The Arctic Treehouse Hotel is a truly inspirational must visit destination all year round and a proud recent Luxury Lifestyle Awards winner in the category of Best Luxury Hotel Brand in Finland. We spoke to Kenneth Tuomi, General Manager, to find out exactly what makes this hotel so extraordinary.

Luxury Lifestyle Awards: The Arctic Treehouse Hotel was built in a somewhat challenging location on the slopes of hilly mountainous beauty. How long did it take to build the hotel up to a habitable level? Can you describe some of the challenges that the hotel faced in terms of procuring building materials for the site and how you hosted the labor during this time?

Kenneth Tuomi: Actually, the building of the hotel went relatively smoothly and took us just under a year to complete. This was done through good planning, great partners and superb co-operation and dedication.

LLA: Opening a hotel of this nature must come with a relatively high level of risk and uncertainty. How does management feel now that the hotel has been awarded multiple sustainability and other prestigious awards such as the Luxury Lifestyle Awards?

KT: It´s true that there is always a certain level of risk in an investment like this, but we were confident in our unique concept and design and the magnetism of pure Lappish hospitality and nature. We have also been very lucky in finding motivated and highly skilled members into our team and they have played a big role in achieving acknowledgement for Arctic TreeHouse Hotel around the world.

LLA: The interior design style of the hotel is one of refined elegance and draws from the wonderous nature of the area, while not being too rustic.  Who is the interior designer of the hotel, and can you explain the design process to us?

KT: As you know, Arctic TreeHouse Hotel is a privately owned property. Before starting the project, the owners had a clear vision about what Arctic TreeHouse Hotel would look and feel like. Basically, it was just a question of finding the right partner to convert the vision into reality and this was done by a Finnish architect office Studio, Puisto.

LLA: We can quite clearly see how important sustainability is for the Arctic Treehouse Hotel. How have enhancements in technology helped the hotel in minimizing environmental impact?

KT: Sustainability is important for numerous reasons and technology has been an important factor. We use solar power and geothermal heating, we control temperatures and air-to-air heat pumps remotely and we are able to monitor and make necessary changes fast according to occupancy, personal preferences and the elements outside, which can be harsh here in Lapland by the way. All this helps us to minimize our carbon footprint and to be more sustainable.

LLA: It must be important for the Arctic Treehouse Hotel to procure quality goods and make use of the best quality brands in the hotel. Could you give us examples of partner brands and reasons why you make use of them?

KT: Quality of services and goods is in the core of our day-to-day life. We are also committed to locality and authenticity and hence we try and use carefully selected and locally or domestically produced goods in Rakas restaurant. When it comes to other elements in Arctic TreeHouse Hotel I could highlight many brands but instead I would say that what they have in common is quality combined with design, style and practicality.

LLA: The Arctic Treehouse Hotel seems to offer spectacular experiences for almost any time of the year, from Northern Lights to the Midnight Sun. Does the hotel ever shut down for maintenance or be forced to close when the weather becomes to inhospitable?

KT: Yes, we are proud to say that we have four beautiful seasons in Lapland with all having totally different attractions to them. Weather is never an issue, and we enjoy them all, it´s just a matter of appropriate clothing. We try to have May and June as our maintenance months, but we are very flexible and can provide services all year around.

LLA: The Arctic Treehouse Hotel has very good ratings and reviews on platforms like Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and other travel and hospitality platforms. What do you think the hotel does right to deserve these phenomenal evaluations?

KT: We love our guests and try always to make ever lasting memories for everyone. I think this reflects to our guests.

LLA: The Rakas Restaurant forms a large part of the Hotel’s offering, following a sustainable ethos by producing cuisine using local produce. Can you describe some of the popular dishes created in this line?

KT: One of the most popular dishes in Rakas is “Black Dust” with reindeer filet roasted with ash, Lappish potato pyre and fried cepés, with all ingrediencies sourced locally. In addition to that, locally sourced berries, fish and game meat is frequently used to create the most wonderful culinary experiences.

LLA: The Arctic Treehouse Hotel offers a number of experiences to complement the guest’s stay at the hotel, including biking, sledding, hiking, as well as Arctic floating, and romantic occasions. What time of the year is most popular and which events rank at the top as top choices?

KT: At the moment the most wanted time to visit us is in the snowy winter from December to March, but Lapland is beautiful in all seasons and we are happy that many guests have chosen to visit us also during summer and autumn when we have the midnight sun which means that the Sun doesn´t set and “Ruska” which is a Finnish term for the beautiful autumn colours of leaves before they fall off before winter. All activities are popular, but I would have to say that reindeer and husky safaris are the most popular ones.

For more information, visit https://arctictreehousehotel.com/