Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläs, Lapland, Finland

On By Little Miss TravellerIn Finland, Lapland, Northern Europe, Recommended Stays

Hotel Review

Location:

Lapland Hotels, Saaga is a year round resort hotel situated 175 km north of the arctic circle in Ylläs, Lapland.  The Ylläs area comprises the two villages of Äkaslompolo on the northern side of Ylläs fell and Ylläsjarvi to the south which are connected by a scenic road.

Lapland Hotels, Saaga, Ylläs
Lapland Hotels, Saaga, Ylläs

Although it sounds remote, Ylläs is actually quite easily accessible from Helsinki as there are daily connecting flights to Kittilä a 40 km, one hour drive.  For those visitors preferring to travel by train there is also the option of taking the overnight sleeper VR train to Kolari which is also close by.

Arrival and check-in:

We arrived at the hotel at around 1.30 p.m. 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled check-in time so were pleased to discover that our rooms were ready and we could settle in straightaway.

Hotel reception, Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläs
The hotel reception

The reception lobby has a rustic appearance with its walls clad in pine logs and seating surrounding a large fireplace, perfect to gather around during the winter ski season.

Lobby lounge, Hotel Saaga, Ylläs
The hotel’s lobby lounge

The Room:

The hotel has 84 guest rooms with my room being at the end of a long corridor on the second floor.  Although I had taken the lift up to this floor I noticed that the room actually had a ground floor terrace as it is built into a hill.

Lapland Hotels Saaga, Standard room
My room at the Saaga Hotel

The rustic theme of the lobby continued into the room with its traditional Finnish pine clad walls and a bed settee upholstered in a Lappish design.  Apart from the lack of a kettle, the room had everything necessary for a comfortable stay and was flooded with natural light from its patio doors.

Fell side views from rooms at Saaga Hotel, Ylläs
My room had a terrace with views out onto the fells

As the temperature was around 30 degrees the lack of tea making facilities didn’t bother me too much as sparkling water seemed more refreshing in the heatwave.

Dining:

Breakfast is included in the room rate for all guests staying at the hotel which isn’t always the case elsewhere causing prices to rise substantially once this has been added.  We had busy days ahead of us but I managed to get up early each morning to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

Breakfast buffet, Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläs
The extensive breakfast buffet

In fact, I was extremely impressed with the vast selection of items on offer, many of them sourced locally including Lappish cheese, arctic lingonberries, cloudberries and lightly smoked salmon.

Breakfast at Hotel Saaga, Ylläs
Breakfast at the hotel

Dinner: On one of the evenings we chose to dine in the hotel restaurant and were so pleased that we did as the meal and ambiance of the restaurant were splendid.

Lapland Hotel Saaga, Restaurant
Lapland Hotel Saaga, Restaurant

I couldn’t resist having the Finnish favourite of a large bowl of creamy salmon and potato soup as my main course followed by a spruce flavoured gateau.  It was such a warm evening that we ordered blueberry mocktails which quenched our thirst nicely.

The Facilities: 

The hotel has a large indoor swimming pool, two jacuzzis, a steam room and sauna for guests use and we visited prior to dinner on the first evening.

Swimming pool, Saaga Hotel, Ylläs
The hotel’s swimming pool

The spa was in immaculate condition and we were able to experience each of the facilities on offer.  At the shallow end of the pool a video screen was demonstrating aquarobic exercises so we spent awhile following the instructions which was fun and hopefully beneficial.

Reception and gift shop, Saaga Hotel, Ylläs, Finland
The hotel reception and gift shop

There’s also a cosy bar lounge, gift shop, well equipped children’s playroom and a storage room for winter sports equipment enabling guests to ski in and out of the hotel.

Hotel Saaga, Ylläs Lounge bar
The hotel’s attractive lounge bar

Wi-Fi worked well throughout the building and we didn’t encounter any connectivity issues.  Outside is a large free car park equipped with some heated plug in points for winter visitors.

Suggested dining options in Äkaslompolo, Ylläs:

To complement the excellent dining experience of the Saaga Hotel I’ve put together some suggestions of other restaurants in the area that we visited and I think you would also enjoy.

Rouhe: fine dining in a casual atmosphere serving the best of local produce.  The restaurant is housed in a typical Finnish wood clad building a little out of town.

