Santa's Lapland General Information

We’re delighted to be able to offer a whole host of extras to help you get the most out of your magical experience in Lapland, details of which can be found on our website and in our brochure. It’s advisable that you book any extras at the time of booking, as we cannot guarantee that they can be added later and prices can change at any time. If you add these extras after confirming your booking, you will be charged the price applicable at the time those extras are booked, not at the time the holiday itself was booked, as any ‘Santa Savers’ or other offers on Optional Adventures may have expired. If it is possible to add items later, these will be charged at the then-current selling price, not at the price valid at the time of your original holiday booking. Please ask our Reservations team about any applicable offers when confirming your booking.

Payment in resort for Optional Adventures, etc. booked in resort must be made at the point of by debit or credit card. Please note that charges from your bank may apply. Card payments can be taken in Euros or in sterling, which will be converted from the local currency price at the applicable company exchange rate at that time. Exchange rate fluctuations may mean that the sterling price paid may not be exactly the same as the cost in local currency in your resort. This will be confirmed by the local Santa’s Lapland Representative. Once booked, refunds are not available. 

Any activities or excursions that you choose to book whilst you are on holiday are not part of the package holiday provided by us. Your contract will be with the provider of the activity or excursion and not with Hotelplan Ltd. If activities or excursions are withdrawn by the provider for any reason, any refunds must be negotiated with the provider and cannot be guaranteed by us as we act as an agent for the provider.

Child prices shown are valid at the time of printing but are subject to change at any time. The correct current child price if applicable will be advised at the time of booking and confirmed on your Confirmation Invoice.

We provide the services of a local Santa’s Lapland Representative, who will be based in the resort and visit the hotel on a visiting schedule as well as being available by telephone. If you require any assistance during your stay, please get in touch with your Representative, whose details will be available in your Welcome Pack and/or on arrival at your accommodation.

Some activities rely on satisfactory levels of snow and/or ice and should the levels be inappropriate, providers will do their best to offer alternative activities. Parents are reminded that children must remain under their control at all times. Age limits or qualifications apply to several activities, e.g. a full driving licence is often required and must be produced on request before driving snowmobiles, and passport evidence may be required. Our Reservations Team have full details and you should enquire before booking if any limitations to activities are of paramount importance to you. Strict drink-driving laws apply to snowmobile driving, as with any vehicle. 

No guarantee is given as to the specific length or time duration of each activity and some activities will require excess payments to be made for insurance purposes to partake in that activity. Each specific supplier will provide more details in resort.

Minimum numbers are required for certain activities to take place. If the required numbers are not reached, or the weather prevents the activity taking place at all during your holiday, or the activity is withdrawn by the provider for any reason, any refunds must be negotiated directly with the provider and cannot be guaranteed by us as we act as an agent and are not responsible for the provision of the service or activity normally. 

Refunds or compensation will not normally be paid by the service providers if you simply change your mind about taking part in an activity after booking it, or miss the transport provided, or fail to arrive at the designated meeting point on time, or, in your or the provider’s judgement, you cannot physically cope with the activity. (If the latter is due to a physical injury, you should claim under your travel insurance policy.) Any arrangements made by you independently of our company are entirely at your own risk and you should ensure you are appropriately insured. 

The date and time of all pre-booked excursions and activities will be confirmed in resort. It is often not possible to confirm a specific date and time prior to departure. Our suppliers will do their best where this has been confirmed in writing before travel, but this cannot be guaranteed. Our excursion and activity partners in resort have been trusted Santa’s Lapland partners for many years, and have been vetted and approved by our senior overseas managers. When you book any excursion or activity advertised in our brochures / on our websites, you can therefore rely on the supplier’s credentials, service levels and professionalism, and of course on the services of your Santa’s Lapland Representative or local agent to help with every slightest detail of the arrangements for you. If however you, or your travel agent on your behalf, choose to book any excursion or activity directly with a third party supplier, please note that Santa’s Lapland accept no liability whatsoever for any aspect of its operation. This includes a) that our Reps will not be able to provide our normal high levels of service to you in respect of such arrangements, or even basic details of pick-up times or locations, as these will not be provided to us by the companies concerned if the booking is not through ourselves, and b) that all applicable complaints, whether in resort or subsequently, and any claims for personal injury, refunds or compensation must be addressed to your chosen excursion/activity supplier directly, or to your travel agent as appropriate.

