Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara Review: Ski Slopes & Fine Dining in Rovaniemi
I may live in Rovaniemi, but there is nothing I love more than booking a staycation and taking advantage of the incredible accommodation options we have right here in the city. I recently booked a night at Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara, a ski-in/ski-out hotel in Ounasvaara across the river from the city center.
Quick Rovaniemi Travel Guide
If you’re traveling to Rovaniemi last minute, be sure you have hotels and tours booked ahead of time. Below are some of my top picks:
❄️ Best tours and activities from Rovaniemi:
- Northern lights tour from Rovaniemi (aurora tour with guaranteed sightings!)
- Husky sledding at Apukka (most popular dog-sledding adventure)
- Arctic Snowhotel visit from Rovaniemi (includes transportation!)
🛌 Top places to stay in Rovaniemi:
- Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara (the hotel reviewed below; amazing place!)
- Apukka Resort (my favorite glass igloo accommodation around Rovaniemi)
- Glass Resort (at SCV – they have jacuzzis outside of each cabin)
🍲 Popular places to eat in Rovaniemi: Sky Kitchen & View, Gustav, Taiga, Cafe & Bar 21, Restaurant Gallis
🚗 Planning to travel around Lapland independently? Find and compare the cheapest Rovaniemi rental car rates here!
In this Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara review, I discuss what it was like to stay overnight there, including some of the things I loved about the stay, who this hotel isn’t for, and a few of my highlights from the place.
Do you have any questions about staying at this Rovaniemi hotel? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the following:
Contents
About Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara in Rovaniemi
Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara is located in the Ounasvaara area of Rovaniemi, across the river from the city center and across another bridge to Santa Claus Village. While its location may be a little removed from two major areas of the city, it is conveniently located for skiers and sits at the top of Ounasvaara Ski Resort.
The hotel is hidden among the Finnish forest and is one of the most beautifully situated hotels in the city, without a doubt! They have quite a few rooms, are pet-friendly, and are home to Rovaniemi’s top-rated restaurant (more about that later!).
They have options with saunas, sofabeds, a bathtub, and more. I booked the Mystique Deluxe Sauna Double, which comes with a double bed, spacious sauna, coffee machine, fridge, and a view of the forest.
Important Accessibility Info
The hotel has two floors and, unfortunately, no elevator. While this does not create an issue for the accommodation side of things, as you can request a room on the 1st floor, it does create an issue with the restaurant, as it is located on the 2nd floor. They will accommodate you by setting you up with dinner and breakfast in the lobby, but it doesn’t offer the same experience, in my opinion. At the bottom of this guide, I share a few accessible hotels.
At the hotel, there is a large lobby area with tables, couches, and a fireplace. You will also find a gift shop, bar, and even a sky terrace at the top of the hotel (amazing for northern lights viewing!).
And, as mentioned before, it has Rovaniemi’s top-rated restaurant, which was just selected as one of the top 50 restaurants in Finland (linked article in Finnish).
Why I Booked a Stay at Sky Ounasvaara
It was my partner’s birthday, and we made a reservation for dinner at their restaurant, Sky Kitchen & View. We ate there last December but were itching to get back, especially since the restaurant was chosen as one of the Top 50 Restaurants in Finland recently.
Anyway, our restaurant booking turned into a ‘let’s stay overnight!’ about thirty minutes after reserving. We are always excited to book a staycation and experience the hotels of Rovaniemi, as it helps us make recommendations to other travelers… especially because we have not yet stayed in Ounasvaara!
We have stayed at other Lapland Hotels properties around Finland and we love them! They have an amazing breakfast, play Sámi music from Solju in the rooms (upon your arrival) and common areas, and always seem to be located in beautiful areas.
Highlights of My Stay at Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara
Breakfast
Hotel breakfasts probably rank as one of my top ten things in life, and Lapland Hotels offer one of the best breakfasts in Finland (if not my very favorite). Honestly, when we booked this stay, we were talking about the hotel breakfast for weeks before.
Their breakfast is so good that they even bag up their Finnish oat porridge so you can recreate it yourself at home. The breakfast has an omelet station, gluten-free options, a bar of hot items (including reindeer black pudding), fresh bread, and more.
And the reason I love it so much is that they incorporate very Lappish ingredients, making it kind of like a morning culinary adventure all on its own! You’ll find spruce tip smoothies, Karelia pies with smoked reindeer, and tasty Finnish blueberries. They even have their own honey that you can pull right off the comb.
I’m a bit of a boring breakfast eater, but I do try a little bit of everything when I have breakfast at a Lapland Hotels’ property!
Dinner at Sky Kitchen & View
Sky Kitchen & View was just recently selected as one of the best restaurants in Finland, and I was itching to get back to try it again.
Their chef, Joel Manninen, used to run a cool gastro-project here in Rovaniemi called Glowing Ember, but he put it on pause last year to accept the job as Head Chef at Sky Kitchen. He was previously a contestant on Masterchef Finland and just won Finland’s Best Young Chef in a competition where he’ll represent the nation at the international competition.
He is renowned for using local and seasonal ingredients and we loved the restaurant’s ‘Surprise Menu’ the last time we dined there – but were looking to try something off the menu this time (and not be surprised by it!).
We ordered bread, a Lappish delicacies appetizer, and two orders of ‘reindeer two ways’. Everything was stellar.
The Room
We booked the Mystique Deluxe Sauna Double and had an incredible view of the forest! Everything was comfortable and we slept so well there! Ed took advantage of the sauna while I fell asleep by 9 pm – whoops.
Staying at Lapland Hotels Ounasvaara in Winter
I tend to visit hotels in Lapland in the off-season when they are a fraction of the price you’d pay during the high season.
But, one thing I think is cool about Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara is that it is technically a ski-in, ski-out hotel! One of the ski lifts for Ounasvaara Ski Center is literally out the door of the hotel.
Accessibility Notes and Alternatives
While the rooms here will accommodate, I honestly don’t know if I would recommend this to someone with mobility issues or who is in a wheelchair. As mentioned above, the restaurant is not accessible as it is on the second floor, and there is no elevator on the property.
Yes, they will set you up in the lobby with your breakfast and/or dinner, but I feel that it is a bit isolating and doesn’t offer the full experience.
Ounasvaara is also removed from the Rovaniemi city center, and you don’t have options out the door of other places to eat.
As a result, I would recommend staying in the city center or over at Santa Claus Village (I lean more toward the city center, however). A few hotels that are accessible in the city center are:
- Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus (Rovaniemi city center)
- Scandic Rovaniemi City (Rovaniemi city center)
- Santa Claus Holiday Village (at SCV)
Most restaurants in the city center are accessible and can be reached fairly easily. Just remember that during the winter, there will be snow on the ground, but it should be plowed well in pedestrian areas in the Rovaniemi city center.
Do you have any questions about staying at Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara in Rovaniemi? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!
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