Santa's Lapland

"Some of the trip was magical - the husky ride, the reindeer ride, the snow and the darkness. The staff keeping us entertained as we queued for seeing Santa did a great job but it does not negate the fact that you are queueing outside with small children for over an hour in -20 degrees. The lunch food on the Santa excursion day is chaotic and incredibly basic. Spag bol for all, like it or not, no dietary requirements catered for. Get there as early as your slot allows in order to get a cramped seat! We signed up for the extra reindeer experience at a cost over over £300. The trip left before we arrived (we were on time) due to them immalgamiting with a previous event and Inghams/Santas Lapland/Esprit are not willing to refund our money. We asked for CCTV fromt eh hotel to prove our arrvial time and of course the CCTV is not working! With no one being able to prove our arrival time, Santas Lapland have chosen not to offer a refund. I am appalled. I would seriously consider the value of what you are getting before paying such significant amounts of money for the whole experience."

"Pontins at best First the good-The country and location are stunning and SOME staff amazing The bad- It cost £12k for a family of 6 for 3 nights. The room was tiny- think Holiday Express standard, at a push. The ugly- See attached photo a The two (not three ) bedrooms are so small you cannot close the door. Bare wires, single beds and stark grubby walls complete the ambiance My husband and I slept on the floor as the sofa bed provided (which was a surprise in itself ) was broken and resulted in our heads being either inside the sofa or on the floor if we turned around. Not ideal really. The included (buffet) food is inedible. When told staff that the kids’ food was cold , they shrugged and when eventually someone appeared, they attempted to slowly reheat the cooling meat. (Also not ideal) And don’t assume that being a ‘hotel’ that there will be any amenities within the room. Not even shampoo, soaps or tea bags. Towels are cheap thin and threadbare. Sheets crackle with static and there’s some suspicious mattress stains to boot. We were able to buy what we needed locally and ended up eating yoghurt or cereal in the mornings and paying to dine out at lunch and dinner. However, not everyone is able to do so when paying this amount for a holiday The search for Santa day was quite fun but the activities such as husky driving were very dangerous in places. The staff were cruel and disdainful when presented with any distress or concern. The included activities are pretty dire really and felt very much like ‘filler’, but again sledging was the big hit. Lunch on the excursion is one option only (spag Bol when we went) and no accommodations made for children with disabilities or conditions. The actual search for Santa is (spoiler) a 2 minute drive in the snow. Santa himself is decent enough but you get similar at the local garden centre. You then have a return trip back to where you started. It was however probably the highlight for the smaller children. If at any point during the trip we tried to seek help, they simply shrug, or tell you they can fill the hotel with coaches again tomorrow so don’t need you to come back. If you are considering this hotel I strongly suggest you think again. This was meant to be a once in a lifetime trip and frankly we feel we have been made fools of. It is essentially a Santa tax on a Pontins venue. To summarise; Location great. Hotel diabolical. You couldn’t pay me to come back to this resort. I’ve attached pics of the sleeping arrangements so that you’re in no doubt about what £4k a night for a 3 bed ‘suite’ gets you. It’s a huge shame, but I think they rely entirely on pretty instagram pics of the snow. However, you can get those in many places and feel significantly less ripped off while you’re at it."

"An unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience in breathtaking Saariselka. Our entire Lapland trip was full of magic & attention to detail from start to finish. We booked the Santa's Magic 2 night trip through Santa Claus Trips organised through Santa's Lapland. We stayed at the Holiday Club Hotel, type C, 2 bed apartment, bed & breakfast. Our apartment was nestled within a woodland area, a short walk from the main hotel building. Complete with sauna, drying cupboard, log fire & fully equipped kitchen. My boys loved sleeping up on the mezzanine floor & looking out of their little snowy window! The apartment was perfectly situated; having beautiful snowy scenery on your doorstep whilst being close to restaurants, the national park, tobogan runs & of course the hotel & its facilties. My boys loved the buffet style breakfast, where there were lots of choice from pancakes, fresh fruit & cooked breakfasts on offer. The spa was brilliant. My boys loved the saunas, pool, water slide & jacuzzi! The Santa's Lapland team were excellent. There were lots of staff on hand to help make your trip as magical as possible & spread the Christmas cheer! The search for Santa day was amazing. A brilliant itinerary for all ages. We travelled with a 3 & 8 year old who beamed all day long! The raindeer sleigh ride was a highlight for me & my hubby loved the husky ride. My boys loved everything! The temp was a mild -3/-8 & we didn't feel cold at all. The thermal suits & accessories supplied really do do their job. We loved that there were lots of log fires around to keep you warm as well as log fire tents serving complimentary cookies & pancakes! My only niggle with the organisation is that we were collected from our hotel 4 hours before our flight (coach journey is 30mins to airport) & I felt that we were robbed of an hour or so in the snow however this did not dampen our amazing adventure. Thank you team for helping us make magical memories that we will cherish for a lifetime!"

"We have just returned from Saarieselka Hotel Riekonlina on a 2 night 3 day trip. I cannot fault Santas Lapland staff and Reps. They helped us every step. We crammed in so many activities that our timings sometimes did not run according to schedule but staff just adapted and fixed it for us making everything work! We have done the exact same trip in 2016 at the same hotel with TUI, if you need a comparison based on first hand experience , book with Santas Lapland, by far the better operator."