This was the best location I have ever visited for winter snow fun and sking.The staff in the hotel are great apart from one the moody barman he is the only man there so avoid him however the rest of the staff are fantastic all speak perfect English. the location is second to none having skied in most european destinations I must say the slopes are the best ,ski school unbelivable, Food out of this world,All but one member of staff fantastic,activities only available there, With great tour guilds. and finally Ian and Saul the reps are not like your avarage holiday reps who want to sell you everything they really try to get you on the trips that fit your family well done lads great holiday

This has to be the best holiday I have ever had!

My girlfriend and me booked our first skiing holiday with Crystal, we trawled through the brochures and the internet trying to find somewhere that wasn't too commercial, full of drunken snowboarders or too over hyped. All I can say is that the research paid off and we landed a belter!

Arrival:
We laned at Kussamo "international" Airport and the pilot informed us that is was minus 8 outside. We disembarked and got inside the terminal where we were greated with a smile by the friendly rep Saul. We had almost a two hour transfer but we were handed a stack of information and Saul provided us with a excellent introduction to the holiday. It was dark throughout the journey so we couldn't appreciate where we were going or the surroundings.

Hotel:
The doors opened at Iso Syote and I was very surprised with the quality of the interior, first impressions were fantastic. The receptionist provided us with our key and we walked down the stairs and along the short corridor to the room. It was simple, clean but warm. A short explore uncovered the small pool and sauna, the reception, bar and restaurant. It was dark and quite snowy so we couldn't appreciate where we were in relation to the whole of the resort.

The following morning I opened the curtains and we were greeted with one of the best views we have ever seen. We went for breakfast and the panoramic views from the restuarant were out of this world. I had to pinch myself.

Food:
One of us is a fussy eater so we are always paranoid that she will be wasting away when we have to "go with the flow" but we were constantly suprised with the quality of the food and the volume that was available. We didn't touch any fries or burgers all week. The local fare was tasty and filling. The salmon and reindeer were excellent. There was not too much for the unadventurous so teenagers may be a little slimmer by the end of your stay!

Trips:
We wanted a active holiday and we booked all of the trips we could afford. They seem expensive but how much do you want to pay for the trips of a lifetime? We went on the Skidoo safari to the Husky Farm where we went on a short ride in a sleigh pulled by the dogs. this was the best trip for us and will not be easily forgotten. The snowshoeing was good but the weather did stop us seeing the fantastic views. The final trip was to the reindeer farm, where we met the owner who told us of his families history. His stories were captivating, the warm coffee served by his wife was very tasty.

Service:
We were imediately surprised how helpful the staff at the hotel were and their English was excellent. Everyone wants to help and ensure you enjoy your stay.

Skiing:
We were beginners and had booked lessons and ski hire. At the welcome meeting we were met by Hillka who manages the Ski School, she assessed our skiing history and grouped us in our abilities. We ventured down the hill tothe Ski hire where we met Arnie, who isthe most laid back guy ever! He was helpful.polite and very obliging.

We met the instructors the later in the day and I was with one other lad in the beginners snowboarders. My partner was with three others in her beginners skiing group.

The instructors are fantastic. I have done lots of different courses for other activities and I have to say that their style, their enthusiam, their skills and their laid back attitudes are brilliant. They are the best instructors I have ever encountered.

At the end of the week we were both confidently skiing and snowboarding.

The quality and volume of the snow was fantasic. This was good to ski on and comfortable to land in!

The slopes were also empty, most of the time I could look up and see that we were the only people descending. The lifts are easy to use but are not the most comfotable.

For the most advance skier this resort may lack the more challenging skiing but this may help it stay a little it quieter and more relaxed.

Apres Ski:
Take your own entertainment! The hotel is in the midle of now where so you are very limited. The bar prices are expensive so be advised to get some beers in your room. There is some weekend entertainment when the locals come from miles around to dance and get absolutely wellied. It is very entertaining to watch, ladies watch out for the man in the checked shirt, he will wink and you will have a problem resisiting his requests for a dance!

I got through a couple of books and we played more card games in one week than we ever have!

There is some evening entertainment provided by the reps and this provided some good laughs.

The Reps - Ian and Saul:
They deserve a huge mention, they provided accurate and comprehensive answers to our questions. Their passion for the resort was astounding and really rubbed off on all of the guests. The pair really helped to make the holiday run smoothly and go the way we wanted. They pulled their hair out when constructing the time table of the lessons and the trips, they somehow managed to ensure we got all of our lessons and all of the trips with still time to spare to ski and snowboard on our own. We were lucky that there were not too many guests so all were happy. If it is a busy week then you may miss a lesson or two.

The weather:
It was cold, it never got above minus 5 degrees. It did not feel too cold and the trips that were organised provided you with warmbaby grows to ensure you made no complaints! Take layers and good socks, hats and gloves.

The location:
It is magical, the hotel is at the top of the hill, and when the weather clears the views are amazing. You are in the middle of no where and there is nothing to spend your money on! When you stand sill and close you eyes there is nothing but silence!

Overall:
This is the best holiday we have experienced. Everyone I spoke to said the same and they all want to come back. The only problem is that if more people go it may loose some of it's magic. Thewhole experience meant that this holiday was very good value for money and I do not begrudge paying for the experiences we have had.

We spent a week here from Jan 13th....and it was nowwhere near long enough!! This place is just fantastic.

Having previously read the one rather negative review i can only assume that these people must have been at a different resort.

As non-skiers we have trouble finding great snowy places to go that aren't just geared up for skiing...have to say we hit the jackpot with this one.

