From past to present
Äkäslompolo is an old, remote Lappish village. Until relatively recently the residents lived by livestock farming and agriculture, and naturally by the surrounding forests. Tourism really only became a viable economy in the 1960s.
However, Ylläshumina and its predecessors have been attracting day-trippers since a lot earlier. The proud sign bearing the words “Humina Hotel”, lovingly carved by local visionary Aapi Äkäslompolo, dates back to 1945, just after the Second World War.
Fate played an important role in the origins of the hotel – in the form of T.I. Sorjanen, the then director of Finland’s leading association for the promotion of recreational sports and outdoor activities. He happened to spot Aapi building a barn and advised him to build a hotel instead, as “hotels are the future”. Soon enough, Aapi had built the first hotel in the Ylläs region, a hotel that remains a unique example of holiday hospitality in its latitude to this day.
At the end of a road to nowhere
The road down to the shores of Lake Äkäslompolojärvi wasn’t built until many years after the original Humina Hotel opened its doors but that didn’t deter holidaymakers. They came from near and far, on skis in the winter, on foot in the summer. And the trek was definitely worth it: the reward was an arresting view of untamed Lappish wilderness. Tourists flocked in on horses or reindeer, sometimes by boat from across the lake. The older generation and the hotel’s diaries even recall particularly determined day-trippers who arrived from high above the fell tops, from amidst the clouds – by light aircraft!
Over the years, the hotel has played host to a multitude of interesting personalities. Finnish music legends Tapio Rautavaara and Reino Helismaa were already coming to the tranquillity of Humina Hotel in pursuit of new inspiration decades ago. In another world, in another age, the serenity of Ylläshumina also made the Oscar-winning English actress Emma Thompson fall in love with the place.
Noora-Elina Qvist ja Emma Thompson
A family of holiday professionals
More recently, the hotel was renamed to better reflect its location at the foot of Ylläs fell. The little inn has grown into a versatile holiday resort. Today, the hotel dexterously combines modern luxury with history and tradition. A lot has survived from Aapi’s day – in addition to the unique landscapes and peaceful natural setting.
Aapi Äkäslompolo’s traditions live on and the tranquil atmosphere is as strong as ever. These traditions are ingrained in the people who have taken on responsibility for this heritage: Aapi’s own niece, Meeri, and her husband, Toivo Qvist. Their son, Tomas, is also about to step into hotel management full-time.
For the Qvists, every guest is like family – like an old friend who is always welcome. The couple has now been running Ylläshumina in this true spirit of Lappish hospitality for 25 years. The extended family includes a dedicated group of professionals from tour guides to kitchen staff, who make sure that the hotel continues to deliver unforgettable holiday experiences, now and in the future.
