Igloo Hotels - Which one?

Part 1: Winter Wonderland - What to do in the Arctic Circle. Read here 
Part 2:  What to weat in the Arctic cold. Read here  
Part 4: Tips on spotting the Northern Lights & Camera Settings. Coming Soon

Is Kakslauttanen Resort worth the hype?  

If you are planning the trip of your lifetime to the Arctic Circle, by now I'm sure you would have heard about the famous Igloo Hotel. But is it really worth it? What was our experience? And what do we recommend? 

COST

These glass igloos don't come cheap.
We stayed for 1 night in the Glass Igloo (4 pax) and paid approx 1500 euros for the entire Igloo. 
Roughly 750 euros per couple for 1 night. This does include breakfast and 1 dinner. However, we wouldn't have mind the exorbitant rate had the service and quality been up to the standards. Disclaimer: May be we just got a bad 'service' weekend? But for that amount, it's hard not to have bit of expectations no matter the week. 

SERVICE

We could write an essay about the service or lack of at Kakslauttanen but here are a few things that happened to us: 

• We called 3 days prior (as per instructions on their website) to book a Sauna on the day of arrival. It was confirmed over the phone, however when we got to the resort, apparently the phone operator had forgotten to put our confirmation through which meant we either pay 500 euros for the upgraded version or move our schedule and get the next available one the next day. 
• No smiles at the check-in counter. This is a small one - but hey its -15 deg outside. I've literally just dragged my suitcase in knee deep snow from the parking lot to the reception (a good 5 min walk). Just smile when you greet us. Instead of a "hello and welcome" we were greeted with "What is your confirmation number?" 
• No complimentary concierge or help service: The entire property is spread out on acres and acres of land. But there's no complimentary service provided to drive you from the reception centre to your Igloo. You need to basically walk the 10 -15 mins with your luggage to your Igloo or pay extra to be driven there. A 10-15 min walk might not seem that much, but trust us, in that temperature - it's a LOT! 
• In-house activities closed without notice: From the website, we had read that since the entire resort is MASSIVE, there's lot to do in the resort itself. We checked in early Saturday and didn't plan any activities on Sunday so we could really explore the resort and all it has to offer. When we checked-in, our Igloos weren't ready so we were told to explore the resort instead. A map was provided and we were told to visit the Art Gallery and Santa's house (both at the opposite end of the resort).  We trekked 30 mins to Santa's house only to see that it's closed. We then waddled (literally, because its knee deep snow) to the Art Gallery - which was closed too! When we came back to the reception , she cooly responded saying everything will be closed over the weekend. Pro tip: Perhaps email before you book your dates to double check if everything is open within the resort. Disclaimer: We complained about the experience to the reception and finally to the owner to (who turned out to be an Indian. She offered to open the Art Gallery for us for 15 mins which we really appreciated in the end). 
• Bags left out in the freezing cold (becoming wet): Our friends decided to stay on an extra night in another Igloo. They requested their bags to be transferred to the new Igloo while they went out for Lapland activities. When they returned late in the evening, they found their bags sitting outside the Igloo, all wet and frozen due to the weather. 
• There were many other smaller examples: Staff being rude, Excuses given that they had other wedding guests etc..  May be we just expected a bit more? May be. But all in all, we'd rate the service here to be a 3/10 (for the price that was paid). 

QUALITY

This is a small point, but the Igloos looked very cheap from the inside. Bright red carpet and zebra print bedsheets dont really yell out a romantic, cozy accommodation. But this is a side point and may not really make that much of a difference. 

So, TLDR: is Kakslauttanen Igloo Hotel worth it? Should I book it?

• If you really want your Igloo hotel to have the quintessential Igloo dome shape, this is the only resort in this area that offers it. Despite the crappy service - we'd say yes. Because the experience is definitely very unique and memorable. 
• If you aren't fussed about your Igloo shape, then a big resounding - NO. There are SO many glass ceiling hotels and resorts (read below) that are excellent in service, not that expensive and look a hell of a lot classier. 

We recommend: Wilderness Hotel Muotka

For our second night, we stayed at Hotel Muotka - another glass Igloo hotel but in a shape of a teepee, and we can safely safe - it is one of the best experiences and hotels we've ever stayed at. Or atleast in the Top 10 for sure :p 

For starters, 

• Service is impeccable: 
  • ​Friendly faces welcoming you. 
  • Complimentary photography tutorial on how to capture the northern lights. (They even check every individual camera settings to see if you have it correct) 
  • Complimentary wakeup call through the night if the lights are on display and you want to be woken up to see it. 
• Private sauna inside our teepee 
• The unique teepee shape was actually stunning and "off-beat" which we LOVED
• Not as touristy and commercial as Kakslauttanen. 
• Cost: Still quite steep at approx 350 euros a night but comparatively to Kakslauttanen this was cheap for the service we got. 

And there you have it! Our honest opinions on the Igloo hotels in the region :) 
Lots of love 
S&V 

​Part 1: Winter Wonderland - What to do in the Arctic Circle. Read here 
Part 2:  What to weat in the Arctic cold. Read here  
Part 4: Tips on spotting the Northern Lights & Camera Settings. Coming Soon
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