The Snow Elf Hotel & Apartments

Just returned from the most wonderful trip to Lapland staying at the snow elf apartments via TUI. Stayed from 15-19 December. Children ages 6, 9. We were worried prior to going about the covid restrictions, but it was all thankfully fairly straight forward in the end. It’s the best holiday we have ever been on, once in a lifetime trip, truly magical. We stayed in apartment block E, which was clean and fully equipped with everything including a sauna which we didn’t use. Very spacious, TV, hairdryer, drying cabinet for wet clothes, the room was absolutely great. We did have a slight issue with the heating, it was attic outside and hotter than middle earth inside, but we had a play with the thermostat and it seemed to cool down. There is a pool onsite which we didn’t use, but looked great. Lots of sledges around for the children, and lots and lots of opportunity to play in the snow. There is a lovely walk through the forest at the back of the hotel which leads to a huge frozen lake which you can walk on, which is lovely. That also leads to the little selection of shops. Well stocked supermarket which has literally everything (apart from wine), and a little shop next door to that which sells decent (although overpriced) wine, but they have to import everything so expect to pay more for things. Beautiful location and appeared to be fairly central for trips, usually half hour or so in the coach for any trip. Food - I was worried I had read some not great reviews, however the food was in my opinion lovely. Excellent selection. We opted for full board, and I’m so glad we did. Breakfast had everything, hot and cold, bacon, sausages, porridge cereal etc. Lunch same, hot meals, bread, salads, soups, dinner same. The soups were delicious! Really excellent, literally no complaints at all, and the desserts were lovely. The kids love going up and getting their own. Coffee was lovely. Porridge was excellent. Menu on display for the week. Drinks to buy were good - wine and beers, expect to pay 8-9 euros a drink, hence why I got a bottle from the shop, however the rose wine in the hotel was lovely. Trip - all fantastic. We did them all. Book as soon you can when you dump your bags, they do sell out. Reindeer trip was wonderful, as were the huskies, we also did the snowmobile which was lovely. Santa’s village which is included in your trip was amazing!! The weather was mild -14, so we were lucky. You still get cold, but in the trips you are treated to hit berry juice and warming tents with fires in regularly so you soon warm up. The kids were absolutely fine in the cold as you have all the gear given to you in the airport, the boots etc. We worse skins and they put suits. On trips I also put another layer then a jumper on the kids and us, which was fine. The week before it was -25 which would have been very cold, but they are well equipped for this. The Tui team were fabulous! The elves were amazing, snow cone was fantastic. They literally make the trip. They are on every bus journeyed and look after you. The kids loved them. From the moment you get on the plane even the captain was in on the magic looking for Father Christmas’s sleigh. Amazing experience, I would highly recommend the location, the hotel and tui. The finish people are so welcoming, such nice people, always wanting to help you. The trip has inspired us to visit the arctic circle again in the future, Sweden, Norway I’d love to go back to Finland again. It’s truly beautiful. Feel so lucky to have had that experience. We met another lovely family whilst we were there, which was also fantastic. On the last night tui take you to their panto in a other hotel, Buffett etc, kids loved that, fireworks which were great. Thank you to the hotel team, Tui, and the team of elves and of course Santa.

We stayed at the snow elf for 4 nights. We booked and travelled with Tui who were friendly and helpful throughout, as were numerous elves! The hotel gave us a warm welcome and checked us in quickly. Our room was ready unlike some others. The room was clean and warm. The bin hadn't been emptied from the previous guests but this was quickly rectified after reporting to the Tui rep. We'd also opted for a sauna apartment which we enjoyed using throughout the stay and the drying cupboard was a godsend for damp clothes after playing in the snow. The beds were not the most comfortable and the pillows were pathetic, but we didn't ask for extras so I can't moan too much and it was only 4 nights. Overall the apartment was pleasant, clean and basic, kitchen even had a dishwasher. The biggest issue for me was that the heating was just on in the room, I couldn't turn it down. This is a personal preference, and yes outside it's minus something but for us the room was a bit too warm! We stayed on a full board basis. There was always plenty of choice with the food. It was a buffet style at all meals. There was always chips available for lunch and dinner, plenty of salads and then a couple of main options also, think lasagne, mash, meat and a veggie option. They seem to make an effort with the food. There were always freshly baked treats for pudding too! It may not have been the best restaurant I've eaten at but for a 3* hotel it was very good. Timing is everything and we tended to try and go early to beat the crowds, again personal choice, but when busy it felt that the dining area was too small for the hotel. Food was always available however and restocked regularly. There was plenty of sledges to use also, but some guests seemed to hide them and take them back to apartments so there seemed to be none until people went home and then they were scattered everywhere. The toboggan runs for the kids were made out of piles from the snow plough and not very long, this is what I felt the hotel lacked was a decent play area. There was ample space and numerous car parks that were empty, they should create a slide somewhere for the kids (and big ones too!) using the snow, this would be a much better idea....plus the cross country skiers are not very friendly when you walk on their paths! On the whole a lovely magical stay in a clean, basic and friendly hotel.

