MMarina Sri WantiI stayed at Apukka Resort and it was truly unforgettable.
Everything was perfect, from the spotless cleanliness to the peaceful location near the airport. The service was exceptional; they even picked us up by car from the reception and drove us directly to our room, which made everything feel so warm and personal despite the -30°C weather.
Sipping hot chocolate in the freezing Arctic air felt surreal, and our private sauna session was incredibly relaxing, the perfect way to end a snowy day.
But the most magical moment? Watching the Northern Lights dance right in front of our room. So vivid, so clear, so unreal. It was honestly one of the best experiences of our lives.
A dream I will never forget.
JJon LiangWe stayed at Pyhalinna and overall found the apartment itself to be decent. The facilities inside the unit were quite complete and convenient. However, the cleanliness was disappointing — the bed sheets were not clean when we arrived. The funny (and slightly frustrating) part was that after we reported it, someone came to do a light cleaning of the room (even though we were previously told mid-stay cleaning required an extra fee), but the sheets still weren’t changed.
The property is ski-in/ski-out and located next to the “family slope,” but there are many areas that really need improvement. First of all, for beginners without a car, it takes around 30 minutes to walk down to the base area to rent equipment(experienced can use the shop on the mountain), and the path is quite unsafe. Honestly, this alone almost made me give a one-star review. Secondly, the so-called family slope wasn’t fully open, and the upper section was surprisingly steep — definitely not what we expected for a family-friendly run. Returning the rental equipment was also inconvenient; you must ski all the way to the bottom because the shop on the mountain doesn’t accept returns.
After returning our equipment, we were very lucky that the ski patrol officer Markus kindly offered to take us back up the hotel. We really appreciated his help — without him, it would have been another long and difficult walk.
There are simply many practical issues that should be improved. I truly hope the resort can learn from more established ski destinations to create a safer and more beginner-friendly experience.
The positive interactions with the staff were the main reason we didn’t give this place a one-star rating — they truly made a difference despite the other issues. Really thank you, Coach Joni, Peter, Markus, Joonathan and the other staff I didn’t get your name.