ONGA Boutique Lodge — Hotel in Alta

My wife and I felt pampered at the Onga Boutique Lodge in late January when we visited to try to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). I think we were 1 of perhaps 2 cabins that were occupied for the entire property. Elena, the manager, was wonderful. Sami, the gourmet chef, was a delight and quite adept at the culinary arts. The driver and doer of odd jobs, Torre, was very helpful. We were well fed: there was a breakfast buffet; there was lunch; there was tea (and cake and sparkling wine) in the afternoon; then there was dinner with a culinary explanation from Sami. Dinner became a highly anticipated culinary experience, which always exceeded our expectations. ||Cabin #4 at Onga, a Superior Double Room, was very nice. We loved the heated floor in the bathroom and loved, loved the outdoor hot tub and sauna. One concern was that the only storage space was a few shelves and a hanger rack by the front door. For a few days, we could live out of our suitcases on the floor. We brought warm weather gear, including Yaktrax traction cleats which we really only needed on the last night at the Lodge during our Aurora Walk.||There was a timer associated with the private sauna for our cabin. Torre explained its use when we arrived. We learned how to set it so that the sauna would be ready when we wanted it. It is designed for sitting up, and not for lying flat. We had no problems with that, and thought about how to get one for back home in the USA.||I liked that we could snowshoe on our own at the Lodge--an included activity. We had planned to snowshoe to check out the valley where the Lodge is located. To me, the purpose of snowshoeing is to get out into the wilderness, which the Lodge certainly provides. Unfortunately I pulled a muscle during the 2nd day of our visit, and we had to skip snowshoeing as well as one of the offered activities, the Frozen River Walk.||Another activity that was offered is the nightly escorted Aurora Walk. It was cancelled the 1st night, because of cloudy conditions. We did do the walk the 2nd night to enjoy the views of the Northern Lights that were quite prominent. I used my tripod with my smartphone to get some time-lapse videos. We could see the Northern Lights across most of the sky from the front of our cabin, and we could see along the length of the valley from our outdoor hot tub behind our cabin. Our smartphones, iPhones, took great pictures in Night Mode, even though our phones are 2 to 3 generations old. ||Something unique at the Onga Lodge are Aurora Domes at one end of the property. They are basically geodesic glass igloos with a wood pellet stove for warmth on the cold winter nights for observing the Aurora Borealis; you could sleep there if you wanted. To me, there was too much light reflection from the stove on the glass walls for stargazing or observing the Aurora. If the light could be blocked safely, they would provide a...

A Magical Northern Escape – Thoughtful Hospitality in Every Detail My friend and I had a truly memorable stay at Onga. From the moment we arrived, we felt so well cared for—like guests in a cozy, artfully curated home rather than a hotel. We booked a Superior room for four nights, which came with access to a private sauna, jacuzzi, and their enchanting Aurora dome—perfect for stargazing and watching the Northern Lights, which I was lucky enough to see two nights in a row.

The lodge is run by a warm and delightful team who clearly take pride in creating an intimate, welcoming experience. They went above and beyond to accommodate our dietary needs (with sufficient notice) and seamlessly coordinated activities both on and off the property. Their attention to detail made everything feel effortless on our end.

Onga fully embraces the philosophy of ‘slow travel’—inviting you to unplug, savor, and reconnect with nature—yet they remained incredibly attentive and responsive to our preferences. The frozen river walk was an unexpected highlight and one of my favorite moments of the trip.

This place is a true gem for anyone seeking tranquility, connection, and a bit of magic in the...

I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT ONGA LODGE! I went with 2 friends & we experienced only incredible service from the moment I emailed about possible accommodations. Elena was beyond responsive, even across multiple time zones! We arrived in Alta missing one checked bag but Tore assured us they would fully handle it, retrieve the bag and handle all logistics. & they did! The food was phenomenal & Sami accommodated every dietary need! Elena scheduled beautiful snowmobiling & dogsledding adventures for us providing memories for a lifetime! They even stopped dinner service on more than one occasion just to come tell us the lights were out & can be transient so we should come out to view and photo them instead of finishing dinner. I can’t begin to convey the level of care, comfort & personal connection we had at Onga. I share with all my friends that they should visit Norway, but I tell EVERYONE that they should go stay at Onga. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime Elena, Tore, Sami & the whole Onga family! I hope I can still find availability once word gets out and everyone knows...