Lapland Hotels Bear's Lodge

“Magical Lapland trip with TUI, amazing experience with a few improvements needed”

We went to Lapland with TUI and stayed at Lapland Bear’s Lodge, and overall it was an absolutely amazing experience. TUI really made the whole trip extra special and a lot of the magic came from them. From the airport the experience started straight away. We were greeted by an elf who took photos … more

We went to Lapland with TUI and stayed at Lapland Bear’s Lodge, and overall it was an absolutely amazing experience. TUI really made the whole trip extra special and a lot of the magic came from them. From the airport the experience started straight away. We were greeted by an elf who took photos with the children, and the staff were brilliant at keeping the magic alive. They even played along with my child’s custom made Lapland boarding pass, which was such a lovely touch. The flight itself was really good. Breakfast on board was nice, and the crew kept everyone awake and excited with games, music and jokes, which helped a lot after such an early start. When we arrived, the TUI reps were very easy to find as Captain T, (AKA Thomson the Dog), was there. We did have a short wait for the coach because one family hadn’t shown up, but once we were given the go ahead we set off quickly. Collecting the snow suits was super fast and organised. They somehow just know what sizes you need by looking at you. You don’t try anything on here, you just get given a big bag with everything in it. Our first impression of the hotel wasn’t great, and this is the main reason I’ve dropped a star. Check in isn’t until 4pm, which would be fine if there was somewhere to go or something to do until then. Instead, everyone ended up packed into the lobby and restaurant. There was nowhere to sit, luggage everywhere, children and babies crying, and it felt very chaotic. We couldn’t even get changed into our snow gear as there was nowhere to change, so we ended up ordering lunch and then changing in the corridor. It would really help if there was a luggage room and a space to get changed on arrival day. (or check in to be earlier!) This would free up the restaurant for people who actually want to eat and encourage others to head outside and enjoy the snow. There is also a much larger restaurant at the back which was closed during the day and opening this on arrival day would make a huge difference. It was very stressful and not the magical arrival we were hoping for. We did order lunch though and although a small, limited menu, it was really tasty! Apart from that, most things were fantastic. Our room had bunk beds and was a good size. It did feel like it could do with a refurb as there were a few bits that were broken or a bit tired, but the beds were very comfortable and the room felt cosy. We slept with the curtains open every night to watch the snow fall, which was lovely. The shower was great after a cold day. A better radiator or drying space for wet clothes would have been useful. There was a cupboard in the bathroom that we assumed was for drying clothes, but we weren’t sure if it worked or what it was meant for. It didn't seem to give off any heat? Food was average and will depend on how fussy you are. Breakfast was nice enough. Dinner options were a bit limited. I managed to find something to eat every night, but my partner struggled as he is more fussy. Children’s options were good. Desserts could definitely be improved. There is a small shop on site for souvenirs which was reasonably priced, but the drinks/alcohol is very expensive. We were paying around £20 to £25 for two alcoholic drinks and one soft drink. One of the things that really makes this hotel is the scenery. It is absolutely stunning and exactly what we were hoping for. Snow as far as you can see, and the frozen lake gives so much space for children to play. TUI and the hotel run activities throughout the day on the lake including tobogganing, children’s snowmobiling, ice hockey, football and hot berry juice. All of this is included and unlimited, and everything felt very safe with staff supervising each activity. Now onto TUI.... The TUI taster day was honestly one of the best days of my life and something I will remember forever. It was so well organised and packed with experiences that it didn’t feel like a taster at all. It basically made our whole trip. We started with a coach journey into the forest and could hear the huskies barking before we even saw them. The husky ride was a short loop, but more than enough in my opinion. After that we went on a snowmobile ride which lasted an enjoyably long time and took us through the forest to a beautiful little cabin with fairy lights. Inside was Santa. I don’t care what anyone says, he was the real Santa. It was a private meeting, very personal and extremely magical. We were given a small gift which was a lovely touch. We then got back on the snowmobile and travelled back through the forest. Although you don’t drive the snowmobiles yourself and sit in a sleigh instead, the ride was genuinely brilliant. Later we visited the reindeer area and another frozen lake where we played in the snow. Once everyone arrived back from their Santa visit, we were invited into a tent around an open fire where a reindeer herder told stories and shared some Finnish history, which was a really nice way to warm up. After that, the children did gingerbread decorating. Lunch was also included that day back at the hotel. The staff throughout were fun, friendly and genuinely lovely. We also did Elf School back at the hotel, which was okay. (it was very much like the evening entertainment.) On our free day we went to Santa’s Village. We did Snowman World, Mrs Claus, Elf Hat Academy and Santa’s Pets where we fed the reindeer. An Uber cost around 50 to 60 euros each way, but it was worth it. All the activities were great. Snowman World was brilliant for the ice slides and ice bar, Mrs Claus was a lovely personal experience with a photo included, Santa’s Pets was great value and Elf Hat Academy was also really fun. We also loved waving at our family on the live camera in the main square. Overall, I would recommend this hotel mainly for the TUI experience, the taster day that comes with it, the nearby Santa’s Village, the stunning location and the snow activities at the hotel. There is definitely room for improvement with the check in process and food, but the magic created by TUI and the experiences more than made up for it.

