Lapland Hotels Hetta

We got back from Hotel Hetta today, after a surprise birthday trip for my wife. The lake view from our room was fantastic, and everyone made us feel so welcome. The hotel staff were polite, friendly, and efficient. The TUI staff were incredible too, nothing was too much trouble, and they were so friendly. We had half board, with a good breakfast and evening buffet and plenty of choice. The Lapland itinerary was fantastic, and the festive finale meal on the last night was amazing, with everything so smoothly organised. From arriving at the airport to getting home, the whole experience was unbelievable. My wife had the best time ever, and I'd definitely return to Hotel Hetta and recommend the same hotel with TUI to friends and family. Thanks for everything.

Our clean, tidy room had four single beds and no doubles, plus a spotless bathroom with a large shower. The sauna off the bathroom was spotless too. The bedroom views were amazing, and we saw the northern lights. The hotel was good and the food was good as well. Tui kept the children busy with activities like bauble making and cookie decorating. The hotel is isolated, two hours from the airport, and the nearest supermarket is a 20-minute walk. That was lovely in milder weather, but not when it was -31°, especially for little ones. Since we were on a main road, there wasn't much space for sledding. The pool wasn't heated and was too cold for most people, although some did swim. There also weren't fires outside for marshmallows or warmth, possibly because of health and safety.

The staff were very friendly, and the food was good. Our room was cleaned every day, though it could use some renovation. We heard that work may be coming soon. There was plenty to do, including a husky ride, snowmobile safari, snowshoe hiking, a reindeer farm, and more. The activities were fun and felt like must-dos in Lapland. Right beside the frozen lake, there's a wonderful open area for seeing the northern lights. Our guide Frederic gave us great explanations and took amazing photos. A lovely way to spend a winter vacation.

Please don't book the “apartment.” At €170 a night, its condition was completely unacceptable. The whole place felt worn, dirty, and unattractive, with old furniture arranged carelessly. A persistent foul smell, especially in the bathroom, seemed clearly like mold. Since none of the windows opened, it was trapped inside. The kitchen was poorly equipped, and when we switched on the toaster, the whole kitchen smelled like burning wiring. The windowless bathroom looked as if it hadn't been renovated in decades and didn't feel hygienic. Dust covered the cabinet, and there was even a leaking toothpaste tube inside. I don't want to know how long it had been left there. We avoided showering altogether. For the second night we asked to move to a standard hotel room, and that was no problem. It was much better and clean, although its bathroom was still obviously outdated. I'm giving three stars only because they let us switch rooms without any trouble.