If you’re anything like me, sometimes it can feel like a bit of a slog to get through the cold, dark winter months in the UK. I adore the bright winter days when there’s frost on the ground and everything glows in glorious sunshine, but in the depths of winter days like these can feel few and far between.
Hop on a plane for three hours and you can find yourself in Levi, a gorgeous village in Finnish Lapland founded in 1979, where winter comes to life in a unique and wonderful way. When the opportunity came up to stay at the brand new Design Hotel Levi and explore this part of the world, I jumped at the chance to go! I love being spontaneous and my Mum says “You must always make room for surprises” - I’m so glad I do this!
Arctic Cocooning at Halipuu
Wrapped in thick jackets, woolly hats and thermal base layers, we arrived at the Design Hotel Levi on a Friday evening in early January and shown to our room. With stunning views over the village and a sauna in the bathroom, I could barely contain my excitement for the next few days. The hotel, which opened in mid-December, was created with the vision of combining luxury accommodation with contemporary design and accessibility to Levi’s world class ski slopes and all the adventures you could dream of in Lapland.
The incredible rooms at the Design Hotel Levi
The experience over the next few days was completely out of this world! We went from one adventure to the next - as if it were normal! - from snow-mobiling at dusk through moonlit Lapland to skiing and trying to keep warm in -15C. To husky sledging before sunrise and snowshoeing through a frozen forest at night. To meeting locals and being moved by their stories and passion for Levi.
We were swaddled like babies in thick wool blankets and rocked gently in hammocks under a beautiful forest canopy. Amazing to take the time to be quiet in the wilderness and soak it all in. We listened intently to the Halipuu story and felt the energy of the forest that is not only an important part of the Finnish culture, but a crucial part of the people who live here.
“You can leave the forest, but the forest will never leave you. It becomes part of you”
Snowshoeing adventure above Levi, Finland
We skied through the beautiful mountains at sunset and into the night, even though it was only just after lunch as during January there’s two hours of daylight! We went on a reindeer safari to a wooden hut in the forest where we cooked sausages on the fire and listened to stories about Sami culture and what the reindeer mean to them. More reindeer than people in this part of the world!
On our final afternoon, we spent a glorious two hours at a traditional wood-fired Finnish sauna on the edge of a frozen lake. To cool down, we immersed ourselves into a hole cut into the ice and experimented with our bodies’ abilities to tolerate the freezing cold water. We relaxed in an open-air hot tub surrounded by candlelight, wondering how we might ever go back to normal life…
During the evenings we ate dinner at one of the three restaurants at the Design Hotel Levi. A pizza restaurant where you can try reindeer on your pizza! Ahku is a buffet style restaurant with a wide range of delicious food and Kekäle Grill is my personal fave. Breakfast at Kekäle was a highlight each day where you can order pretty much any breakfast you can dream of and tuck into a huge buffet spread. On the last evening we had dinner here which was the pièce de résistance of our culinary experiences in Levi! The mix of flavours and creative dishes was sublime, plus we had a charismatic waiter called Guiseppe who used to live just down the road from me in London. Small world!
Design Hotel Levi is built adjacent to it’s sister hotel, Levi Hotel and Spa and offers rooms from €290 per night B&B. Our room was quite something with it’s own sauna and spacious living area. Throughout the hotel there’s an incredible attention to detail and artwork from acclaimed local artists. It’s a unique place that I feel very lucky to have had the chance to enjoy. Thanks for having us Design Hotel Levi I loved every minute and will never forget these magical days with you!
How to Book:
Go to https://www.designhotellevi.fi/ or call +358 16 646 200. Double rooms from at €290 B&B
How to get there:
Direct flights from the UK to Rovaniemi and a 2.5 hour drive from the airport to Levi
Things to do in Levi:
Ski and snowboard
Husky sledging
Snow mobile adventures
Northern Lights
Snowshoeing
Reindeer Safari
Arctic Cocooning
Finnish sauna and ice dipping experience
Experience the Lappish culture
Relax in the waterworld at Levi Spa Hotel (next door)
What to pack:
With temperatures regularly dropping below sub 20, you want to be prepared! Here are the essentials I packed:
You can also rent full winter gear including boots, gloves over trousers and jacket from the gear shops in town
This trip was gifted by the Design Hotel Levi.