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“The best Christmas!”

We travelled as a family of four and had the best Christmas. I will make my review constructive with a few pointers that I hope will be helpful. I am going to review our experience, the hotel and Tui. I want to start off by saying that I read a lot of people saying how magical Lapland is and I was … more

We travelled as a family of four and had the best Christmas. I will make my review constructive with a few pointers that I hope will be helpful. I am going to review our experience, the hotel and Tui. I want to start off by saying that I read a lot of people saying how magical Lapland is and I was curious as to whether we would experience this ‘magic’. It was an incredible stay with a few minor, minor issues but overall, it was truly wonderful. We were first met by elves at the airport which was a nice touch. Whilst waiting to board, there was a snow ball fight with the elves with fluffy balls. This was lovely for the kids. After an hour on the flight, we were given a meal which included orange juice, a veg patty, an omelette and beans. The kids were given an activity pack including a competition but the Tui staff said this would be completed upon our return but this didn’t happen. When we landed, it was quite a long wait for our luggage. The airport is small and a lot of people congregate in the middle of the pathways without any common sense to wait by the side so that was frustrating but once we were out of the airport, we went onto our named ‘Snowflake’ coach where an ‘elf’ talked us through the next step. We went to pick up our thermals. We were told not to try them on which I believe was different to the previous guests due to how long it takes. We were fine with this. Prior to this, there was some inconsistent information regarding whether the thermals were actually thermals or a water proof overall. We didn’t want to risk it so we brought our own things with us. We were kindly given thermals which was indeed a full thermal suit with boots and gloves. They also gave us socks, scarves and hats which Tui never mentioned before. Had we were given the correct information, we would have saved a lot of money however in saying that, the thermals that were given did smell a bit damp. At the hotel, we were told to tag up our luggage and it would be dropped off to our cabin. We then went to a Tui meet and greet. Prior to this, we received an email the day before from the rep giving us some information and letting us know we could email them for further info. I did do this but the rep never got back to me at all so that was futile. Our cabin was beautiful although slightly dated. We had full view of the frozen lake. We had a fireplace and a sauna. We enjoyed staying in the cabin however, the main room downstairs was cold due to gaps in the corners of the walls so if that is sealed up, no draft would come through over your head when sleeping. This can be easily fixed. The gap was quite big. In the cabin you get: Firewood (a whole closet room worth), soap in the bathroom, washing up liquid, coffees and tea. Bring a sponge and if you are staying half board, bring your own food for that. We brought cous cous, rice, snacks and soups with us. Old pictures on tripadvisor showed the TV having a DVD but when I enquired, the hotel said they replaced the TV with a smart TV. However, if you have standard Netflix with ads, it won’t work. The cabin has a kitchenette which includes a microwave, hob, fridge and kettle. There is a terrace too with a Christmas tree that was lit which was a nice touch. If you have ever been to centre parcs, that is extra so it being included was great. The Santa day was spectacular. It truly was the best day. We were the last slot which I appreciated because it meant we got day light compared to the previous morning groups. We started at 10.15am and went on a 10min coach ride. We got a husky ride (one lap) then was whisked away on a snow mobile to see Santa who gave a cute gift to the kids. The Santa spent time with our kids and didn’t rush. He interacted well so this was lovely as grottos in the UK are questionable. We went back onto the snow mobile to see reindeers before a local brought us into a tippee to tell a lovely story about the history. The final part of the morning included Gingerbread decorating. There is a little shop where you can get hot chocolate there too which was quite nice (2 euros). Finally, we went back to