A secret haven is being built for the super-rich in the wilds of the Arctic..Who is it targeting?

By November, waves of bitter, bone-chilling cold have already begun to sweep across the far north of Finland. As the end of the month approaches, heavy snow falls for the first time, and by the beginning of December, the sun sets behind the horizon for weeks on end, plunging the region into complete darkness.

In the midst of these polar conditions, the Oktola III project is preparing to be one of the most luxurious and secret tourist havens in the world, targeting the rich, famous, and influential people who are looking for the highest levels of isolation and privacy. The lodge is located in the far northwest of Finland, near the borders with Sweden and Norway, amid dense pine forests covered in snow and extending over vast areas, and is scheduled to open on December 1.

At first glance, the site does not seem exceptional or eye-catching. Despite the views it offers, it lacks the picturesque arctic mountain views that characterize Finland's neighboring countries.

In August, a few months before it opened, Oktola III was still a muddy construction site, strewn with rocks and plastic pipes, the sound of hammers, saws and drills echoing throughout. But Jani Honkanen, the Finnish businessman behind the project, knows exactly what he is doing, as his team has extensive experience in developing ultra-luxury and exclusive resorts.

At the end of the fall semester, contractors completed work on the sauna, outdoor swimming pool, and entertainment hall, which includes a shooting range. By the time it opens in December, Oktula III will appear in its final form - with columns made of dead pine trees and a stone facade that will appear to be carved from ice.

With its huge glass windows and hot tub overlooking the vast, sparkling landscape, under a sky likely aglow with the aurora borealis, Octola III will look like a James Bond villain's hideaway. This character is reinforced by the fact that the site has been a secret military facility for decades, not listed on any map, a status that Honkanen intends to maintain.

Winter Hunt In the 1950s, as the Cold War escalated, Finland set aside land in Inontikio, on its northwestern border, to establish a radar base to monitor the Soviet Union, in parallel with eavesdropping on its western neighbours. A road was built through the forest to the base, and it was provided with electricity and water.

The base was renovated in the 1980s, before losing its importance with technological advancement at the turn of the millennium, coinciding with Honkanen's search for a northern location to expand his luxury project. As temperatures rose further south, Honkanen wanted a location that would guarantee his guests a long winter and air among the purest in the world.

Honkanen is betting on attracting a growing segment of the wealthy to his project. With irregular snowfall, crowded European ski resorts, and intensifying heat waves in traditional summer destinations, people are turning to remote havens that are less affected by climate change, provide them with complete privacy, and preserve their pristine nature.

Honkanen began renovating the old base, known as the Aurora Radar Station, which had already been used to host wealthy people. It will also be allocated to accommodate employees accompanying guests after the opening of Oktola 3.

After that, he began building the new residence building on top of the hill. Once completed, Oktola III will include two main sleeping suites that can be booked together or separately as independent apartments, along with a kitchen, private bathrooms, and a lounge with a wood-burning fireplace and wide windows overlooking the surrounding wilderness.

The building will use recycled oak for the floors and roof, along with geothermal energy. For the privacy of guests, guests' exact location will not be revealed in advance and guests will be asked to remove geolocation data from photos they post on social media.

A luxury yacht in the snow The place may seem devoid of activities, but Honkanen believes that staying away from the hustle and pressure of work, and contemplating nature for hours, represents an exceptional luxury in itself. For visitors looking for more entertainment, activities such as snow biking, skiing, and ice fishing are available.

He says: “Oktola’s basic idea is to provide an experience similar to a luxury yacht sailing under the northern lights, equipped with all the entertainment and equipment that one would expect to have on board.” Honkanen stresses that learning about the culture of the indigenous people of the Lapland region, known for their reindeer herding, is an essential part of the experience.

Although the luxury provided by the resort seems far from the living conditions of these semi-nomadic people, they do not mind receiving wealthy visitors. “There is already tourism activity in the area, but we fear it will increase,” says Janne Nakalairvi, a reindeer herder and an official at an education institute.