Our Lapland suppliers will do their best to accommodate special requests and special diets wherever possible. The catering provided will be typical Lappish fayre, with some adjustments for continental tastes. Any special requests you have such as vegetarian, vegan or other special dietary meals, special facilities, specific room allocations or any other requirements you consider important, should be made known to us at the time of booking and noted on your Confirmation Invoice. If you require the fulfilment of your request to be a condition of your package holiday contract with us, this can only be done if you advise us in writing and our providers agree they can meet your request and we confirm this back to you in writing, separately to the Confirmation Invoice. See also our Important Information with regard to dietary requirements.

If you have any special/medical requirements, it is essential that you bring these to our attention at the earliest opportunity and before confirming your holiday, as some accommodation and resorts may be found to be unsuitable. It is therefore important that you provide us promptly with written details of your requirements in order that we can help you find a suitable holiday. When booking excursions or events in resort, you should ensure that the excursion or event that you have chosen is suitable and that the provider is made aware of any special requirements that you may have, in order that they may take an informed decision as to the suitability of the excursion or event for you.

Unless confirmed by Santa’s Lapland as a condition of the contract under the ‘Special Request’ provisions of clause 10 of these Booking Conditions, neither Hotelplan Ltd nor its suppliers (hotels, activity suppliers, airline) accept any responsibility or liability either for the provision of special dietary ingredients or for the avoidance of any specific ingredients or traces of such ingredients in meals supplied or otherwise. In confirming your booking, the party leader accepts that responsibility for management of any allergic condition relating to any member of his/her party rests solely with the individual concerned, or with the parent or guardian in the case of a child. Please note that meals in hotels are normally provided buffet style, and it is the guest’s responsibility to check suitability.

A report of any lost item must be made immediately to your Resort Representative, if the loss is noticed whilst you are on holiday. If the item is not found and returned to you prior to your departure, you must report the loss to our Guest Relations Team as soon as possible upon your return. You can do this by email to guest.relations@santaslapland.com or by telephone on 01252 282431. Please do give us a full description of the item lost, including any branding/distinguishing features. If found while our staff are in resort, we will arrange for your item/s to be returned to our UK office, from where we will endeavour to arrange onward postage to you. Additional charges may apply for the return of lost property where courier or other special postage is required. No item will be returned unless this fee is paid in advance and arrangements for its return have been made via the UK office. We cannot guarantee the return of any item of lost property and our staff’s involvement in tracing it shall not constitute acceptance of any liability for the item at any stage of the process. We regret that any items of lost property found and unclaimed 28 days after the holiday end date cannot be kept and will be disposed of.

Our package holidays and other types of holiday arrangements may also be featured on websites owned and operated by travel agents and other organisations. We have absolutely no control over the content or maintenance of such sites and therefore we cannot accept liability for information contained on them.

The pictures shown in the brochure/website are included for their style and general relevance and are shown for illustration purposes and unless stated are not necessarily taken at the resort or property featured. Photographs of rooms are intended to give an indication of the typical appearance but rooms within hotels will inevitably vary. Where distance is quoted in time taken to walk, we have used as a guideline that 100m takes an adult one minute to walk in standard footwear under snow and ice free conditions. Clearly, timings will vary according to footwear, age, personal fitness and surface conditions, and where you have little ones in tow.

The activities described will not necessarily take place in the exact order in which they are described on the website/in the brochure, and due to circumstances outside our control it may be necessary to vary the itineraries at very short notice. The day and time of any Optional Adventures will be confirmed once you have arrived in resort. Hotelplan Ltd reserves the right to do this when necessary. The length of the rides shown in our itineraries is a guideline only, and may vary according to safety or weather conditions, the number of huskies and reindeer available and other issues beyond our control and no guarantee is given as to the specific length of each ride. Where blankets or similar are provided on sled activities and experience, these are not in place for warmth but to prevent snow from ‘sticking’ to your outer snowsuit. For any outdoor activities you should ensure that you are appropriately dressed beneath your snowsuit, with additional gloves, socks, multiple thin layers, etc.