the hotel where there was snowmobiling, sledging, glogi and ice hockey for the kids before graduating at elf school. Lunch was provided which again wasn’t clear by Tui. Before I talk about the lunch I want to say that that we generally enjoyed the food at the hotel. There was choice although not the same as an all inclusive in a hot country, but there were options. Breakfast included an English breakfast, fruit, yogurt and cereal. I don’t eat English breakfast so I cannot comment on that but the scrambled eggs were really yummy and so was the orange juice. We enjoyed the food on the first two nights as it was tasty and the options were great. The soup was very delicious and so was the pasta although it was al dente at times. Back to the lunch that was provided on the Tui Santa Day. The food options for lunch were quite poor and limited. If you are veg then it was just chips and plain pasta. My kids are not fussy eaters and enjoy good food so the food that was provided on this day for lunch was shocking. I don’t consider plain pasta and chips proper food so we were disappointed with that. We did expect the staff to be super cheery and excited but they were not. I thought perhaps they were tired from working throughout the Christmas period but did see other travellers comment the same. They were friendly and pleasant enough but expected better interaction especially because it was Christmas. They did accommodate my son’s allergy though and brought him out fruit and sorbet which we did appreciate, so thank you for that. The next day we visited SCV and booked a taxi from the hotel. We were told it was 80 euros but when our taxi driver came he asked us where to (which was already noted when booking) and told us he charges 94. We told him that we were told it was a fixed price of 80. He then agreed and was fine about that. SCV was a good morning out although it does become packed out. We arrived there at 9am and it soon became quite busy. We bought some lovely souvenirs so definitely have a look around. Coming back, we could not call the original taxi driver. We were given the company’s card and info but the phone kept ringing out. There were other taxi drivers but they were charging 200 euros which we declined. The manager at the Santa Claus Holiday Village very kindly helped us out so I will be writing a review for them thanking them for their help. The frozen lake at the hotel is beautiful, especially the forest however they are missing a trick here as we discovered a ski lift and some skis. We were told this was for a private company but we would have paid money to have the experience right on the lake. We didn’t really make use of the TUI entertainment so I can’t comment on that. The festive gala was very underwhelming. The word festive gala was overused and it didn’t live up to its name. It was just another dinner. The turkey was thick and tough, the potatoes were hard as well. Apart from some of the Tui staff running around in costume and primarily stationed by the main tables, it wasn’t not festive never mind a gala. If it was sold as a standard Christmas style dinner then fair enough but the term festive gala gave me high expectations. The dinner on the first night was better. We love our food and cook regularly so we felt the Christmas dinner was anticlimactic. Overall, we had an incredible stay and although there were some minor things, that didn’t spoil our time. It was truly magical. The Tui Santa day was the best. The flight back was straight forward with a meal on the plane. The airport is quite small but it was smooth enough. We enjoyed the cabin because the views were breath taking and we felt quite remote which was nice and peaceful. The kids loved the sledging which they did daily, as did we. It is a great location so for that, we would definitely come back. The food was mainly good with some items on the menu not so great. We would come back though because we didn’t go to Lapland for the food, we went for the Christmas atmosphere, the snow and Father Christmas. We also went for the snow activities and as a bonus, we saw the Northern Lights quite regularly. Tips: The Northern lights can be seen around 7-8pm so keep an eye out for that. Bring food for lunch. Bring a hot water bottle. If you are using Netflix, ad versions won’t work from a UK account. Unsure if it will for Disney but they have Youtube. Visit the forest at the back of the lake but take care of some melted parts in the middle of the lake.