We spent 4 nights in this hotel with an Inghams Santa break, we have 3 children aged 4,6 and 10. We stayed in a two bedroom apartment with a sofa bed in the living room. I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel. The apartment was very spacious with lots of storage, underfloor heating, a big drying cupboard, your own sauna and a large bathroom with separate toilet. There was also self catering facilities even though we were half board. There is a fire in the living room with a small supply of logs and matches - just pick up one of the free newspapers in the bar/dining room entrance to get the fire started! The apartment was so warm and cosy - it was lovely to have a couple of hours chill time in the afternoon there when it got dark and the kids were a bit tired of the cold. I've read bad reviews on here regarding the food but for me personally, I was more than impressed with the buffets on offer. I do eat ANYTHING however and love fish of which there is a lot of. I was under the impression that not much fresh fruit, vegetables and salads would be available in such an isolated place but I was wrong, the salad buffet was second to none every evening! There was always a delicious soup on offer and a children's choice alongside the nightly french fries such as fish fingers, chicken nuggets and meatballs. We ate at the lunch buffet twice during our stay as it was easy and convenient - it cost 48 euros for all of us. Drinks are obviously expensive, my partner and I shared a 330cl bottle of Pepsi Max most nights (4 euros) and had one beer each during our 4 night stay which at 8 euros a bottle, we sipped slowly! Breakfasts are grand. My only criticism of the hotel is that the swimming pool is only open 7-9am and then 3-7pm. We used it twice and it was nice, not overly warm but I've been in colder! If you are a large family like us, I would consider taking your shower gear with you to do the kids there as the hot water there is plentiful - your hot water tank is limited in your apartment so save that for your own shower after your sauna. Staff in the hotel are very helpful and kind as are all the Tui and Inghams reps. We did the snowmobiling excursion and combined reindeer and husky riding. The santa experience was one afternoon. I don't think the Inghams Santa village is as big or as "busy" as the ones Tui run, reading about other people's experiences, but I did not mind this and the kids didn't know any better. The elves in the village are glorified babysitters and are paid to play with your kids so take advantage of this and get yourself a hot berry juice and biscuits in Mrs Claus's cabin while this is happening! Santa was fab but you don't get very long which I thought was a shame. When we were there the first two days the temperature was down to -4/-6C but the last two days we were there, it was -23 and -30C. The thermal suits and boots you receive do their job, we only wore our thermals underneath and then another jumper when it was very cold. A snood/gaiter is a must especially for the husky riding. Handwarmers are good for showing down the kids socks if their feet get cold. There is a large well stocked supermarket down the road with a few restaurants scattered around. The pizza place on the corner by the supermarket is very good. The gala dinner on the last night I would personally skip the next time. The food wasn't as good as it was at our hotel, the queue to get it was massive and the tables are packed very closely together. The kids did enjoy the disco afterwards however and the timing of this event was child friendly - 4.45pm pick up and the last bus home was 8.15pm. Tui don't pick you up to take you to their gala dinner until 7.30pm. Overall I am so glad I stayed at this hotel. People I spoke to who stayed in the log cabins said their accommodation was very dated and they had to walk further to the hotel for their meals which in such extreme temperatures, with small children, is something to consider. This is a holiday of a lifetime and when you are spending so much on it, you just hope the accommodation is lives up to expectations and it certainly did. Thank you Lapland Hotel Akashotelli. One last thing about Kittila airport - it's tiny and flights are often delayed. On your return flight home take snacks and food with you as the cafe prices are astronomical and choices poor.