Hotel Harriniva

We booked directly with the hotel for five days, full board, and arranged our excursions there too. Our group of 10 included a teenager and two young children, and we had three wilderness loft rooms attached to the main hotel and restaurant. Each was like a little suite, with a double sofa bed downstairs and a double bed plus two single beds on the mezzanine. The rooms stayed warm even at -38. Beds and duvets were comfortable, though the pillows could be better. We had robes, towels, toiletries, a hairdryer, kettle and plenty of storage. The shower room was a wet room with underfloor heating. Meals were probably the best part. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were delicious, up to a high standard, and the options changed daily. There was always a choice of vegan, fish or meat, along with starters and deserts. Drinks cost extra, while tea and coffee from the machines were free at all times. For excursions, the winter clothing was excellent. A whole building was stocked with overalls, balaclavas, outer and inner mittens, snow boots and socks in a huge range of sizes. Staff there fitted us, checked we were dressed properly and advised us what layers to wear underneath. We brought lots of winter clothes from the UK and didn't need most of them, the provided gear was far better than anything we'd have bought at home. You do need your own base and middle layers. At -38 we wore two base layers, a middle layer, a coat, overalls, balaclava, hat, two hoods, mittens, socks and snow boots, and stayed warm and comfortable. We could use the kit throughout our stay, and they even had a full outfit for my three-year-old son. The site itself is amazing, tucked into woodland off the beaten track, with lovely walking routes. It's built alongside the river, frozen during our visit, and has riverside saunas and hot tubs. The large restaurant has different seating areas, plus a bar area for evening drinks and games. The staff seemed local, kind and very professional. We never felt neglected, and anything we asked for was taken care of. They felt like a family team. Little things mattered too, like a waiter giving our son chocolate to help him eat dinner. Our flight was delayed by two days, and the hotel was incredibly accommodating. They extended our stay in the same rooms, helped with flights and weather reports, and let us keep using our snow gear so we could still enjoy being outside. They also let us use a function room so the kids could make some noise and let off steam when being outdoors at -38 got difficult. We used the hotel's transfer service. We had a whole coach to ourselves on the way there and a minibus back. The drive takes an hour along straight roads. We'd been a little apprehensive because the hotel, location and excursions seemed such good value, and wondered what the catch might be. There wasn't one. Even with the delay, we left with an experience we'll remember forever, and would recommend every part of the harriniva adventure resort to friends and family.