Concerns center on the large influx of tourists to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland and home of Santa Claus, and the resulting pressure on the fragile Arctic environment. Nakkalairvi adds: “We welcome visitors, but we do not want mass tourism. Nature is fragile and we must protect our forests.”

We need tourists, but the rich ones.” Accommodation prices in “Oktola 3” start from 20,000 euros per night, in addition to another 20,000 euros for renting the radar station.

“We consider our potential guests, and sometimes we refuse bookings because we want people who appreciate the Arctic nature,” Honkanen says. “I have previously rejected reservations made by the Kardashian family’s production company, because this type of visitor is looking for an experience that we do not want to provide.”

The resort seems to attract the wealthy elite, including business leaders and members of royal families. His website also features tributes from Prince Albert, Governor of Monaco, and Indian actress Anushka Sharma.

From failure to success Although the fate of "Oktola 3" has not yet been decided, Honkanen has achieved remarkable success through his projects "Oktola I" and "Oktola II", which are two residence complexes in the middle of a vast forest outside the city of Rovaniemi. This success came after a series of difficult stages that he went through in his life. Honkanen had to give up snow biking following an injury, then one of his companies went bankrupt, before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

But with the support of an initial investment from his friend, Finnish racing driver Mika Hakkinen, he moved into the world of luxury hospitality and established a business that has continued to expand and flourish. Through a series of land deals, Honkanen acquired 47 contiguous plots of forested land outside Rovaniemi, creating a private wilderness area of ​​approximately 1,500 acres, where he established his exclusive resorts.

Today, the area is a very private haven, allowing its guests to isolate themselves among nature and enjoy its activities. Once again, Honkanen only targets the very wealthy.

Oktola 2 consists of two properties, one of which is a luxury lodge located deep in the forest, with an area of ​​​​about 800 square meters, and the cost of accommodation in it reaches 40 thousand euros per night. It provides guests with five bedrooms with private bathrooms, a spacious lounge with a fireplace, huge windows, a games room, and another for cigars, as well as two staff rooms, and a private spa that includes three sauna rooms.

The least expensive option includes a two-room villa, where accommodation prices start at 15,000 euros per night, or a room in the main “Aktola” hostel for 3,500 euros. Guests can also enjoy dozens of activities surrounded by charming nature throughout the year.

Additional sauna rooms are spread among the trees, allowing guests to enjoy the Finnish “luili” ritual, which is said to be one of the secrets of Finland topping the world’s happiness indexes. These rooms include the "Monaco Sauna", a wooden masterpiece specially designed for one of the permanent royal guests, and another traditional one known as the "smoke sauna", which is heated by lighting a fire under the rocks for 5 hours.

Home away from home luxury In the warm months, activities range from fly fishing, quad biking, river rafting and cranberry picking. In winter, it includes skiing, riding dog sleds, riding snowbikes, and watching the northern lights.

At the lodge, local staff prepare dishes with regional ingredients, such as cranberries, trout, and reindeer and bear meat, which are allowed to be hunted in Finland within very limited quotas. The kitchens also prepare meals that suit the tastes of the guests, which are requested in advance, or are prepared by chefs who accompany some of the guests.

The experience is completed by the resort's calm and spontaneous atmosphere, which Honkanen believes is essential for his guests looking for a real human connection with the staff. “Our service to guests is honest and real,” says the resort’s head hostess, Jessie Leveaux, who is also known for her passion for fishing. “We can be ourselves, not impersonate the company.”

According to Honkanen, some guests find the resort so comfortable that they return their visits, even leaving their winter clothes and gear for later use, while others extend their stay from days to weeks. “An Indian family arrived at the airport preparing to return to their country, but decided to return to the resort,” he says.

Honkanen knows that what attracts these guests is not necessarily the luxury they can find elsewhere in the world, but the simple aspects of life that give Finns a sense of contentment. He adds: "Isolation, fresh air, all these things...

It is difficult to pinpoint the source of her happiness, but I have always believed that the forest has the power to heal. When you are in the midst of nature, you can listen to yourself, and only then do you feel balanced.”