During the short drive from Rovaniemi Airport to Octola II, the new sister property to the original Octola, I’m told no fewer than four times that I cannot share the lodge’s location.
Secrecy is the closely protected USP. Both lodges sit somewhere within 800 private hectares of forest in Finnish Lapland, their exact coordinates guarded. I took a sneaky look at the map on my phone – it showed nothing more helpful than an unnamed road disappearing into woodland.
I ask if all guests receive the same gentle but firm warning. They do – and most seem to enjoy it. The original lodge reportedly has a 94 percent repeat guest rate, while Octola II had a waiting list before construction had even begun.
Staying here isn’t as simple as making a booking. Both properties are invite-only, with prospective guests required to submit an application and pass background checks. Janne Honkanen, founder and owner of Luxury Action and Octola Private Wilderness, tells me some have been turned away for having the “wrong reputation.” Interpret that how you will.
When I arrive, the first thing I see is a bar carved entirely from ice. A matching stein sits on top of it, alongside stools draped in fur throws and a roaring fire nearby. Our guide, Max, explains it was created for a previous guest’s stay. Apparently, the team here is known for going to unusual lengths: building temporary houses for weddings, or staging elaborate theatre productions where guests become part of the story.
Octola I and II are both located on their own 800 hectares estates. The Octola II Ultra Lodge is actually bigger in size than Octola I Lodge, although it does have fewer bedrooms. Octola I has ten bedrooms (including a Glass Igloo Suite) while Octola II has just five. The rooms vary noticeably in size and finish.
The master suite feels suitably indulgent, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the snow-covered forest, a private sauna, freestanding bathtub, his-and-hers showers, and a hot tub on the terrace. But the adjacent bedroom is simpler, with two single beds (which can be set up as a double).
Details matter here. On arrival, I’m handed a pair of thick sheep’s wool socks, handmade by a local elderly woman. Each pair carries its own pattern; apparently it’s a dying skill that few people in the area still practice. Soon after, plates of warm cinnamon rolls appear. Honkanen tells me they remind him of his grandmother’s home, and he wants guests to feel the same sense of welcome.
Other details are perhaps less considered. My suite comes with a Remington hairdryer which, for a new opening of this calibre, is slightly surprising. Where’s the Dyson?!
Hair woes aside, the lodge itself is spectacular. The main dining and living area is framed by vast floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over a wilderness blanketed in snow. A roaring fire burns beneath a stone chimney – the stones were hand-picked during the summer months, Honkanen tells me, pointing out one heart-shaped piece he chose to represent the “heart” of the property.
Despite the grandeur, the space feels relaxed and communal. At dinner, my group and I sunk into the sofas in between mouthfuls of roasted reindeer, all wearing the aforementioned wool socks.
After eating, I end up in the entertainment lounge, playing snooker or darts. There’s a well-stocked bar – including Finnish whisky by Kyrö – a cigar humidor, and a karaoke machine. Elsewhere, a children’s playroom sits alongside a professional-grade gym which is better equipped than in some five-star hotels. The lodge also has a small treatment room for massages, a sauna, a steam room, and an outdoor jacuzzi.
But this isn’t a place you come to lounge indoors. Hundreds of private hectares stretch in every direction. A reindeer farm sits on the estate, or you can mount a snowmobile and carve through the snow. I visited in February, when the landscape was blanketed in thick, fluffy snow; trees bent under the weight, and the landscape felt almost trippy. A glass igloo lies along a trail where you can toast s’mores over the fire inside.
If you’re feeling brave – or, in my case, emboldened by whisky – you can take a dip in a frozen-over pond. Controlling your breathing is essential. Honkanen gives me some advice to test my limit: 15 seconds at first, then gradually longer. I managed a good stint before scurrying straight to the nearby roaring hot sauna. For something more traditional, there’s also a savusauna – a chimney-less sauna heated by burning wood for hours. Be warned: it coats the interior in soot, so avoid touching the walls.
The entertainment lounge has a snooker table, darts board, a well-stocked bar (including Finnish whisky by Kyrö) a cigar humidor, and a karaoke machine.
Octola II has an in-lodge spa with a sauna, steam room, treatment room, and an outdoor jacuzzi.
Guests can go snowmobiling through Octola's hundreds of private hectares.
Octola II is clearly luxe and the adventures are good fun. But what stands out the most to me is the complete and utter quiet. It’s almost uncomfortable at times; I am so used to that low hum of background noise that the absence of it feels slightly jarring. I can hear my own breath. Honkanen says this is by design, there’s no background music playing at any point of my visit. “Guests would come here and say ‘it’s unbelievable, I can breathe.’ I’d ask them to describe the feeling to me; they say it's like using both lungs instead of just one.”
Curious about guests’ reactions, Honkanen began to conduct his own research into the air quality of the area. He contacted professors at Helsinki and Lapland universities who were measuring the air particles in Lapland and comparing it to places like New York, Milan, and parts of India. Research from WHO and the University of Helsinki shows that spending one week in extremely clean air can increase your life expectancy. For someone from India, the estimated gain is around 27 hours.
As the Octola estate is surrounded by vast Arctic forests with extremely low population density, there’s practically no nearby pollution sources. As Honkanen explains this to me, he whips out his phone to check the air quality score in real time at Octola II. The score is at the lowest possible – a rarity anywhere on Earth.
