Nova Skyland | Luxury Hotel Near Santa Claus Village
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?!
Nowhere are the seasons as different as in Lapland. Our stay at Nova Skyland in the fall was special in every way. We had the best time as Lapland is way less crowded in Autumn.
So when we were allowed to come back last winter we were jumping for joy. Curious about what this hotel is like in the winter, when it is busier and also curious about their restaurant.
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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
In the fall we stayed in their unique Aurora Suites, a two-story hotel room with large windows. In the winter we were allowed to stay in one of their Nordic Cottages, which are larger holiday homes. These cottages are modern with essential Finnish luxury amenities such as a sauna and a indoor fireplace.
Downstairs you have the bathroom and sauna, an open concept living room and dining area, the indoor fireplace and access to a private patio.
Upstairs you have the loft-style bedroom with a double bed and a twin bed. Plenty of room and suitable for couples, families and friends.
Our cottages had the winter home of the reindeer as a backyard. That is of course very special. How often do you experience reindeer walking behind your cottage.
Restaurant
Their restaurant is the place to be for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During the day you can also get hot drinks here and heat up next to the fireplace.
Of course we were curious about the dining experience here. Nova Skyland's restaurant serves food from Lapland but with a modern touch and flavors for all tastes. They use traditional Nordic ingredients like salmon, reindeer meat and king crab and complement it with contemporary influences. Dining here feels like a luxury dining experience. You can taste that you are dealing with fresh and local products. Finnish cuisine is simply delicious and wonderful.
When staying at Nova Skyland we totally recommend to indulge yourself and eat out in the restaurant.
Breakfast
Breakfast is very well taken care of. A very extensive breakfast buffet, even with champagne. The choices are enormous and everything looks really tasty and fresh. Breakfast at Nova Skyland means a good and healthy start to the day.
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.
Reindeer experience
In the summer the reindeer stay somewhere else, but in the winter the reindeer of Nova Skyland can be found right here. They walk between the cottages. They are called Heidi and Gingerbread. You can even participate in feeding the reindeer with the reception staff during your stay.
A stay at Nova Skyland in the winter is absolutely recommended. You are located directly at Santa Claus Village with of course Santa Claus but also Mrs Claus, Santa Claus Reindeer, Snowman World and much more.
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.