Hellsten Hotels took over Kvikkjokk Mountain Lodge about a year ago. Already from the very beginning I clearly stated to each and everybody, that it will be a five year period for us to do what I want; to upgrade parts to hotel standard and to freshen up the hostel parts and add more rooms, and above all to add quality service and quality restaurant to the facilities in Kvikkjokk.
Kvikkjokk Mountain Lodge has suffered from bad management and low profitability for years. This was my first challenge. I have put my qualified own staff to run Kvikkjokk and we can now serve quality food, and we have in one year managed to reach a breakeven mark for the enterprise.
We had the option to close down and build or to keep the station open and build during the low season periods. I decided to do the latter. I expect therefore a five year period to renew the station. So after one year you cannot see very much. We are in the early stages where we are project planning, seeking building permits, looking for finance, etc. This is not done overnight.
So let me to take this opportunity to reveal some of the plans.
- Old building is wonderful, Yes, and we are planning to upgrade this building to hotel standard. “A pearl in the inner of Lapland”. This will contain fifteen hotel rooms with hotel standard. There are plans to add more hotel rooms later.
- Additionally, soon we can offer guests to stay in some high quality cabins nearby.
- The plans for the hostel building is to maintain the rooms there and to add more rooms to this later.
More in the pipeline:
-Of course we will build a new and functional Sauna in a convenient place.
-We are building new staff quarters.
-We are building an assembly hall in old timber, in which courses of all sorts will take place, as well as weddings and other events.
-We have already done a superficial upgrade of the dining hall, and we have certainly put a new shape to the cuisine standards in Kvikkjokk. People now travel to Kvikkjokk to eat well.
You must know that the survival of this station depends highly on the money earned from the restaurant. Therefore we appreciate that guests eat at the restaurant, also the wanderer guests. With lodging incomes only, it is an impossible task to balance the turnover.
Look at things from the bright side; We have opened up the restaurant with quality food.
- We want to develop another dimension at the Mountain Station, namely courses and events of various kinds. Nothing remarkable, but such as Yoga, Aquarelle Painting, Nature Photography, Mountain Flora, Snow Mobile Riding, Huskies’ sleighing, and guided tours, just to mention a few.
Keep your eyes open. We will introduce new ideas and buildings, one after one. We have plenty of ideas, But, for this we are also much the depending on ideas from concerned wanderers and visitors. Appreciate you writing us or me directly.
Perhaps it is of interest that I, and we, are very concerned about the environment and the survival of the Earth. In line with this, we are installing sustainable energy to the whole station.
- We are investing heavily and will drill 33 holes for thermal heating to supply all buildings at the station with energy within the next year. This will cut energy costs dramatically and make us more selfsupporting to the larger part of the energy use.
- Additionally all electricity used at Kvikkjokk Mountain Station comes from renewable sources.
- Recycling of waste is a must.
- We strive to find our food supplies from clean sources and as much as possible from nearby local suppliers.
Kvikkjokk Mountain Station is situated at the crossroads between the wilderness and the civilization in this last outpost towards the real Lapland, where in the past the Laplanders met with Newbuilders. I believe in the idea to combine a hostel with a hotel there, so that guests from these both facilities can meet in the common rooms and at the restaurant. I believe this cross beading will lead to interesting meetings over generations and ethnic backgrounds. I believe in a vibrant place with cultural meetings and exchange in exhibitions, performances and musical events which will bring travelers to Kvikkjokk. This is also what can bring the survival of Kvikkjokk village which is today inhabited by only 13 people.
After five years, when we hope we have achieved what I have in my vision, we will do the inauguration to which you are cordially invited.
Per Hellsten