We stayed half board in the hotel, but we'll try the cabins next time as they just looked soooo pretty. The rooms were clean and comfy, and a little on the hot side, we had the little door thing open most of the time.We had gone to celebrate our wedding anniversary, a fact which we mentioned at the time of booking. We arrived in the room to a bottle of Sparkling Wine, choccies and a sweet little red stone heart with a reindeer painted on it....nice touch by the hotel.

Food was much better than we'd expected. Dispite one of us being a vegetarian, and the other a fussy eater we always found a good choice. If you are a veggie please don't settle for the veg, salad, rice, pasta etc, ask for the veggie meal. They are great, and on the huge side, and they always ask if they can use dairy products etc.

Drink prices aren't as expensive as we've found in other Scandanavian countries, which was another bonus.

Now for the best bit....THE SNOW!!!
It came down by the bucket full nearly every day while we were there.

As non-skiers we were a bit worried before we went about the fell top location, but we found walking down the side of the ski lift was by far the quickest way to the bottom ( and back to the top again)...a fraction of the distance of the path.

I would highly recommend a walk along one of the cross counrty tracks. We walked miles along them, but do make sure you stay on the tracks, it looks far too easy to get lost if you stray. Every so often you come across ' Wilderness Huts'. These are log cabins, complete with fireplace, logs and barbeque. Next door is another cabin, half of which is a log store, the other half the all important loo.It's great to light a fire and sit here in the middle of nowhere for a while...the scilence is deafening.

The excursions are a little pricey, but well worth it. We did the snowmoblie trip to the reindeer farm, great if you like snowmobiles....unfortunately i don't, but it was worth it to see the lovely reindeer.

Snowshoeing is heavy going, but was probably the funniest thing we did there.

The highlight for us was the trip to Ranua Zoo. I've always wanted to see Moose, so to see them up close in such beautiful surroundings was just heaven....i could have spent the day there. The afternoon is spent at Santaland...incredibly tacky....but if Christmas can't be tacky what can be. Surely no visit to Lapland would be complete without it...

Must give a mention to Ian & Saul the Thomson / Crystal reps. They do loads of things, i suspect of their own backs, not to mention out of their own pockets, to ensure their guests have a great holiday.... if you're leaving on the Gatwick flight make sure you join in the snowman building competition.....although judging by the entrants when we were there this might be one for the grown ups!

The hotel staff are really happy, friendly people.....guess that's what being lucky enough to live somewhere like this does for you. If i lived somewhere that had reindeer wandering around freely I'd be happy all the time too.

If you are thinking of going here, do it , you'll have a great time!!

Before I went, I found that there is not a great deal of info on Iso-Syote, so please forgive the length of the review as I have tried to be comprehensive. Also, you cannot write just about the hotel without mentioning the resort as its integral.

I travelled in a small group of three adults (female) and 2 children, 4 and 6 years. I usually book independently, so was apprehensive about a package holiday and was very pleasantly surprised

Firstly and foremost I was astounded by the friendliness of the people in both the hotel and the resort, including the ski school. They really could not do enough for the guests. Everything/one is so relaxed.

The resort is about 1.5 hours from Kuusamo airport.

Hotel / ski school / shop all take credit cards, but make sure you take at least some cash, as nearest cash point 40 km away...

The resort is very small – Hotel Iso Syote at the top of the hill, and Ski School / fast food place / Bar / restaurant and shop at the bottom. A ski lift goes directly from the hotel to the resort at the bottom. There is a bus either way a couple of times a day, but if you have hired skis for the week, no need.
We stayed in the actual hotel – but we heard from the other guests that the cabins are very good. However, we did not want to traipse from cabin to hotel in the cold with the children. We booked a package, with flight and half board included, which was extremely good value

Food was very good – (surprisingly - as I am not a fan of buffets). Their mash potato is to die for. And plenty of fresh fruit. You can order a la carte (paid for separately), which we did one night, and it was excellent (I recommend the reindeer and salmon..it was amazing)

Rooms are fairly basic, and maybe one small criticism is the room cleaning, but then it is a ski hotel, and I would not want to be staying in a hotel where I was worried about traipsing snow and mud around.

The rooms are along either side of a corridor, make sure you get one facing the valley, the views are astounding.

There is a pool but it is very cold

Lots of day trips can be arranged by the hotel – a bit on the expensive side, but good. We went ice fishing (beautiful sunny day, a great experience), traditional reindeer ride (great for the kids), and Ranua Zoo / Father Christmas (loved the zoo, but the place we went to see Father Christmas was just a glorified and tacky shopping centre).

Everybody at the hotel is really friendly and helpful. It was my friends birthday and they helped me to download and print a colour photo of her and the kids in the hotel office. They also arranged a delicious birthday cake.
The reps of the package firm we were with, Ian and Saul, were also great (made snowmen with the kids etc)

The ski instructors (Tia, Santo and Maria) were incredibly patient with both the adults and the kids. Also Arnie in ski rental, and the couple who run the local shop are really friendly.

Most people speak really good english

In fact, probably one of the friendliest and laid back holidays that I have ever been on, and definitely to be recommended, especially for ski beginners / and children.

Due to the size of the resort, evening entertainment is limited, but they do have a disco a couple of times a week, and a band on a Friday. But remember you are in the middle of nowhere, so you tend to stay in the hotel.

On the way back through Kuusamo airport.....take a book, and eat before you go. Airport is tiny, and the cafe is pretty uninspiring (read : grim)

All in all, an excellent holiday, and a hotel I would definitely recommend and return to. It is unusual to see everyone going that extra mile for the guests.

I know there is a lack of info about this resort on the internet, and if anyone has any specific questions I am happy to try to answer.