Book the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos if you want one property that covers both signature Lapland stays: a private glass igloo you can book any month of the year, and a full ice hotel that exists only from mid-December to the end of March. Skip it if a remote, unlit stretch of tundra is the whole point of the trip; this sits twenty minutes from Rovaniemi, not deep in the backcountry.
The property sits at Lehtojärvi, roughly 20 minutes north of Rovaniemi's city centre and airport. It scores 8.6/10 from 667 reviews on Booking.com, one of the more heavily reviewed stays in Finnish Lapland. Two structures run side by side here. The glass igloos are open year-round from September 1: each has a 360-degree thermal glass roof, heated floors, a private en-suite bathroom, and a built-in aurora alarm system. The Arctic SnowHotel itself is rebuilt from scratch every winter, its walls, furniture, and light fixtures carved from ice and snow between December 15 and March 31. Snow hotel rooms share bathroom facilities down the corridor; glass igloos don't.
Glass igloo or ice hotel: which to book
Pick the glass igloo if a private bathroom and warmth you don't have to think about matter more than novelty. Pick a night in the snow hotel if the ice architecture is the actual reason you're coming: illuminated ice sculptures, a bed frame carved from a single block, sleeping bags rated for a sub-zero room rather than central heating. Plenty of guests do both when the calendar allows, an igloo night for comfort and aurora-watching, a snow hotel night for the experience itself.
The aurora alarm, and what city-adjacent skies actually give you
The alarm system means you're not setting a 2 a.m. timer on faith alone; staff track activity and wake guests when something is worth stepping outside for. It's a genuine convenience and one reason this property books out fast during peak aurora weeks. But the trade-off deserves an honest word before you commit: Lehtojärvi sits close enough to Rovaniemi that the town's glow reaches the northern horizon on clear nights. A strong geomagnetic storm at Kp 4 or higher will still produce a bright curtain overhead regardless of that glow, but fainter, more diffuse displays that a lodge an hour further out would show clearly can wash out here. If dark-sky purity matters more than convenience, look further from the city; Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, three hours north in Saariselkä, is the region's deepest dark-sky pick. For a first Lapland trip built around igloo comfort plus quick access to Rovaniemi's restaurants and day tours, the trade is a fair one.
Restaurants, sauna, and what's actually included
Three restaurants operate on site, each with a different feel: the Ice Restaurant, built into the snow hotel structure and open only through winter; the log-cabin style Kota Restaurant; and the Log Restaurant, open year-round. A Finnish sauna comes with every room rate rather than billed as an extra, and the outdoor heated jacuzzi stays open through the coldest months. Breakfast is included regardless of which structure you sleep in. From September, the property also runs ice sculpting sessions for guests curious how the snow hotel's walls actually get built, and the Ice Bar opens alongside the Ice Restaurant for the winter season only.
What it costs, and how the price moves with the calendar
Glass igloos start from €169 per adult per night; snow hotel rooms and higher-tier igloos run up toward €350 and beyond, depending on season and room category. Winter weekends during the snow hotel's open window carry the highest rates and sell out furthest in advance. A July or August igloo night costs less and needs far less lead time, though you trade the ice architecture for a season with no snow hotel at all.
Getting there from Rovaniemi
The property is roughly 20 minutes by car or shuttle from Rovaniemi Airport and the city centre, close enough to combine with a half-day in town without giving up an evening at the lodge. Worth pairing a stay here with:
- the Arktikum museum on Arctic life and science
- a reindeer or husky farm visit
- Santa Claus Village, if traveling with kids
Most guests rent a car or book the hotel's transfer service; there's no direct public transport route to Lehtojärvi. For the full regional picture, see Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland, or compare this property against the rest of the region's igloos in our glass igloo ranking. For flight and transfer details from home, see getting to Rovaniemi.
Before you book: three honest caveats
The snow hotel only exists five months a year. If the ice architecture is why you're booking, confirm your dates fall between December 15 and March 31; outside that window, only the glass igloos are open.
This is not a remote dark-sky lodge. Rovaniemi's glow is visible on the horizon on clear nights. Strong aurora displays cut through it easily; the faintest ones don't. Plan a second night further out if photography, not just a sighting, is the goal.
667 reviews means this books out. Peak aurora weeks, late September through late March, fill glass igloos and snow hotel rooms well ahead. Two to three months' notice is safer than a few weeks for a winter stay.
