For many Asian travellers, winter nature, darkness, cold and silence are unprecedented experiences that leave an unforgettable impression. The traditional log cabin is no longer enough for everyone, and many travellers prefer to stay in modern surroundings with a wide range of facilities.

There is now a demand for Scandinavian, lighter wood architecture, where lightness and simplicity prevail. The latest accommodation combines modern wood architecture with design and eco-friendliness. The Star Arctic hotel, which opened in December on Kaunispää in Saariselkä, is dominated by clean lines and Finnish wood.

- We wanted to design a modern hotel for Kaunispää, where wood materials and an unobstructed view of the fjord landscape connect all the spaces. Nature and functionality are the most important starting points for today's tourism architecture in Lapland. In particular, solutions combining glass and wood are popular with Asian tourists," says Mikko Juntura, the architect who designed Star Arctic.

Modern wood architecture with Finnish wood

The Star Arctic Hotel is a rarity in the Lapland hotel market because of its location. Built on the top of Tunturi, this small landscape hotel combines modern wooden construction with other materials in a new way. Siparila's modern AITO timber cladding panels have been used extensively in the hotel's finishes.

The Star Arctic hotel was designed to showcase clear, light wood surfaces. With Siparila's wide AITO interior panels, we created a harmonious and modern look for the hotel's interiors that brings out the natural beauty of wood and works seamlessly with the surrounding nature," says Matti Meskanen , the hotel's carpenter and one of the owners. The Star Arctic Hotel used AITO interior paneling in white, anthracite grey and preserving the natural wood tone.

For Chinese travellers, wood as a building material is exotic, but it also represents naturalness. The wooden interior of accommodation alone can be an experience in itself for the Chinese. For the Chinese, wood conveys ecological values and the purity of nature - things that are primarily sought after in Lapland. The building's technical solutions also support the principles of environmentally friendly wood construction, as the heating in the new hotel is provided by geothermal energy from the fells.

Today's Chinese traveller is more affluent and has a desire to experience something new and authentic. Finnish Lapland is seen by the Chinese as a safe destination offering unique natural experiences. Snow, Northern Lights and a quiet wilderness landscape are Lapland's trump cards in the Asian market. From all the hotel's facilities you can admire the unique mountain scenery stretching out into infinity.