‘Huskies’ is the generic term for the range of breeds used by Lapland’s dog-sled providers. Some features included in the itineraries rely on satisfactory levels of snow and ice and should the levels be inappropriate, suppliers will do their best to offer alternative activities. Insufficient snow or ice in resort is not considered a reason to cancel or grounds for compensation. Safety instructions are given prior to each activity or safari, not including tobogganing or other similar informal activities, and parents are reminded that children must remain under their care and control at all times.

Age limits or qualifications apply to several features, e.g. a full driving licence is required and must be produced on request before driving snowmobiles; minimum 18 years (but dependent on size and weight) to drive a husky sled, passport evidence may be required. Our reservations team has full details and you should enquire before booking if any limitations to activities are of paramount importance to you. Strict drink driving laws apply to snowmobile driving, as with any vehicle. During a snowmobile safari, children are transported in a separate sled driven by a guide, whilst parents drive or are a passenger on a separate snowmobile. Young children cannot ride pillion on a snowmobile and the recommended minimum height to ride pillion is usually 1.40m. As most activities take place outdoors in Arctic conditions, they are not all suitable for babies and very young children. We take advice from our suppliers daily on whether children under 4 years old should be allowed to participate in certain activities due to weather conditions and other factors. No refund or compensation is applicable if young children and the accompanying carer are unable to take part in a particular activity. If any activity, whether pre-booked in the UK or booked locally, does not ultimately take place, the liability of Hotelplan Ltd is limited to a refund of the price paid for that specific activity only, as agreed by the supplier of that activity, and no additional compensation will be payable.  

Northern Lights Adventure: Whilst it is hoped that these natural phenomena will appear during the safari, they cannot be guaranteed and no refund or compensation is applicable should they not be visible.

Please note we do not operate any of these activities ourselves and arrangements are made by us acting as your agent and not as principal. We endeavour to ensure that all activities contracted through us are undertaken with reasonable skill and care in accordance with local laws, regulations and customs.  However, it is not feasible to make the activity programmes completely risk free and it is a condition of your booking that you accept that you are taking risks and that it is your responsibility to be insured to the levels reasonably required for your circumstances.

Our staff are recruited and trained to provide a quality holiday for all our guests and you will have the resources of our staff to help you in any way they can during your trip.  Please note that we do not provide nanny or nursery care and all children remain the responsibility of their accompanying adults at all times.

In December, temperatures in Lapland normally range between -7°c and -35°c. Snowfall can be extremely heavy at this time. Daylight is limited to between 10.30 and 14.00, with long periods of twilight either side of night.

Whilst thermal suits and boots are provided free for the duration of your stay, you are advised to bring layers of thermal and fleeced clothing to wear underneath when you are outdoors. Several layers of clothing provide better insulation from the cold than one or two thick items. Balaclavas, face masks and extra warm headgear are also suggested. The heating in hotels is extremely efficient so lighter clothing is required indoors.

The extreme cold can adversely affect some electronic devices and equipment, so please refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines and ensure protective covers are purchased if advised. Batteries on mobile phones, tablets and cameras (for example) can discharge very quickly in the cold. Hand warming devices and battery packs must be stored in hand luggage. Should airport security staff have to remove any such items from your hold luggage, we cannot guarantee being able to help to have this returned to you in the UK. Please ensure that you adhere to the guidance displayed in the airport terminal.

Lapland is 2 hours ahead of UK time in December (i.e. GMT +2) 

Detailed information about the family’s meeting with Santa Claus will be sent to all parents once a holiday has been confirmed.

Passengers travelling by air with infants will be pleased to note that you can keep collapsible buggies with you until you board the aircraft. The snow terrain will limit their usefulness in resort.

Transfer times are approximate and may, at times, be affected by weather and road conditions, or other circumstances beyond our control. Although many coaches are equipped with wcs, they are not always available for use, for a variety of reasons. European coaches do not always have fitted seat belts. Infants under the age of 2 years on the return date of travel must sit on an adult’s lap. We ask for your understanding if, faced with forecasts of heavy snow or other operational issues, we need to arrange your homeward transfer earlier than normal to allow extra time to reach the airport. In the event of a diversion to an outbound flight for whatever reason, we will endeavour to arrange coaches and staff to be at the alternative airport to meet you, but this cannot be guaranteed at short notice and we ask for your patience and understanding. No liability will be accepted if a diversion causes a delay at the arrival airport and/or a longer than advertised transfer to resort. Restrictions on drivers’ working hours can occasionally affect coach availability and may result in delays. Some properties are not situated close to coach-accessible roads and walks from 50 to 400 metres are necessary on arrival and departure. Transfers will endeavour to drop you off directly outside your accommodation wherever possible, but there may be times where due to adverse weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control, this may not be possible. We will not accept liability for this and no compensation will be offered where you are required to walk some distance to your accommodation.

