On our recent trip to Finnish Lapland we stayed in two unique hotels: Nova Skyland Hotel and Nova Galaxy Village, which are from the same owner.
Both unique but completely different accommodations in Rovaniemi. This blog is a review about our stay at Nova Skyland.
It might be worth mentioning that Nova Skyland Hotel was actually closed for the season during our stay. But they opened their doors for Traveltomtom to experience this incredible hotel in Rovaniemi on walking distance from the famous Santa Claus Village.
Of course we were not able to experience all the facilities. Nevertheless, we still wrote this extensive blog about this special place to stay.
Table of Contents
This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She stayed at both Nova Skyland Hotel and Nova Galaxy Village, on behalf of Traveltomtom, and wrote this blog about her experiences.
Location
Nova Skyland Hotel offers something that only a few other hotels in Rovaniemi have. It is within walking distance of Santa Claus Village. For people traveling to Rovaniemi especially for Santa Claus, the Nova Skyland hotel really has the perfect location!
Although it is within walking distance of Santa Claus Village, it is also located in a very quiet and natural environment. What is walking distance? Well, in just 200 meters you are in the middle of the square in front of Santa Claus Office. Isn't that cool?!
Accommodation
Nova Skyland Hotel basically offers two types of accommodation. You can choose between suites and cottages. Both, the suites and the cottages are Scandinavian style apartments.
There are four types of apartments to choose from and they can accommodate 2 up to 8 people.
Each apartment has all the amenities you can think of, a wonderful Finnish sauna and large floor to ceiling windows for example. Surrounded by nature and trees, it feels like you're in the heart of Lappish nature.
Suites
The suites are located in the large black S-shaped building. You'll find 26 rooms here.
We stayed in the Aurora Suite Double Bed. These suites really have everything you need. It was a huge surprise to us that this suite is a room with two floors, very cool!
The main bedroom and bathroom are upstairs.
There is also a real Finnish sauna on the upper floor. If you're staying with two people then the downstairs will be your comfortable living room. If you're staying with friends or family then the downstairs is a second bedroom. There is even a second bathroom downstairs. These suites are really fully equipped.
Check out the nightly rates for Nova Skyland on Booking.
Cottages
Then they also have the cottages. These are located in semi-detached houses. The big difference with the suites is that these cottages have a kitchenette and a fireplace. These cottages are bigger and offer slightly more facilities than the suites.
Restaurant
Unfortunately due to the fact that the hotel was closed for the season, the restaurant was obviously also closed. Unfortunately we were not able to try the traditional Finnish dishes with local Nordic ingredients. During the winter season, Restaurant Nova Skyland is open daily for breakfast and dinner.
They did everything they could to offer us a very extensive breakfast especially for us. It is really unbelievable when the chef comes exclusively for you to fry a fresh egg. An unforgettable experience and delicious breakfast!
Nova Safari activities
Since the Nova Skyland Hotel has a prime location next to the Santa Claus Village, there is of course one activity that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Discovering Santa Claus Village, what else?
In winter you can also do all kinds of other activities here. The hotel offers Nova Safari activities that are exclusive to guests of Nova Skyland and Nova Galaxy. This exclusivity ensures a seamless experience, allowing guests to enjoy the activities in a serene and uncrowded setting.
Overall thoughts on Nova Skyland
We have been to Rovaniemi several times before, but had never spent the night at Santa Claus Village. So when we got the chance to stay at Nova Skyland Hotel, it was an immediate yes! It is really wonderful to be within walking distance of the lively Santa Claus Village.
Nice to take a stroll at the beginning or end of the day and browse around the shops.
Nova Skyland is a complete different type of accommodation compared to its sister hotel Nova Galaxy Village, but we do think they complement each other. Same owner, same values, a strong brand that offers two such diverse accommodations.
As travelers, we also think that it is ideal to be able to book two unique overnight experiences with one brand and know what to expect in the other hotel in terms of service and quality standards.
A final special word of thanks goes to Nova Skyland Hotel for opening their doors especially and only for us when they were actually closed. It most certainly was a once in a lifetime experience to be the only guests in a hotel.
Check out the nightly rates for Nova Skyland on Booking.
We hope this travel blog and review of Nova Skyland Hotel makes you excited to travel to Rovaniemi. May you have any questions then please leave us a comment below.