Checking Into the Vaattunki Wilderness Resort in Rovaniemi (Review)

A few days before my stay at Vaattunki Wilderness Resort, I went out there to photograph the northern lights. I was keen to get a few photos of the aurora at the resort and it was looking like the night I was staying was going to be cloudy.

When I went out there, I familiarized myself with the resort and even chatted with a German couple who were staying in the Panorama Hut, the same accommodation I had booked a few nights later. They had gotten engaged on this trip, but were not stoked about how their accommodation choice had worked out.

Ouch. This was a pretty bad first impression of a place I was set to call ‘home’ a mere few days later. Nevertheless, I was going into the stay open-minded so I could cover it on the blog as the stay was one of my most anticipated in a long time.

In this guide, I review my stay at Vaattunki Wilderness Resort in Rovaniemi. This resort is owned by local tour company Safartica, and I paid for this stay completely out of my own pocket.

I stayed in the Panorama Hut, so I cannot share my thoughts on other accommodations around the resort, but I did have a friend stay in one of their Arctic Deluxe Rooms the night after me, and she had nothing but positive remarks about the room.

Do you have any questions about Vaattunki Wilderness Resort? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!

About Vaattunki Wilderness Resort in Rovaniemi

Vaattunki Wilderness Resort is a year-round resort located around 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the city of Rovaniemi by the Arctic Circle Hiking Area. Situated on the Raudanjoki River, the complex has a variety of accommodation options, a sauna, and a restaurant.

Safartica (a famous tour company in Rovaniemi) owns Vaattunki. I don’t fully know the backstory of Vaattunki Resort but I do believe the property already was there as lodging and they took it over and revamped, and expanded it.

A local mentioned to me on a TikTok that the previous place was falling apart and molding and Vaattunki took it over and fixed it, breathing new life into the spot. I think this is pretty cool if that is the case.

While I do give a brutally honest review of my experience there below, please know that this resort felt special and I would highly recommend staying there to anyone visiting Rovaniemi. The property it is located on is spectacular.

How to Book a Stay at Vaattunki Resort

You can easily stay at Vaattunki Resort by booking a room here. You can choose whether you want food included (I went with the included breakfast and dinner and it made the stay very worth it) or not.

Do know that winter prices go up quite a bit! But Vaattunki is open year-round, so if you can travel there outside the high season, you will find far lower rates!

Highs and Lows of My Stay at Vaattunki

The Resort Complex and Location (Mostly a High)

The resort itself is fabulous. There are four styles of accommodation (Panorama Hut where I stayed), Arctic Deluxe Rooms, Riverside Suites, and Aurora Igloos. On-site, you will also find Restaurant Niva (it is so beautifully constructed), a sauna, a fireplace area, and more.

Safartica (the tour company that owns Vaattunki Resort) also has a husky farm and reindeer farm on one side of the premises so you can hear the dogs a bit (it is far away and will not affect sleeping at all).

The nature is stunning and the resort is located right on the Raudanjoki River by the Arctic Circle Hiking Area. This area is one of my favorites in all of Rovaniemi and I go out there at least once a month. There is a hanging bridge here, as well, which is perfect for watching the river and taking photos.

The only downside I had was that I hated that cars cruised around the resort at night. Roads take you up to each cabin, but you’re not allowed to park there (you must go back to their lot after dropping your stuff off).

It felt SO dangerous at night as you had loads of tourists walking around without reflective vests. Every time I was trying to photograph the northern lights around the resort, a car would pull up with its brights on and after a while, I just gave up.

I don’t know the solution to this, except maybe to give guests reflective vests in their accommodation for walking around if they continue to let cars drive around the resort at night.

Or just ban cars from driving around this altogether and make them use a kicksled or a staff member to take things to their cabin if checking in after dark (okay, which is like 2pm in the winter!). It just never felt totally safe and I fear for families visiting with kids if this continues.

The Staff (High)

The staff at Vaattunki was so friendly and welcoming. It seemed as though some training was going on when I was there with newer staff and everyone was so kind and still made sure all the guests were taken care of. The staff was definitely one of my highlights from my stay there.

The Panorama Hut (Low)

Oh, the Panorama Hut. When the German couple staying there before me had said they felt the cabin was much too small and they didn’t like the bathroom, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Turns out, they were pretty spot on.

The cabin was small, but I didn’t mind the size much, to be honest. It was more the decor and the bathroom. The decor was not for me and actually made the accommodation feel cheap.

