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.