The Santa Claus Hotel is one of the best-known 4-star hotels in central Rovaniemi. My 6-year-old and I stayed for 4 nights just before Christmas.
When staying in the Rovaniemi area, you can choose from city-centre hotels, apartments, or resorts; log or glass cabins in the wilderness; or stays near tourist attractions. I opted for this hotel because I wanted to be in the city centre for quick access to transport, shopping, and dining, without relying on taxis too much.
We also wanted to visit Santa Village and Lapland Winter Park and choose our own experiences rather than book the optional extras offered by the tour company.
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Location
The Santa Claus Hotel is located right in the city centre, just a few minutes’ walk from Lordi Square, with shops, restaurants, and supermarkets all within easy reach.
In one direction, you have the main shopping streets and dining options. In the other, you can walk towards the Naava Café, where there’s a small park and sledging hill just a few minutes from the hotel. From here, you can also continue walking towards the river to see Rovaniemi’s famous Lumberjack’s Candle Bridge.
The main city attractions and museums are mostly within walking distance of the hotel. You can read our guide to the top things to do in Rovaniemi based on this trip here.
Rovaniemi Airport is 8 km away, and taxi transfers take 10-20 minutes. Santa Claus Village is 8 km north of the hotel as well.
Booking
This hotel was part of a package trip for us, but it’s also available to book on Booking.com or direct with Santa’s Hotels.
I chose a bed-and-breakfast rate, as I preferred the flexibility of eating out in the city, although half board is also available. Even if you plan to eat at the hotel, I recommend booking a bed-and-breakfast (more on that below).
Prices here vary massively by season, with a huge increase in December. Last-minute December bookings last year were £400-£600 per night. While it’s a comfortable and well-run hotel, it doesn’t deliver a luxury experience. You are largely paying for seasonal demand and location.
For January-March, expect to pay £270-£380+ per night. You can enjoy city stays from April onwards, starting at around £115 per night, with the hotel nearly fully booked for tours from 1st December to 26th January.
Santa’s Hotels
Santa’s Hotels is a small, family-run Finnish hotel group with properties primarily in Lapland. Many are extremely comfortable 4* properties with all the amenities you could need. There are also some luxurious options, such as Santa’s Igloos at Santa Claus Village.
They do not have a loyalty programme, but you can book direct. Unless a great rate is available, it’s best to book through a platform like Booking.com and click through a portal such as Avios.com or Virgin Red to earn miles.
Check In
The reception and lobby areas are large and lively, particularly during the peak winter season. The space is designed to accommodate group arrivals and departures, with plenty of seating and clear tour meeting points.
Official check-in was 4:00 PM, but our tour had arranged for us to check in by 3:00 PM. There was a sudden rush of people, and the queue stretched all the way to the door, taking about 20 minutes.
Check-in was smooth. I provided a credit card as security and was informed of the sauna facilities and breakfast hours. Staff were well prepared, friendly, and did their best. People with higher room categories were personally shown to their rooms via the lifts.
Luggage storage is available in a small room next to the reception. Many people chose to sit in the reception area or at one of the bars or restaurants.
There’s also a small shop area selling souvenirs.
The hotel’s decor was festive throughout, from Christmas trees everywhere to Santa statues and festive paper towels at breakfast. It had a lovely ambience.
The Room
We stayed in a double room that was a reasonable size, though not spacious, and had a lovely modern Nordic feel.
Our view was out toward a parking area at the back of the hotel, but it was still nice to watch the snow fall. Some rooms have incredible views over the city centre.
The room has high ceilings, effective blackout curtains, and efficient heating. Storage was adequate for two people, but there were no drawers or wardrobes, so everything was visible, though hangers were provided.
Storage was a shelving unit that included a heated shelf, which worked well for drying gloves and base layers overnight. It was not pointed out at check-in, but I quickly realised its purpose when the items I had left there were very warm the next morning. Above this was a laundry bag and a hairdryer.
The minibar was stocked with a mix of local and international options, including small bottles of red and white wine, Jägermeister, and other spirits, along with snacks. A safe, tea, and coffee-making facilities were also provided.
Wi-Fi was fast and reliable throughout our stay, with no issues when working or messaging. Soundproofing was generally good. We could occasionally hear noise from the corridor, particularly children running past, but there was no disturbance overnight.
