Wilderness Hotels: Experience Lapland’s wild wonders

Wilderness Hotels is an award-winning hotel chain with five exquisite resorts in Northern Lapland. Nestled by serene lakes and rivers, these retreats offer unforgettable experiences from Aurora-spotting to ice-fishing, ensuring an extraordinary getaway in pristine nature.

Wilderness Hotels is a family-owned complex of five bespoke hotels – Nellim, Muotka, Inari, Juutua and Nangu – located in and around the stunning scenery of Inari, in northern Lapland. All the Wilderness Hotels are situated about 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, and easily reachable by air or land. The closest airport is in Ivalo, which is less than an hour’s drive from each of the Wilderness Hotels, and transfer services are also available to and from the hotels to the airport.

Activity-packed holidays

Wilderness Hotels is ideally placed for visitors to experience the best things Lapland has to offer: from reindeer activities, Aurora spotting, to ice fishing, snowshoeing, husky safaris and cross-country skiing. There are plenty of things to see and do for everyone. In addition, there are plenty of opportunities for berry-picking, e-fatbiking and hiking – alongside taking in the sights of Lake Inari and enjoying the midnight sun in summer or the stunning colours of nature in autumn.

The accommodation options range from log cabins and chalets to Aurora cabins and hotel rooms. “Whether you’re travelling with family, alone, or as a couple, we have accommodation to suit everyone’s needs. Wilderness Hotels is the ideal base to go outside and connect with wilderness all year round,” says Essi Lappalainen, hotel manager of Wilderness Hotel Inari.

Aurora-gazing from bed

Perhaps the most magical experience of all is to witness the Northern lights, which can be spotted in the sky from the end of August until mid-April. For this purpose, Wilderness Hotels’ Aurora Cabin is an extraordinary way to experience the natural wonder in all its glory. Guests can admire the star-filled sky or witness the breathtaking spectacle through a glass ceiling directly above the bed. Each Aurora Cabin has a private bathroom with a shower.

“One of the most active times of year to see the Northern lights is in autumn,” Lappalainen explains. “The lakes aren’t frozen yet, which means that the Aurora Borealis reflect off the calm waters of Lake Inari, creating double Auroras, which is a particularly mesmerising sight to capture on video,” she adds. Autumn is also the time for ruska, when the surrounding nature takes on a glorious array of shades of red, yellow, purple and orange.

In winter, visitors can also experience the most magical polar nights, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. Conversely, in summertime, guests can experience the nightless nights, when the sun doesn’t set below the horizon.

The hotels also have a selection of log cabins, as well as a range of hotel rooms. With all types of accommodation, either half-board or full-board options for meals are available.

Regional culinary experiences

At Wilderness Hotel Juutua, located on the shore of the Juutua River, guests can delve into the wonderful culinary experiences of the region. The hotel’s fine-dining Restaurant Aanaar serves dishes made with locally sourced ingredients; from lichen and the traditional Sámiherbal plant angelica, to reindeer and lake Inari’s fish. “Here, guests can enjoy their breakfast and dinner by the riverbank, admiring the river’s rapids and the beautiful landscape,” says Lappalainen.

Wilderness Hotels offers visitors readymade packages, which include accommodation, activities, transfers and food. “This is a smooth way to ensure guests get to experience everything on offer here with minimal effort. The packages can also be tailored according to the guests’ needs. The magical landscapes of the taiga forest and tranquil nature will ensure a visit here will be exquisite,” Lappalainen concludes.

Web: www.wildernesshotels.fi
Facebook: wildernesshotels
Instagram: @wildernesshotels
TikTok: @wildernesshotels