On our journey through Lapland, one place we were incredibly excited to stop off at was Pyhän Asteli.
From what we could dig up online, they host some of the most modern and luxurious Aurora igloos anywhere in the country and we couldn’t wait to experience them for ourselves.
Well, safe to say after weeks spent in sleeping in our campervan, it was nice to have a night of luxury in one of their large comfy double beds.
As well as all of the other comforts and luxuries that came with our stay.
Let’s have a look at how we got on ...
During our stay, we slept in one of Pyhän Asteli’s almost-brand-new Aurora Igloos.
These 5 igloos are designed with one sole purpose in mind … giving you the best chance to spot the Northern Lights in a comfy setting.
As such, their most striking feature is the large glass ceiling that stretches around half of the igloo.
The overall design of the igloo is more of a TeePee shape as opposed to a traditional igloo, but you still have plentiful views of the northern-facing sky.
Inside you have a large, comfy double bed, as well as a surprisingly large amount of space.
The interior is largely wood-based giving it an authentic and cosy feel, with the bathrooms being modern and fitted with a shower.
They even managed to include a microwave, fridge and kettle; as well as a small breakfast bar where we enjoyed our own breakfast spread in the morning.
Overall, we really loved the igloo, which was warm all night, super cosy and did offer breathtaking views of the sky.
I am sad to say that we were unfortunately unable to spot the Northern lights during our stay.
But this is certainly not the fault of Pyhän Asteli!
In case you didn’t know, a lot of things need to be right for the Northern Lights to be visible, including a strong KP Index and clear skies.
Unfortunately for us, the skies were completely clouded over all night due to the large amounts of snow that was falling.
However, the plus side of this meant that we really did feel like we were staying in our own winter wonderland!
If you are keen on spotting the Northern Lights in Finland (which you should be!) then the Pyhän Asteli igloos are a great place to achieve this mission.
They are located far enough north for the lights to be clearly visible without cloud cover, and the igloos are perfectly geared for you to lounge back in comfort, a world away from the cold outside.
Easily the second-best part of our stay was experiencing their (at this point) brand new sauna and hot tub facilities!
We were apparently only the second of third guests to use them; and make good use of them we did!
We are not massive fans of sauna, certainly not like the Finnish are, but found the sauna to be very spacious and cosy, with a nice view from the window inside.
On the flip side, we are BIG fans of hot tubs!
As it was our 4 year anniversary on this night, we enjoyed an ice cold bottle of prosecco from the hot tub, whilst enjoying the peaceful surrounding of the snowy trees.
Perhaps we enjoyed it for a little too long, as we came out well-wrinkled afterwards!
But yes, if you are planning to visit Pyhän Asteli, then I 100% recommend you book in to use these facilities one evening during your stay.
It’s not just Aurora Igloos on offer at Pyhän Asteli; instead they also offer newly-completed Aurora suites, holiday apartments, log houses and even a campsite for tents and caravans.
Because of their ideal location close to 2 seperate ski resorts, they have become increasingly popular year-on-year and they continue to sell out during the ski season, so have had to build more and more rooms to cope with demand.
Their newest addition, the Aurora suites, were particularly noteworthy and we got to have a sneak peak of one during our visit.
They are more spacious than the igloos, and better suited to those visiting with kids.
If you are travelling as a couple and plan on staying longer, they are also more appealing than the igloos because the added space gives you more room to unpack a lot of belongings.
They are apparently proving very popular with those booking for the upcoming ski season; and many guests book them for a week or more, and have an added night on the end, solely to experience the unique nature of the igloos.
Here’s a few pictures we managed to snap. Once again, you can tell that they are well-geared towards spotting the Aurora Borealis.
As the igloos are the most expensive option, I would say they are a great choice for those looking for a night of pure comfort in a truly unique setting.
They offer great comfort and really do increase your chances of spotting the Northern Lights as they don’t require you to spend hours on end stood out in the cold.
In general, the Pyhän Asteli resort is great for those looking to hit the slopes in the ski season, which runs from roughly November to April/May (depending on snow levels).
It is well-situated just 5 km from the nearest slopes and there’s a range of accommodation to suit families of all sizes.
Aside from this, if you are touring Lapland and happen to be passing by, it’s well stopping off at for just a night or two to experience the igloos.
As a heads up, they book up well in advance at Pyhän Asteli!
When we visited in October, they were already almost fully booked up until the end of December, as this is when the ski season really starts to get into full swing.
So, if you are interested in staying, then I recommend making a decision as early as possible.
If you wish to make a booking, then you can find contact details on their website here.
Alternatively, I recommend looking at their listings on Booking.com where you can get an immediate look at prices and availability for all of their accommodations.
Here are the links:
If you have any other questions that you think I can help with, then just go ahead and drop me a comment below and I will help where I can.
**Thank you to Pyhän Asteli for hosting us during our stay. As always, all views expressed here are our own.**
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