Octola III, a six-guest wilderness retreat on the historic foundations of a former radar station in Finnish Lapland, will open its doors in December 2026.
The lodge, which can’t be booked online, with access granted solely via a carefully curated private waiting list, sits 500 metres above sea level within a protected Sami wilderness area in Enontekio, with views across the fells of Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The elevated, low-light setting is positioned for stargazing and Aurora Borealis viewing, and the estate is among a thousand-hectare wilderness with more than five kilometres of private roads.
The suites and the design
Octola III accommodates up to six guests across three bedrooms with architecture by UKI architects under Hannu Voutilainen, who has designed each of the three Octola properties. The lodge is fully serviced, with a dedicated host and private chef.
Wellness centres on the Nordic heat-and-cold tradition: a wood-burning sauna sits at the water’s edge beside a custom-engineered ice-swimming pond.
A 220-square-metre games den adds a stocked bar, billiards, darts and an indoor track for suopunki, the traditional Sami lasso technique.
The retreat sits 45 minutes from Kautokeino, and in partnership with local reindeer herders, guests can journey across the tundra alongside migratory reindeer herds and gain insight into a way of life preserved for generations.
“With Octola III, we are taking our established concept of ultra-private, quiet luxury to the literal top of the fells,” says Octola founder Janne Honkanen.
“We have created an environment where guests do not just observe the Arctic; they are entirely enveloped by it.
“From the thousand-hectare wilderness views to the deep cultural connection with the Sámi people and the measurable purity of the air, Octola III represents an absolute boundary-pushing evolution of experiential travel.”
For larger groups, guests have the option of a full buyout of both Octola III and its sister property, Aurora Radar Station (located within the wider estate).
Opened earlier this year, Aurora Radar Station was a highly classified site from the mid-1960s before being thoughtfully transformed into an exclusive Arctic retreat.
Surrounded by Indigenous Sámi culture and set deep within the Arctic tundra, the property offers guests a rare opportunity to reconnect with nature in complete seclusion.
For more information, visit Octola.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Octola has built its model on scarcity, and a six-guest lodge sold only by waiting list pushes that further than most Arctic operators dare. For advisors with high-net-worth clients chasing total privacy and a buyout option, the addition of a sister property for staff and security signals a brand engineering for entire travelling entourages, not just couples.