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“Superior Cabin”

We booked this hotel through TUI labelled as the Winter Wonderland Hotel and Log Cabins. To keep this review fair to the hotel and TUI respectively, I have rated the hotel only and will cover TUI separately within this review. THE HOTEL We stayed in a Superior Cabin, with Jacuzzi/ whirlpool bath,… more

We booked this hotel through TUI labelled as the Winter Wonderland Hotel and Log Cabins. To keep this review fair to the hotel and TUI respectively, I have rated the hotel only and will cover TUI separately within this review. THE HOTEL We stayed in a Superior Cabin, with Jacuzzi/ whirlpool bath, sauna and 4 beds. Unfortunately, the jacuzzi/ whirlpool bath didn't work and had a fault on its controller. The sauna also did not work. Needless to say this was very disappointing. We would have contacted hotel reception to try to rectify these issues, however the reception were very unhelpful in being able to offer advice on how to work the fireplace - so it was assumed that they didn't care too much about things working properly in our cabin. When we were there the outside temperature was minus 25 degrees and the cabin was cold at night, this wasn't helped by the fact the radiator in the downstairs bedroom never worked. In general the cabin felt poorly maintained and in need of some refurbishment. The cabin was not as such a cosy place to rest as I hoped it would be. It would have also been nice to have a drying room. Inside the hotel, there was very minimal communal areas to sit with a drink from the bar. There was also a small shop at reception. Breakfast and dinner was available, and had a few options to choose from. There was always something different at dinner. At busy times, food ran out and sometimes staff had to be alerted to this. TUI We have stayed in Lapland with TUI before and therefore found ourselves comparing this break against our previous. It took 2-3 hours from landing at Rovaniemi airport to arriving at the hotel, with a stop in between to collect thermal wear. On the coach we was advised to 'try everything on' but once in there, some people were hurried by the rep to get back on the coach as the hotel had its own facility for exchanges if needed. Unfortunately, not everyone got this message, hence the 2-3 hour journey from airport to hotel. FYI the hotel facility was great for exchanges. Arriving at the hotel, tired and hungry at 6pm, we was hurried into a welcome meeting which lacked any kind of atmosphere, no welcome drink, no information about hotel or local area, or the included activities to see santa, just given the hard sell on excursions. The next day was 'Santa and tasters day'. This included organised activities at the hotel grounds, where other TUI hotel guests were also brought to (this occurred almost everyday regardless of if it was your santa day or not). Organised activities at the hotel was, sledging and mini-snowmobiling, football and hockey with elves. On this day TUI provided lunch at the hotel, as well as 'elf school'. Lunch was ok, as was the school. From the hotel, TUI transported guests by coach to a short distance away, where husky sledding tasters happen. The husky sledding was short, but good enough. You are then transported in a trailer attached to a snowmobile to a cottage in a quiet area, where you meet Santa. Our kids truly believed he was the real deal! Kids aged 7 and 9. After santa, you can meet some reindeer and play in the snow before heading into a teepee Kota with roaring fire where a spiritual Finnish person talks about daily life. From here, it's onto the last activity, decorating gingerbread men with icing! It should be noted, that the order of the day depended upon which group you was placed into with Santa day starting for some at 8am up to 11am and the activities could be done in reverse order. Every night TUI provided kids entertainment, this was OK. We only stayed for 'singers etc' on the finale dinner night. The entertainment on finale night was wholesome and enjoyed by all. The finale dinner was separate and didn't really warrant any particular praise. OTHER The hotel is about 18 miles/ 30 minutes drive from Rovaniemi. Having previously stayed in Lapland with TUI, we opted against their excursions for our two other full days, having picked the hotel due to its fairly close proximity to the city. Although the hotel was in a remote location, taxis were fairly easy to find leaving and returning. We generally used Uber, which was always the cheapest option. On our 2nd day though we couldn't find a taxi to leave via Uber and the hotel advised booking in advance through themselves was the best option, we were lucky - a taxi was almost immediately available through them. We visited Lapland Winter Park for about €40 one-way (Uber). LWP was such a fantastic day out and we would fully recommend. You could also add a reindeer sleigh ride and other activities on here. We also visited Santa Claus Village for €80 one-way (booked through hotel) and €60 return (via Uber). We really wanted to visit here due to its infamy. Unfortunately, SCV didn't feel like anything special apart from getting a few photos of the landmark and visiting the post office. However we did book a 'husky meet and greet' at Husky Park - you could also do a husky sled ride if wanted, but again was happy with the TUI taster so didn't. We also visited Aurora Horses and had a tranquil horse pulled sleigh ride with another cosy Kota experience to finish. The remote location of the hotel was perfect for viewing the northern lights also. We was very lucky to witness them two nights in a row! VERDICT The hotel was OK. Food was decent. The superior cabin was disappointing. TUI provided a lovely santa day and tasters. The location of the hotel was remote, but close enough to visit other places without TUI. I would recommend staying here for a TUI Lapland break and imagine that staying here during summer is also beautiful due to its location.

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“Mixed Feelings – Amazing Elves, Disappointing Service”

Mixed Feelings – Amazing Elves, Disappointing Service We recently visited for the taster days, and while there were some magical moments, the logistics and service left a lot to be desired. The Lodges & Activities The lodge itself was perfect—comfortable and exactly what we needed. A huge shouto… more

Mixed Feelings – Amazing Elves, Disappointing Service We recently visited for the taster days, and while there were some magical moments, the logistics and service left a lot to be desired. The Lodges & Activities The lodge itself was perfect—comfortable and exactly what we needed. A huge shoutout to the elves, who were absolutely amazing and truly made the taster days special for the kids. Service & Facilities Unfortunately, the resort experience fell short in several areas: Check-in: A 4:00 PM check-in time is quite late, and it was made worse by the tiny reception area. Having everyone arrive at once in such a cramped space was chaotic. Staff: The receptionist was rude and not helpful in the slightest, which is the last thing you want after a long journey. Baby Facilities: This was a major issue. There are no baby changing toilets in the hotel. I was forced to change nappies either on a public sofa or trek all the way back to our lodge. Dining: The food was very basic—it "filled a hole" but wasn't a culinary highlight. Drinks are also incredibly expensive, so I highly recommend bringing your own snacks and beverages. Travel & Location On our free day, we visited Santa’s Village. Be warned: a taxi is roughly 120 Euros each way. We managed to find someone to taxi-share with on one leg of the trip to cut costs, but it is a significant expense to plan for. Verdict While the "magic" parts (the lodge and the elves) were great, the poor management and lack of basic facilities for parents were frustrating. I would go back to the area, but I would definitely stay elsewhere next time.

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