The reason I chose to stay in Vaattunki’s Panorama Hut is that it was extremely affordable in November. And the prices in December and the high season don’t seem that unreasonable, so I figured it was an affordable luxury option I could recommend on my blog. This plan did not go so well.

From the outside, the Panorama Huts are constructed of wood painted black. They actually look quite nice from the outside, complete with large windows that face the forest. My issue was the interior.

They are small (but didn’t bother me as it was just my partner and me), but the decor felt cheap. The bed was comfortable but nothing grand. There was also an armchair bed in the room, a countertop with a kettle, mini-fridge, sink, coffee machine, and microwave. Each cabin is 20m2.

The bathroom was a huge miss. Small in size and a tiny sink. It was closed in by a sliding door that had so many gaps and was relatively hard to shut. The bathroom door (as seen in pictures above) is covered in some black and white wallpaper that made the entire room feel like an outdated cabin at a summer camp in Minnesota. Keep in mind, this is just how I felt from staying there. Everyone is different.

There were also two random barstools in the cabin. My partner and I laughed for hours about what these were for, but never came to a conclusion.

When I asked the staff about the Panorama Hut, they told me these were open last season, as a lot of the other places on the property were brand new. I will definitely stay in a different room/cabin next time I visit (and I will come back!).

Niva Restaurant (Mostly a High)

A place that was on my list to visit (regardless of whether or not I had a room booked at Vaattunki) was Restaurant Niva, their on-site restaurant. 

They had a nice mocktail menu, so I enjoyed one as I waited for my dinner reservation.

I had actually booked half-board, so I had a 3-course dinner included. I opted for some sunchoke soup (delicious!), sautéed reindeer (pretty good but a little dry), and a carrot cake and vanilla ice cream dessert (delicious again).

My partner was less pleased with what he ordered (salmon soup was good but the reindeer filet main was not as good as other resorts). But overall, I would say the food was a hit. Their menu had the typical crowd pleasers mixed with some signatures and I loved that!

I will definitely go back to the restaurant again this winter to try more of their menu.

Breakfast was decent, as well. They had all the usual suspects (thank goodness!) minus eggs  (there had to be a reason for this, I suppose), but I will say the cheese and cucumbers were completely dried out.

I tried eating a sandwich with both as toppings and it was a struggle. I went back to get other cucumbers and cheese for the sandwich and it was all dried out. I am going to assume there was little staff for breakfast and they are prepping it a day or two before and this is why. I hope this gets fixed; I suspect it will.

The interior of the Rovaniemi restaurant is gorgeous and so cozy. They have two fireplaces inside and a full bar. The wait staff was so friendly and inviting.

Early Morning Construction (Low)

I am an early riser, but one thing that I found a bit annoying was that construction started at 7:55am when I was there. On the other side of the forest, it appears more glass igloos are being built, and I guess getting them started at 8am to make as much money off of them this season is imperative. The noise was loud and I could feel the vibration inside my cabin.

Maybe warn people? I am a local and wake up early, but I would be so disheartened if I were traveling from a place that I was jet-lagged from (paired with late auroras) just to be woken up at 8am to this.

Hopefully, the construction wraps up before more people start arriving at the resort for the winter season. And when it does, I am going to be removing this from this guide.

Vaattunki’s Sauna (High)

I am not an avid sauna-goer (I aspire to be one someday, though), but my partner loves them! He booked a session for €45 for 45 minutes for the evening we were there. The jacuzzi sauna area was already booked, so he settled for this option.

There is no ice dipping area since the Raudanjoki River is pretty dangerous with a lot of rapids, so it is mostly just a sauna experience. He enjoyed the private experience and recommends it to those staying at Vaattunki!

Transportation to/from Rovaniemi (High)

I have my own car, so I did NOT use their transport services or have them call a taxi. But my friend stayed there after me and used this service and I was with her when she booked it.

It was €20 one-way to Santa Claus Village (and perhaps the city center) and was so easy to book at the front desk. If you book Safartica’s tours, as well, they will ensure transportation is covered to and from the tour (and some of them are on-site).

Is Lapland’s Vaattunki Resort worth it?

Yes, I think staying at Vaattunki Wilderness Resort was worth it. I am quite critical of every place that I stay that I review on the blog, but that is mostly to just give people realistic expectations when they arrive.

I also understand that newer resorts, like Vaattunki, are in the growing stages and things are subject to change, so I will be revisiting to keep this guide up-to-date (and I will be adding some pretty snow photos over this winter).

Let me know if you have any questions about staying at Vaattunki Wilderness Resort in Rovaniemi in the comments. Thanks!

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