As unique as it is transient, ICEHOTEL promises an unforgettable stay.
Octola Private Wilderness
Octola Private Wilderness
Immersed in forests and folklore, the vast estate of Octola Private Wilderness takes you away from the crowds for a mesmerising treat as enchanting as any child – or any grown-up for that matter – could wish for.
Immersed in forests and folklore, the vast estate of Octola Private Wilderness takes you away from the crowds for a mesmerising treat as enchanting as any child – or any grown-up for that matter – could wish for.
A bucket-lister’s dream with royalty and celebrities among its adoring posse, Octola is one of the most private of private homes. It’s where inspiration, relaxation and complete wonder collide with access to every conceivable exclusive service and comfort imaginable.
You won’t find anywhere else in the world that does well-being, adventure and quality time quite like it. And with a landscape this spectacular, you won’t mind when asked to keep its location to yourself.
- Exclusive use of the estate and 12 bedrooms sleeping up to 38; or shared options available
- 25 minutes from Rovaniemi airport by car
- A year-round lodge, spring and summer experiences include kayaking, horse riding, local farm visits, herb and berry foraging and Nordic cooking lessons
- Octola has a carbon negative footprint and makes a generous donation on behalf of each guest to Private Wilderness Fund to protect Arctic animals
- Private filmmaker to capture the most memorable moments during the stay is available on request
- Owned by a Rovaniemi resident passionate about preserving the local environment; eco-credentials include wind-generated electricity, water from the estate’s own spring and locally-sourced ingredients
- Exclusive use of the estate and 12 bedrooms sleeping up to 38; or shared options available
- 25 minutes from Rovaniemi airport by car
- A year-round lodge, spring and summer experiences include kayaking, horse riding, local farm visits, herb and berry foraging and Nordic cooking lessons
- Octola has a carbon negative footprint and makes a generous donation on behalf of each guest to Private Wilderness Fund to protect Arctic animals
- Private filmmaker to capture the most memorable moments during the stay is available on request
- Owned by a Rovaniemi resident passionate about preserving the local environment; eco-credentials include wind-generated electricity, water from the estate’s own spring and locally-sourced ingredients
-
GUIDE PRICE3 nights from £10,520 per personBased on departure 17 Jan 25.
-
THE DETAILSYour package includes...3 nights in the Exclusive Aurora Glass Suite with meals catered to your igloo and selected beverages, plus a selection of activities such as husky sledding, skiing, northern light viewings, sauna experiences and more. Price also includes economy flights with Finnair from London Heathrow, private transfers and VIP departure service. Based on 2 adults sharing.
A sense of
place
300 hectares of reindeer-roamed reserve surround this exclusive 10-bedroom Lapland lodge and its two-bedroom villa. There's limited ways to access this neck of the woods, one being by helicopter, another by boat during the summer months. But the favourite is by Mercedes-Benz 4x4, optionally ending in a reindeer drawn sleigh to the door.
Inside, industrial metals meet fleecy Fair Isle behind the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto nothing but a blanket of pines pointing heavenward to the Aurora.
Its essence...
In pursuit of...
The been-there-done-that-ers have their work cut out with this one. One week, an elf comes knocking with gingerbread at the ready for the whole family; the next sees a group getting crafty with shed reindeer antlers and husky sledding; while the daring duo that arrive after them take over the intimate villa, partaking in the blood-pumping Nordic tradition of moving between a sweltering sauna and a dip in the icy waters of the natural spring. With every stay here being completely bespoke, the sky is the technicolour limit.
On location
We don’t know about Santa, but Octola’s dedicated team are truly magical. Cuisine is cooked by Michelin-starred chefs and served by a private butler, either in the lodge or in a beautiful wooden hut out in the forest (our personal favourite). There are wilderness guides on hand too, ready to tailor the day’s activities based on mood; but the whole team are local, so titbits around the area’s history and wildlife are always about.
Beyond
family-friendly
Children grow up fast, so Octola knows how important it is to share in experiences that can be firmly locked away in the great-time-memory-bank. Think zipping across the frosty landscape in a fleet of custom built snowmobiles (or mini-skidoos) and taming the outdoors on a luxury survival camp.
And if you wish hard enough, you might, just might, find Father Christmas waiting in his hidden wooden workshop in the forest.
A Carrier
curation
For couples staying somewhere as spectacular as Octola, it’s not easy to pick just one experience that surpasses the rest. But when the day is done, and there’s a chill in your bones, nights reserved for counting the stars beneath the dome of a glass igloo, cosily swaddled in blankets, come pretty close.
Octola’s Glass Igloo Suite serves as a romantic wintery retreat perfect for time spent together. Take in the panoramas of the Arctic wilderness, perhaps even the Northern Lights, in this secluded spot (from behind the glass, or from the bubbling warmth of the suite’s hot tub) — and loved-up pairs will even enjoy private dining in-suite thanks to a personal chef serving up the finest Nordic cuisine.
Explore
more places to stay
The quiet forests that flank the Lule River Valley provide the setting for an exceptional escape.
This superbly located property, run with family-friendly flair by the Domenig family, is distinguished by individually decorated rooms and suites rich in Tyrolean character