Scandic Pohjanhovi — Hotel in Rovaniemi sub-region

The only saving grace was the location. We booked well in advance for a 1 night stay. Paid $600 for a balcony room, only to arrive after a long day of travel from Florida to be told they had no balcony rooms available. They offered us $20 refund for the room difference and a free drink at the bar. We were told the room size was the same as the room we were supposed to be in, so being as jet lagged as we were, we took the room they had offered us and had available at that moment.

Upon entering the room we were hit with THE MOST nauseating, foul smell. We tried to brave it as it was only a one night stay, but simply couldn’t take the smell. My husband went back downstairs 40 mins after checking in to complain and miraculously a balcony room was suddenly readily available. It was clear they wanted to try and sell the room for a higher price since it was Christmas Eve and when they realized we would not go quietly they gave us the room we originally paid for. We felt lied to and taken advantage of.

Our first stinky room was very outdated, overlooking a roof and AC units and just didn’t feel clean, aside from the horrid smell. Our balcony room you can tell was “updated” and much larger than the first room they tried to pawn off on us, and facing the frozen lake, which was nice. Walls and doors are paper thin, we could clearly hear conversations going on in the adjoining rooms and hallways throughout our stay.

Positives: location, location, location. Close to bars and restaurants, airport, highways and train station.

While we appreciate the $20 refund and drinks offer, we did not appreciate being deceived with their false claim of our balcony room not...

I was working in Finland and needed to stay over the weekend in a mediocre town with not much to do, so I decided to jump in the train to Rovaniemi. I picked this hotel as they have some balcony rooms and my sole purpose for coming was to try to catch a view of the northern lights. I didn’t have appropriate clothing for traveling into the wilderness to find a spot free of city light pollution so was really hoping that they would be strong enough to be able to see. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. From my 5th floor balcony, they seemed so close that I could almost touch them. What a magical experience!

With regards to the hotel, it is a little dated but extremely well placed. The food is decent. Great breakfast selection. Family friendly. I had the sauna to myself at 6pm, which was delightful. The staff were so friendly, that makes for a better experience in general.

The room was ok. Comfortable bed. Small mini-bar. TV and a really comfy chair. I spent the first part of my night in the comfy chair watching the sky and waiting for someone to turn on the northern lights. I then alternated between sitting inside looking out, and going outside over the period of 3 hours while the light show was playing. Fantastic experience!!

As for the location, the hotel is a really short walk from a shopping street with lots of restaurants, shops and a mall with a cinema. It’s also walking distance to Arkitum museum and Pilke science center.

All-in-all, this was an exceptional experience and well worth the cost of the room with...

we paid for the hotel through booking three months earlier, we were looking for a room for 2 adults and a small child of 3 years old, and one room for teenagers, we got a room with two beds joined into one and two beds that can be removed from the closet, and one armchair on folding, when we asked for bedding for that armchair, they charged us an additional €60 with the excuse that they would give us another bed in the room for one more person, so we got a room with 4 beds for the 5 of us, we paid for an extra bed but it we didn't get it, as far as the reception is concerned, one shift is good and the other is a disaster, we were looking for a dinner table for New Year's Eve 2024, so it was €50 per person and one big Zero for the organization. New Year's Eve 2024 is not organized at all, the entrance fee to the restaurant is €50 for the buffet. dinner lasted from half past nine to ten. no music, no fireworks, nothing, nothing, nothing, if we had known that we would be waiting outside at minus 35 for the new year, I would never have come to that hotel. as for the accompanying facilities in the hotel, the water in the pool is so cold that you cannot enter it, and the saunas are messy, we will never enter this hotel again. This is a shame for the hospitality industry and for Finland. all in all, I promised them at the hotel that I would give them one big zero, because for the money we paid three months before, we traveled 3000 km to come to them, a total disappointment. disaster....