Helen and John (United Kingdom)
‘From the moment we arrived at Onnela, we were blown away by the beauty of it. Being honest, I thought it couldn’t possibly be as nice as the photo’s shown on your website, but it was even more amazing than we’d hoped.
The Christmas tree was lit up when we got there, which made our arrival even more special and the whole place felt warm and welcoming. The accommodation is so homely and tastefully decorated. The underfloor heating was great and the kitchen was well stocked with plenty of crockery, cutlery, pans, utensils etc.
The log cabin is bigger than we were expecting but it never felt draughty or cold thanks to the underfloor heating and design of the building. Your attention to detail with the likes of the little grey Onnela towels in the toilets, and the trendy lighting on the staircase is great. The sofa and armchair were both really comfortable and we enjoyed many a meal at the dining table.
We have stayed in plenty of holiday rentals over the years but Onnela is going to take some beating! The sauna was well used by my husband and I, and the boys loved the bath! The beds were ridiculously comfortable – so much so that I have just ordered a memory foam mattress and topper for our bed at home. To be honest though, I wonder whether I’ll ever sleep as deeply and as comfortably as I did in the log cabin. The magic of the place and the dark mornings/nights seemed to make our slumbers even more golden! I felt as though I was in a cocoon when I went to bed because it was so quiet outside and so comfortable in the bed! (We live on a main road at home, so it’s back to juggernauts rolling past for us!)
The icing on the cake though just had to be the visit from Santa. I asked the kids to answer the door if there was a knock, pretending that I was sorting out the washing and saying that your friend Pekka might be calling over for something. When they opened the door to Santa, the look on their faces was priceless. I’m so glad I filmed it to capture the moment! Our nine year old still believes but has had lots of friends in school telling him that Santa isn’t real, so to hear him and his little brother talking afterwards about how special it was and how they both knew it was the real Santa was just the cutest thing ever!
We are quite a well travelled couple and have had loads of holidays – having been together for 27 years; but this trip will always have a special place in our hearts. I feel as though it was meant to be that I found Onnela whilst searching for accommodation. I’ve got no doubt that we would have enjoyed ourselves no matter where we’d stayed, but I genuinely mean it when I say that Onnela ticked every box for us, and so many more besides.
Finally, I want to say a big thank you for your communication throughout the entire booking process. From day one, you have always been pleasant and patient – going the extra mile to give us as much information as possible regarding the accommodation, surrounding area and activities. On a personal level, I can’t thank you enough for this, because it made the planning of this trip so much easier.
Without wishing to sound patronising, you have created a wonderful haven in the heart of Akoslompolo, and I am SO glad that we benefited from being able to stay there and make memories that we will all treasure forever! I truly hope that we can return some day.’