Finland : Lainio Snow Hotel & Yllas

A one or two-centre trip with an excellent all round appeal - also perfect for weddings and honeymoons. A well-appointed, full facility spa hotel, top class skiing and activities galore, plus the delightful Snow Village offer the best of both worlds.

Of the seven fells here, Yllas at 718m (2,355ft) is one of the highest in Lapland and visitors are often overcome by the magnificent scenery covered in a deep blanket of perfect snow, which seems to go on forever. And being this far north, you might be lucky and witness a display of the northern lights during your visit.

The laid back resort of Iso-Yllas is situated on the southern slopes of the fell, Yllas is on the northern slopes and between them they have become Finland’s most popular ski resorts – our trip is based in Yllas at the splendid Hotel Yllas Saaga. Spend your whole time at the Saaga or combine it with an overnight at the Lainio Snow Village, about a 15 minute drive away and 25 minutes from the airport at Kittila.

This exciting package is totally flexible and therefore has a very wide appeal – the ample range of optional activities including excellent skiing and snowboarding facilities means every member of the family has something to do. Of course the superb spa facilities at the hotel offer a variety of relaxing alternatives. Pre-booking of these excursions and activities is essential to ensure availability.

THE LAINIO SNOW VILLAGE

The ‘village’ is set in beautiful wooded surrounds. It comprises an inter-connecting Snow Hotel, Ice Bar, restaurant (open for groups only) and an art gallery, a collection of colourfully lit ice and snow sculptures dotted amongst the trees, an amazing ice maze and snow slides for children, young and old!

Lainio is also a great location for a wedding. The belief here is that a marriage should be built on solid ground and therefore the chapel should be too. So although there is no dazzling ice construction, many who marry here fall in love with the tiny wooden church and return to relive their experience at anniversary time. Contact our team to find out more about wedding packages in Lainio.

The family-run Snow Village has 16 standard igloo-shaped bedrooms plus 10 more elaborate ice suites. On top of a wooden frame sits a mattress - fabric covers are used rather than animal skins, ensuring a comfortable night – the thick polar sleeping bags make it a cosy one too. There is also a collection of different log cabins.

Heated washroom facilities and sauna are located in an adjoining building which also has a TV lounge with tea and coffee making facilities and if you cannot quite cope with the night in the ice room, there is a small heated area attached to the building for your use. The Ice Bar is the place to meet and swap stories with fellow guests about the days adventures.

There are 300km of snowmobile tracks in Yllas which allow for exploration through beautiful wooded areas as well as plenty of open spaces for building up a speed! Depending on experience, try out a machine for an hour or so, or travel further afield on longer safaris and soak up the surrounding nature. Reindeer and husky safaris are fun for all the family or are a romantic way to spend an afternoon. Cross-country skiing is big here too and with 330km of excellent trails, it’s an activity well worth trying.

For skiers, there are around 40km of marked piste over 56 runs (12 of them floodlit) served by 27 lifts, which almost never seem to get busy! It has the longest ski run in Finland at 3000m with a vertical drop of 463m. The season runs from October to early May, and the resort is suitable for novice as well as advanced skiers. Yllas won the Finnish Ski Resort of the Year for 2006/7. Ski schools cater for all ages and abilities and there are plenty of ski cafés around to offer refreshments.

The resort has two excellent restaurants and two coffee shops, with some fantastic panoramic views over the fells. The Finns have been skiing and enjoying themselves here on the superb snow since the 1930’s – isn’t it about time you joined them?