Rovaniemi’s historic provincial government building to become boutique hotel

The former Lapland provincial government complex in Rovaniemi will be transformed into a 100-room boutique hotel, with local hotelier Mikael Gröhn acquiring the protected site for €4.5 million, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle.

The project, set for completion in October 2027, will preserve the 1947 buildings’ original exterior while converting the two-hectare inner courtyard into a public park with walking paths, seating, and dining areas. Gröhn’s company, Arctic Hotels Collection, aims to create a space that “honours the site’s layered history” as the former administrative heart of Lapland.

The hotel will feature villa-style suites in the former governor’s residence, a sauna in the historic guesthouse, and a restaurant in the expanded grand hall. Gröhn, who previously converted Rovaniemi’s old town hall into the award-winning Arctic Light Hotel, described the project as his “biggest and best business deal yet.”

Construction on the hotel, currently codenamed *Arctic Garden*, will delay Gröhn’s planned expansion of the City Hotel by a year. The developer also noted potential for future additions on a 24,000 m² plot adjacent to the site.