How I Booked a Glass Igloo in Finland With My Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

When I realized the end of a major solar cycle was drawing near, I wanted to make an attempt to see the northern lights again. I decided to book a short-notice trip to Lapland in northern Finland, as I’d never been to that region of the country before.

As I started looking around, I didn’t see any hotels from Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt — nor any points programs, for that matter. Moreover, I saw many glass igloos that seemed like a fun stay for a night, though they were even harder to book with points.

In the end, I was able to book a 1-night stay in a glass igloo with points and even stack it with a hotel benefit on my credit card for further savings. Here’s how.

How I Used Points for My Stay

Through Chase Travel, you can book flights, hotels, activities, theme parks, and more. You can pay with your eligible Chase credit card or redeem Ultimate Rewards points toward your bookings.

The value you can get for your points varies, as Chase introduced Points Boost in June 2025. Ultimate Rewards points earned before this change retain their original redemption value, while points earned after the update follow the new Points Boost rates.

For my stay, I saw several glass igloos in Rovaniemi, Lapland’s provincial capital, and compared their locations and reviews. In the end, I liked the Lapland Glow Chalets, which technically aren’t igloos but offered the same concept: big windows for watching the sky.

Stacking the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card’s Hotel Credit

I was glad to redeem points instead, especially considering a 1-night stay in February 2026 cost $675.43.

While the initial search results said I’d need 67,543 points to cover this stay — a redemption value of 1 cent per Ultimate Rewards point — I ended up redeeming only 50,205 points, plus paying $50 out of pocket, thanks to my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.

I was able to redeem Ultimate Rewards points at the previous redemption rate of 1.25 cents each for most of what I needed. Therefore, I redeemed just 281 points at 1 cent each, as I didn’t have enough points earned before the Points Boost changeover to cover the full cost of my stay.

I didn’t redeem enough points to cover the full value of my reservation. I left $50 to be paid with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

That’s because the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a $50 annual hotel credit (this has since increased to $100), usable on hotels booked through the Chase Travel portal. By paying the final amount with this card rather than covering the full amount with points, I was able to get a $50 statement credit from my card’s annual benefit and keep $50 worth of points to use in the future.

Where Is Rovaniemi, Finland?

Rovaniemi is in northern Finland. It’s possible to fly to Rovaniemi Airport (RVN), drive or even take the Santa Claus Express train, which runs overnight from Helsinki and takes roughly 10 hours.

Rovaniemi is the best-connected city in northern Finland and has abundant tourist infrastructure, including hotels ranging from budget to luxury, tour operators, restaurants, and good roads. For many visitors, this is the gateway to Finnish Lapland.

Key Features of Lapland Glow Chalets in Northern Finland

I spent a night at the Lapland Glow Chalets just outside Rovaniemi — away from the light pollution that could obstruct my views of the aurora.

Oddly, there was no reception. I called the hotel when I arrived with my rental car, and a friendly employee told me I was assigned to cabin 14 and gave me a code to unlock the door.

The chalet wasn’t large, but it didn’t feel cramped and had everything I needed. I easily could’ve spent more days here.

The main feature was a glass wall facing north, and I also had a TV in one corner and a stool in the other. A comfortable bed sat near the glass wall, with the headboard doubling as a counter and storage space on the opposite side — complete with a pair of barstools that made this the dining area.

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Looking into the room from the door.

I found multiple pillows, blankets, towels, and washcloths on the bed. For privacy, I could pull a cord to raise the blinds and cover the window. I liked that the blinds started from the bottom, allowing me to get privacy while leaving the top part of the window uncovered, giving me views to the sky.

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Lots of visibility with the blinds down.

The rear of my chalet had a small bathroom with a heated floor, which I loved. The sink didn’t have any counter space, but there was a small shelf nearby. The bathroom also had a lot of outlets, a toilet to the right, and a glass shower box to the left. Water pressure was excellent.

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The small bathroom.

Breakfast was included with my stay. A few days before arrival, I emailed the hotel to say I’m vegan. The reply was to remind them at check-in, which I did while on the phone receiving my door code.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, an employee knocked on the door with soy yogurt, an orange, blueberry juice, a sandwich, and a pistachio pastry. This was a very filling, very excellent breakfast.

The hotel didn’t have a restaurant or offer other meals during the day. However, a 5-minute walk led to a restaurant at another hotel across the street.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been lucky enough to see the aurora borealis multiple times. My stay in Rovaniemi in February 2026 added Finland to the list of countries where I’ve seen the northern lights.

By using Chase Ultimate Rewards inside the travel portal, I booked a cute cabin with a glass wall, was able to offset the cost with points, and was even able to stack this with my credit card’s annual hotel credit.

Was it the most high-value use of Chase points? Definitely not. Did it provide a lot of value for me and help me save money? Definitely.