Holiday Club Saariselka

We paid €700 for towing and another €200 for help, and lost a whole day of our trip. The hotel was no use when we called: nobody answered for over 30 minutes. When someone finally picked up, they were in Helsinki and couldn't offer real help. A passerby had to help get our kids to reception in the extreme cold. We arrived around 3 PM and were handed only a key and a map. With darkness, freezing weather, snow-covered roads and unclear signs, it took us half an hour to find the apartment. We accidentally drove onto a ski track, with no warning signs, and got stuck. There were problems in the room too: the dishwasher didn't work, and dirty utensils had been left inside. There was no phone to call reception, and despite the high prices, everything felt self-service. Breakfast was average, and the staff weren't apologetic. A picture is also attached of the road we entered, which is part of the hotel. A very poor experience with no customer support. I wouldn't recommend it, especially for families.

The only letdown was the TV and the shower area in the large bathroom. Otherwise, we had a good stay in a clean, spacious two-bedroom superior apartment from Dec 28-31. The Saariselka Ski resort is a 10-15 minute walk. It's downhill on the way there and uphill coming back. K market grocery store is about 15-20 minutes on foot. The apartment is 5-7 minutes' walk from hotel reception. If you're checking in, keep the taxi so it can take you to the apartment afterward. Dragging big bags through the cold and snow would be challenging.

The meals were more than satisfactory, with nuggets and fries available for kids who didn't want the traditional food. We were very pleased and would absolutely stay again. We travelled with Santa's Lapland and stayed in a Holiday Club Villa/apartment in a separate building, a short walk from the main hotel. Ours was on the 5th floor and spread across two levels. Downstairs had a large kitchen, dining and lounge area, a bathroom and utility/drying room, plus a wraparound balcony. Upstairs there was another lounge with a fireplace, a balcony, a bedroom, a toilet and a shower room with sauna.

On the 22nd of December, this became my worst experience in Finland. I didn't know, and nobody had told me, that drinks bought outside the hotel couldn't be consumed on the premises. It was after 11 pm, and I was taking a can of beer through the lobby on my way out for a smoke. A bald Finnish counter man immediately confronted me, shouting and gesturing as if I'd committed a crime. I said I hadn't known and was heading out to smoke. He came right up to my face, close enough that I could smell his bad breath. I think he was racist.