning from Snow Hotel to Rovaniemi city at 9am or 12pm, to airport will be charged at 20 euro per pax.
Read more about Arctic Snow Hotel here and their facebook page.
We wanted to enjoy aurora (if we could spot it) at a more comfortable place so we booked a night at their newly built glass igloo in 2014 at 469 euro per night per igloo.
The igloo is new (since 1st December 2014), modern and spacious (20m2). The bathroom is big and comes with a shower cabinet. Aurora alarm is available (for the whole night) in each glass igloo, just turn it on if you want to be alerted, alarm will beep whenever aurora appears.
Snow Hotel claims that the glass roof and floor are heated. Yes the roof is heated however the floor is not. There was a thermometer in our glass igloo and it showed the temperature in igloo was 21 degC, it's kinda cold for us. My friend (who also stayed here a week after me) covered herself with 2 layers of blanket at night.
There is no wifi connection in glass igloo, you can only use wifi at the main reception building. Main building close at 11:30pm. Lumikartano restaurant is located in this building where buffet breakfast is served from 7:30am to 10:00am. Breakfast can delivered to igloo and stored in igloo's fridge the night before.
Visit to Snow Hotel
Snow Hotel was built in front main building. The design is different every year. There is no door (only curtain), no bathroom, no locker in each snow room but you can leave your luggage at the reception area. Shower is available for everyone at the main building from 9 - 10pm and 6 - 9am. As a Snow Hotel or glass igloo guest, I would recommend you to take up their sauna option, you get to shower at a more comfortable and private environment. Sauna steam (which just beside shower area) can keep you warm while you are bathing at the main building.
We were there before Snow Hotel opened officially (20th Dec 2014) so there were not a lot of guests and we could take our own sweet time to explore Snow Hotel. Entrance ticket of 15 euro is required to visit Snow Hotel. Entrance ticket is included in glass igloo room rate.
The yellow LED lights on wall indicate different room number
No smoking is allowed inside and outside of Snow Hotel. Penalty of 250 euro will be charged.
Standard room, but I think this is for more than 2 guests
Ice table in suite room. Standard room can be upgraded to suite for additional 40 euro per pax.
Suite room
Suite room
Suite room
I guess this is a family room?
The beautiful Ice Chapel. Ice Chapel fairytale like ambient is the perfect place for a white wedding ceremony.
Dinner
We reserved a table at Kota restaurant. They only serve dinner at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. A set of 3-course dinner cost at 35 euro per pax.
Mushroom soup
Grilled salmon with potato and salad
Dessert apple crumble
Sauna
Since we traveled all the way to Finland, how can we miss this special snow sauna? Different type of sauna options are available, such as traditional Finnish sauna, snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna, hot tub + snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna. We took up the snow sauna + traditional Finnish sauna 60 minutes package at 37 euro per pax.
Sauna waiting area
There are 4 snow sauna rooms
Steam was generated and filled up the whole sauna room instantly when I poured water onto the hot stone, I couldn't even see my hand! At some point I could feel the water dripping from sauna wall.
We didn't have to share the facility with others, basically the the sauna facility and shower room were only opened for us during the time slot we booked.
This is a must try, you will not experience a sauna like this anywhere else in the world.
Ice bar
Ice bar is open during Snow Hotel opening hours, however drinks only served from 9:30pm - 10:30pm.
Drinks coupon (10 euro alcoholic drink, 6 euro non alcoholic drink) has to be purchased from reception as barman doesn't handle any payment there.
Enjoy a drink made from ice glass! Drinks can only last 5 minutes before the ice glass melts. How do you dispose the ice glass after you are done? Just throw them onto the wall! That's fun.
You can also choose to enjoy dinner in ice restaurant.
There is no TV in glass igloo so the only entertainment is to wait aurora to appear. I woke up almost every hour checking out the sky but the weather just got worse and worse.
Thick cloud
Overall rating for this place, 4 out of 5! It is expensive to stay, to visit and to dine here, but you are paying for the experience. It's an once in a life time thing. Highly recommended!
Interested to visit Finland? Click here to read day 1, day 2, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7 and day 8 report