It is becoming increasingly common for hotels to take an imprint of your credit card for security reasons when checking in. Check-in / check-out times will differ for each hotel – your compliance with the hotel regulations in which you are staying is mandatory, therefore please do ensure that you are aware of the times applicable to your chosen hotel. Porterage is not included in the cost of our holidays and neither Santa’s Lapland staff nor those of the hotels will be able to accept liability for your belongings, which remain your responsibility at all times.

We ask you to contribute towards the costs if you reserve rooms for your exclusive use, but do not fill all the beds. The supplement per empty bed payable is 40% of the basic adult price shown in the price panel (except where a single supplement is specifically brochured). Infants occupying cots do count towards the occupancy figures.

Your room will normally be available from 4pm onwards, but please bear with the accommodation if it takes longer.

The first meal of your stay is usually dinner on your arrival evening if you have booked the half-board option, and the last meal included is breakfast on departure day. Food is either international cuisine or traditional Finnish fare and is usually buffet style. Please note that Gala Dinners in hotels in Saariselkä do not follow traditional British Christmas dinner menus, but are buffet-style including a selection of international dishes and Lapland specialities. Please note that the Gala Dinner is not provided in all hotels, so you may be required to walk to another property for the Gala Dinner. If the minimum numbers required for a particular hotel to provide the Gala Dinner are not reached, the Gala Dinner may be provided for you in one of our other hotels, a short walk away, joining other Santa’s Lapland guests.

Beds may be sofa-beds, chair-beds or folding beds, particularly in family accommodation where part of the room is intended as either a sleeping area or a sitting area. Where children share bunk beds, we recommend 6 years old as the minimum age for occupying the upper bed. Cots are usually available free of charge, if requested at the time of booking. Please note that the addition of a cot may restrict room space and we cannot guarantee that cots will meet British Safety standards. Bathrooms may not always have full size baths and showers may not always have a shower tray or curtain. Soap and shampoo are not usually provided. ‘Private facilities’ are not necessarily en-suite – please check individual property descriptions.

Some hotels ask guests not to wear outdoor shoes/boots inside the building, so it is advisable to take indoor shoes or slippers with you.

Hotels may provide a Continental twin (a double bed frame with two single mattresses and two single duvets) in rooms described as doubles or twins. You must advise us in writing if this is not acceptable to anyone included on your booking. 

We ask that you vacate your hotel rooms before 10am, or at the time as stipulated by the hotelier, if different. You will be able to make use of hotel facilities up until departure, but please be aware that there may not be showering facilities made available to you outside of your rooms.

Views from balconies and windows may be restricted by trees/foliage or other factors beyond our control and no express or implied representation is made regarding there being a ‘view’ of any kind from a window or balcony unless expressly described.

There may be a small charge for facilities such as pools, saunas, leisure activities, fitness rooms etc., unless stated as being free or included. Please bear in mind that the range of equipment in fitness rooms and health suites may vary and will not be as extensive as a purpose built gym. Swimming pool, steam bath and sauna temperatures are determined by the hotel management in accordance with local regulations or custom and may not always match guests’ expectations. Please note some communal saunas are clothing-free areas! Leisure facilities may be subject to limited opening hours and there may be restrictions on their use by children.

Where descriptions state ‘Satellite TV or Cable TV’, these will normally have a limited selection of English-speaking channels, e.g. news, and not a full range of sport or children’s channels.  Some hotels may also offer a ‘Pay per View’ film channel.

Where annexes are used, these may be directly owned and controlled by the accommodation provider or contacted in private homes. They may either be joined to the main building or be within walking distance of the accommodation.

All of our Optional Adventures and the activities at the Arctic Circle Centre on your Search for Santa Day are provided by Lapland Safaris (or Hotel Star Arctic, if you are staying there), who have issued the below safety guidance in accordance with the activities which they operate.