Treehouse hotels have been one of the Nordic region’s cutest inventions of recent years – which is saying something. Now, a new Finnish hotel is setting its high-up cabins in Lapland’s far north. The emphasis for the Arctic TreeHouse hotel is on both the sweeping, panoramic wilderness, and protecting against it with some good old-fashioned Lappish hospitality: there are huge windows overlooking the forests and extreme cosiness, with super-soft furnishings, and a locally sourced restaurant. “The warmth of the interior design enhances the nest-like feeling,” says hotel co-owner Katja Ikäheimo-Länkinen, who runs the hotel together with her husband. “When you are ready for an adventure, the wild arctic nature starts straight from your doorstep, she adds. Here, Ikäheimo-Länkinen shares some insights into getting the most out of an adventure in Lapland.
What is the appeal of treehouse-living for travelers?
Being close to nature is a very important part of our Lappish heritage which we wish to share with our guests. We have designed our Arctic Treehouses to be a continuation of the nature surrounding us. The idea was to create warm, luxury comfortable nests, where wooden frames and surfaces give a natural Scandinavian feeling. The contrasts of the arctic nature and cosiness of these nests led the design. We offer the experience both to people who are adventurous and want to experience the Arctic environment as a whole – as well as to the ones who prefer to admire nature and feel pampered. Our Rakas restaurant ( “Rakas” means “My love”) offers tasty local ingredients prepared with love. We want to tempt visitors to spend time with friends and loved ones over a meal and some drinks, whilst still enjoying the nature that opens up outside of the panoramic windows.
How does the climate in the Arctic affect hotel-design – and hospitality?
We have taken our inspiration from our nature and local traditions. Every step of the design has been to find the optimal solutions for experiencing the arctic nature and to minimize the impact of building in the surrounding fragile nature. The outside walls of the houses are made of shingling that mirror the colouring of the surrounding forest and the legs stand up from the hills with the same diameters as pine trees around. This way they blend nicely into the surroundings. Nature’s own fireworks, the northern lights can be seen directly from the cosiness of the bed. And when you are ready for an adventure, the wild arctic nature starts straight from your doorstep and invites you to unwind in its midst. We wish to share to our guests the Lappish hospitality at its best. We strive to give authentic and true memories to our guests by mirroring the easiness and friendliness of the Lappish mentality.
What are the pluses and minuses of working in a business with your family?
It is not just a business, but a lifestyle that we have embarked on. We work with a lot of heart and passion – and we are extremely grateful that we have a wonderful team with us who share the same passion. We are not just building a dream for others but we are also living our own dream at the same time. Being a family company gives the possibilities to be very flexible and adapt very quickly to changes. At the same time being, the mind and heart is all the time on business, which leaves little time for the “family life” Two big stubborn minds that are partners in life and in business can sometimes clash, but at the same time it can bring the best results “in the kiss and make ups stage!”
What is the typical Finnish summer experience and how do you share with your guests at the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel?
The Arctic summer offers the busy life with its unique features. Arctic TreeHouse Hotel offers peacefull surroundings under the midnight sun. You don’t need to book a guide to experience Lapland, it starts by stepping out of your own Arctic Treehouse. You are just a step away from collecting nature’s own super food, bilberries and lingonberries. We celebrate the midnight sun over the whole summer period, and we have selected some beautiful spots where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the nature in the comfort of warm fireplace. We also offer possibilities for hiking and cycling in the surrounding areas and we bring the restaurant outdoors with barbeques to celebrate the endless nights.
Sauna is also big part of the Finnish lifestyle and we have Arctic Forest Spa-Metsäkyly, 17 km away in the lake forest side where you can feel the Finnish lifestyle with fishing, traditional sauna’s experiences, jacuzzis and swimming in the lake. We also offer private dining in the forest and “Midnight Sun Picnics”. These are just few ways in which you can enjoy the Finnish summer with us.
Santaparkarcticworld.com/arctic-treehouse-hotel