Rouhe Restaurant, Ylläs, Finland
Rouhe Restaurant

I would have enjoyed everything on the menu but settled on Arctic char with Lappish new potatoes and asparagus as I prefer to sample dishes that I don’t usually eat at home.

Dinner at Rouhe restaurant, Ylläs
My main of arctic char at Rouhe Restaurant

The fish was beautifully plated and tasted fresh and flavoursome.  Service was friendly and attentive and I have returned home with fond memories of spending an evening there.  Restaurant Rouhe

Jolie Lounge & Cafe: close to the lake side.  This contemporary styled cafe/restaurant is open throughout the day and has a light and airy interior decorated in Nordic shades of pale grey and blue.  The menu offers home made Lappish delicacies along with staples such as healthy salads, pizza and soups.  On display in a chiller cabinet at the counter were an irresistible selection of cakes and pastries.

Lunch at Jolie Restaurant, Ylläs
Lunch at Jolie restaurant

We called in for lunch after a morning’s kayaking and enjoyed pizzas and Lappish cheese salads with glasses of freshly squeezed blueberry juice.  Jolie Lounge and Cafe.

Public House Selvä Pyy – located in the centre of Äkaslompolo village next to the main shopping centre where you will find some excellent gift shops stocking Finnish designer items such as Marimekko and Pentik.

Public House Selvä Pyy, Ylläs
Public House Selvä Pyy

The pub is open from 12.00 until 02.00 and is popular with both locals and visitors to the area.  It has a welcoming interior with cosy seating and a stage where live music frequently takes place.  As well as seating up to 120 indoors there’s also a large outdoor terrace accommodating a further 100.

Interior of Public House Selva Pyy, Ylläs
The pub’s attractive interior

The menu focusses on classic pub fare with summer specials of summer pea soup and slow cooked pork.  Portions are generous and good value with a wide range of beers and ciders.  Public House Selva

Overall:

Lapland Hotels Saaga is located in one of the best positions in the Ylläs area being just five minutes walk from the main gondola lift making it ideal for summer visitors who enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking.  It’s also perfectly placed for winter ski holidays as you can just ski across to the lift station from the hotel.

Hotel Saaga, Ylläs, Finland
The Lapland Hotel’s Saaga Hotel

Whilst rooms are perhaps a little on the plain side, they are of a good standard, have stunning views and are spotlessly clean.  Public areas are beautifully appointed and guests are made to feel very welcome.  Dining at the hotel is first class both for dinner and the lavish breakfast buffet.  There was a group of Swiss tourists staying at the hotel at the same time as us and speaking to them in the lobby, they agreed with me that the Saaga was a lovely place to stay.

During my visit I was a guest of Visit Ylläs as a Lapland Ambassador 2022 and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.

 

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Saaga Lapland Hotel, Yllas

 

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33 thoughts on “Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläs, Lapland, Finland”

    1. Thank you for your interest in my recent trip to Finnish Lapland. I was there at the end of June, early July this summer. For 45 days the sun never sets above the arctic circle making it a magical experience. From around now the northern lights become visible and over the winter months the area is blanketed in thick snow just perfect for partaking in winter sports.

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  10. The hotel looks amazing! A large bowl of creamy salmon and potato soup and spruce flavoured gateau – yes, please. For some reason, I couldn’t see any of the photos on WordPress despite trying on multiple devices. However, all the pictures are perfectly viewable on you website. Not sure what that’s all about and if there might be others experiencing the same issue.

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    1. Thanks for your interest in my review of the Lapland Hotels Saaga Leighton. Creamy salmon soup served anywhere in Finland is my absolute favourite whatever the time of year. Thanks for alerting me to your problems in viewing the photos of this post on WordPress. I’ve just tried and it seems OK and so far no-one else has mentioned it but it’s very strange. It’s so kind that you took the time to view it from my website so thanks for that. Enjoy the rest of the weekend both of you.

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  12. So much natural lighting at the hotel! I’m usually not one for breakfast (let alone breakfast buffets at hotels), but that breakfast spread looks so enticing! Glad you enjoyed your time in Lapland. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Lapland is gorgeous Alison during the summer when the sun never sets. Kayaking was fun and I took some photos with my phone and of the other two girls. I’m sure they took some of me too which would have been nice to see but haven’t got them yet. Hope your weekend is going welll.

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