Iso-Syöte Hotel

Set on the summit of Iso-Syöte fell, in southern Finnish Lapland, Hotel Iso-Syöte looks out over forest and national park from every room. The building sits above the tree line, close enough to Syöte National Park that guests step from reception onto its trails. Rooms range from standard hotel doubles to suites and private log cabins, each finished plainly and fitted with Wi-Fi, a flat-screen television and a private bathroom. A bike rental shop on site issues mountain, gravel and electric bikes, helmets included, for rides through the park's forests, ridges and wetlands. Access to the Arctic Spa's pools and saunas comes with every bike hire. Restaurant Hilltop serves Nordic cooking under a wide window facing the fells. In winter, the slopes of Iso-Syöte Ski Centre run right behind the hotel, reached on foot through a gap between two cabin blocks; a ski store sits beside the slope door, opened with a room key. Snowmobile safaris, husky sledding and reindeer visits run from the property through the darker months. Oulu airport is roughly two hours by car; Kuusamo is closer, at about 1 hour 25 minutes. It is a compact base for a big landscape, built for arrival by car or transfer rather than passing trade.