Lapland has always been a bucket list destination for us and it really is a place of beauty unlike anywhere we had visited before in the world. When we found out that Inghams were offering Santa Breaks to Lapland from Bristol, we decided to surprise our children Chloe and Holly with a trip to the North Pole (you can read about our Inghams Santa Breaks holiday here).
Choosing a great family hotel is always high on our requirements before we travel and we were happy to discover we made the right decision staying at Levi’s flagship property and the Trip Advisor top rated Levi Hotel Spa (Levitunturi).
This is our review of the four-star Levi Hotel Spa, Levi Lapland.
We arrived at the snow covered Levi Hotel Spa set against the beautiful wintery backdrop of the Levi fell. Check-in was busy with lots of families on our Bristol flight also staying at our hotel, but staff showed excellence in their service and our welcome and check-in was fast and efficient.
The hotel reception and restaurants are in a separate building a short walk from the rooms and the girls excitedly picked up two complimentary sledges which are dotted around the hotel for guests to use. In deep snow and -17 temperatures we used the sledges to help transfer our luggage to our room – we were in Lapland after all.
The hotel has 220 rooms located in eight large lodge-style buildings spread across its grounds and we stayed in the Ounas block. This was where their brand new junior suites were located and at 44 metres square they were luxurious, spacious and perfect for a family of four.
As we opened the door to our suite we were taken by surprise just how large and impressive it was – modern and tastefully decorated, with contemporary décor. The large entrance hallway had plenty of storage space to store your ski clothes and the drying cupboard was very useful to dry or warm your winter clothes and boots each day.
Our suite contained a master bedroom separated by a sliding door to the living room which had a large comfortable sofa bed for the children. Beside the beds and throughout our room were plenty of electrical sockets which is essential for travellers these days with so many pieces of technology to charge.
Having a separate sleeping area to the children does make a big difference when in a hotel. When you are all in the same room you typically have to go to sleep early, basically when the children go to sleep, so having this extra space offered in the suites at the Levi Hotel Spa was fantastic.
I always think a sign of a good hotel is when the girls start making themselves at home, which they did at the Levi Hotel Spa, covering their beds with some of their favourite toys from home. They loved the fact that their bed was close to the fridge in the room which we think they kept raiding for midnight snacks!
Our large balcony had views toward the ski slopes and we loved the fact that our room had its own personal sauna in one of the two smart modern bathrooms. Having a sauna is a big part of Finnish culture and it was great to have this unique addition in our room.
As you would expect from one of the leading luxury hotels in Lapland, our junior suite was of a very high standard offering all of the comforts required for a great family stay including:
- 2 large flat screen TVs
- Complimentary high speed WiFi,
- A mini fridge,
- A large safe,
- Nespresso style coffee machine and tea making facilities along with a selection of magazines.
Another reason why we loved the junior suites was because they were connected to the swimming pool and spa building via an underground tunnel. This meant that we could walk to the pool in our white fluffy bathrobes and slippers, instead of having to put on our cold winter clothing to reach the pool and recreation facilities.
The children always ask does the hotel have a pool, and the Levi Hotel Spa certainly didn’t disappoint. With 17 pools it was a water world of fun for the girls. We even braved the 3 heated outdoor pools which was a surreal experience – swimming whilst we were surrounded by snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Each day after our adventures exploring Lapland, the girls would always make a beeline for the pool, which was their favourite part of the hotel. The spa at the hotel looked so inviting with a wide range of treatments available but with a full Lapland itinerary there was little time to enjoy these facilities.
Our stay was on a half board basis with dining limited to the AHKU restaurant. This is one area where the hotel could improve upon to match its 4 star rating. Breakfast and dinner was served buffet style and although the food was cooked to a good standard there was very limited choice.
Fortunately there was the Classic Pizza restaurant within the hotel (not included in the half board option) and it’s where we would end up dining each evening with the children. The Italian pizzas (at reasonable prices from 11 euros) were delicious coupled with fantastic service.
There was so much for all the family to do at the Levi Hotel Spa. The recreational facilities on offer really are extensive and it’s what sets this hotel apart from the majority of other hotels across Lapland. We challenged each other to a game of tenpin bowling, had fun in the indoor play zones and had lunch at the most northern Burger King in the world.
Overall
There is no better recommendation for a family friendly hotel in Lapland than when your children don’t want to go home and the junior suites at the Levi Hotel Spa ticked all the right boxes. We had such a wonderful stay and it was the perfect location for us to explore everything that Levi, Lapland had to offer and is highly recommended.