Bathroom
The bathroom was large for a double room and had plenty of space to store toiletries.
The bath was a useful addition to warm up after a day outside. The shower also worked perfectly. There was soap, but no other toiletries were provided, which was a shame.
Other Room Types
As well as double or twin, you could also go for:
- Superior Double with Balcony
- Renovated Junior Suite
- Aurora Suite: bedroom, living room and balcony, sleeping up to six, with top-floor views and a private sauna
- Santa Claus Suite: corner suite with separate bedroom and living room, plus in-room jacuzzi and sauna
- Aurora Borealis Suite: large living area with two convertible sofa beds, dining table for up to 14 and bar area, with city and river views from the balcony
Most offer the option of an interconnecting room and extra bed(s).
Breakfast
Breakfast is served buffet-style at Restaurant Gaissa. It was an impressive buffet compared to the majority I’ve experienced. There was a wide range of choices; most items looked appealing and tasted great, too.
On some days, there were few tables available despite ample space, as tour groups departed for the airport or excursions around the same time. The DIY waffle station, which always seemed to attract a small queue, was especially popular, but otherwise, the buffet was well organised and regularly replenished. We rarely had to wait long for anything.
Drinks included juices, tea and machine-made filter coffee. Unfortunately, I found the coffee disappointing, especially given the excellent coffee I enjoyed elsewhere on the trip.
There was certainly a Nordic element, but the hotel also provided plenty of international options. There were cheeses, smoked salmon, herring and rye breads alongside crispbreads and various spreads.
Hot options included scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and baked beans, plus porridge with a good selection of toppings. I especially enjoyed trying the local jams. There are also yoghurts, cereals, fresh fruit and pastries.
Other Dining
Santa Claus Hotel has several on-site dining options, although there are plenty of alternatives within a few minutes’ walk. It’s always useful to have a good choice at the hotel itself, so you don’t have to put on all your outdoor gear again to walk down the road.
Restaurant Gaissa is the main restaurant and the location for breakfast. In the evenings, it serves up Lappish flavours with a modern twist. We had planned to eat here, but ran out of time; we heard excellent reviews from other guests.
The half-board rate includes a buffet dinner in the same restaurant. Reviews were less favourable than the à la carte option!
Next to reception, you’ll find the Nook Lounge, which also has a separate entrance from the street. Think cocktails, hot chocolate, small plates/snacks and a log fire. Also, an excellent spot for people watching outside.
Robert’s Coffee is also a good option for a quick warm-up drink and a sweet treat.
Other Facilities
One of the hotel’s great features was the sledges you could borrow. At many hotels, you had to buy or rent a sledge for your stay, and borrowing one made it very convenient; we borrowed one multiple times.
If you wish, you can also use the hotel’s laundry service (weekdays only). The hotel also has a small children’s play area, and sometimes activities are held there.
Sauna
Use of the saunas is complimentary for hotel guests, and it’s open for a 3-hour slot (usually 18:00-21:00). There is one for males and one for females. Some of the higher room categories have their own saunas, and some also offer views of the town from within.
Nearby Transport and Parking
On-site parking is available in an underground heated garage, though spaces are limited.
There is a taxi rank outside the hotel, but reception advised us that it is unofficial and recommended calling one of the Rovaniemi companies to avoid inflated fares. The hotel called taxis for us, and the driver met us in reception, which was very convenient.
The bus to Santa Claus village is across the road, and a short walk, and the free shuttle to Apukka Resort and Winter Wonderland is just a short walk away.
The Hotel Expansion
Santa’s Hotels is in the process of building Santa’s Hotel Noelle, opposite, which will open for the 2026 winter season.
The hotels will be connected via a pedestrian bridge. The hotels will have separate reception areas but share some things, such as breakfast.
Final Words
Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus is a great option if you want to stay in central Rovaniemi, have all the amenities you need, easy access to city sights and dining, plus quick transfers into the wilderness to tick off your Lapland bucket list. It’s the ideal base if you want to do activities independently.
For some, part of the Lapland experience is staying in a more remote location, and there are plenty of options, but the Santa Claus Hotel was ideal for this trip.
If I revisited Rovaniemi, I would stay in the city centre again and certainly consider the Santa Claus Hotel, but I would likely do so during a less busy time, such as February.
