Three Naava Suites lead the expansion, alongside eight Aurora View Suites and 12 Star Superior Rooms, strengthening the hilltop hotel’s distinctive connection with the surrounding Arctic landscape.
Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte has opened 23 new rooms and suites at its property in Finnish Lapland. The first guests stayed in the new accommodation during the first weekend of August 2026, marking a significant expansion for the hotel while continuing its close dialogue with the surrounding forests, fells and northern sky.
The addition comprises three Naava Suites, eight Aurora View Suites and 12 Star Superior Rooms – ten with double beds and two with single beds. Across all 23 new units, generous windows make the landscape and changing Arctic light part of the stay. When weather and aurora conditions align, guests also have the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights from their rooms; as a natural phenomenon, sightings cannot be guaranteed.
The forest brought indoors: the new Naava Suites
At the heart of the expansion are three Naava Suites, a new signature concept whose identity comes directly from the forests around Iso-Syöte.
Naava is the Finnish name for the hanging, beard-like lichen found growing from the branches of trees in northern forests. It is not moss: lichen absorbs moisture and nutrients directly from the atmosphere and is sensitive to air pollution, which is why abundant naava is closely associated with clean forest air.
At Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte, the connection is more than conceptual. The naava hanging within the suites was personally collected from forests around Iso-Syöte by Juha Kuukasjärvi and other members of the hotel team. It brings a physical element of the surrounding woodland indoors, linking the people who created the suites with the landscape visible through their windows.
Each Naava Suite measures 75 square metres and is designed for two guests, with a king-size bed, a spacious living area and large north- and east-facing windows. The suite also includes a traditional Finnish sauna, a modern infrared sauna and a private jacuzzi on the balcony. When conditions are favourable, the expansive glazing allows guests to watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of the suite, including from bed.
“We wanted the Naava Suites to feel as though they genuinely belong here at Iso-Syöte, rather than simply taking inspiration from the landscape. The naava in the suites was collected by our own team from the forests around us, so there is a very real connection between what guests experience inside and what they see just beyond the windows. Having been part of collecting it ourselves makes the suites feel especially personal to me.”
Juha Kuukasjärvi, CEO and Owner, Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte
New perspectives on the fell and northern sky
The expansion also introduces eight Aurora View Suites, continuing the emphasis on the relationship between interior design and the landscape with a darker, contemporary Nordic expression. Natural materials, calm architectural lines and large windows frame the forests, fells and northern sky.
The windows are integral to the experience. Guests can follow the changing Arctic light from inside and, when conditions are favourable, watch the Northern Lights moving across the sky. The Aurora View name reflects this relationship with the north rather than a guarantee of aurora sightings.
Twelve new Star Superior Rooms
Completing the expansion are 12 Star Superior Rooms, ten with double beds and two with single beds. Each measures 35 square metres and combines Nordic design with a spacious bathroom and views towards the fells and forests of Syöte National Park.
Together, the three accommodation types allow the expansion to serve different stays – from the immersive Naava and Aurora View suite experiences to increased hotel-room capacity – while maintaining a consistent visual connection between the building and its setting. All of the new rooms and suites give guests the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights from indoors when natural conditions allow.
A continuing tradition of distinctive suites
The Naava Suites join an established collection of individually conceived accommodation at Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte, where architecture and interiors have long interpreted different aspects of the location.
The two-level Eagle View Suite is arranged around a standing deadwood pine and panoramic views of the landscape and sky. The Bear Cave Suite draws on pine, stone and lichen textures, while the Phoenix Suite uses charred wood and ash-inspired tones to reflect the hotel’s reconstruction after the 2018 fire. The Naava Suites extend that tradition through an especially direct connection with place: their defining material comes from the forests surrounding the hotel and was gathered there by members of the team themselves.
About Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte
Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte is a boutique hotel at the summit of Iso-Syöte fell in Finnish Lapland, surrounded by the forests and fells of Syöte National Park. Its accommodation ranges from contemporary hotel rooms to individually designed suites and traditional cottages. The hotel also includes Restaurant Hilltop, Arctic Spa and the Skywalk rooftop terrace. Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte is part of Lapland Boutique Resorts, a curated collection of boutique destinations in Southern Lapland where Nordic design and warm hospitality meet the serene luxury of nature.
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Press contact
Juha Kuukasjärvi
CEO and Owner
Hilltop Hotel Iso-Syöte
juha.kuukasjarvi@isosyote.fi
+358 40 5123747
