Review of Funwhole’s Cozy Ski Lodge: A Lego-Compatible Winter Wonderland!

 

Introduction

Hey brick fans!

Winter is right around the corner, and Funwhole’s newest building set, the F9041 Ski Lodge, brings that snowy, festive vibe right to our tabletops. The Ski Lodge is part of the Retro House series, alongside the previous Hunting Cabin, Mountain Cabin, and the Wood Cabin, which I reviewed: https://its-not-lego.blogspot.com/2022/07/funwhole-wood-cabin-building-set-review.html!

Thanks to FunWhole for providing this set for my review!

Known for their lighting-enhanced, intricately designed sets, Funwhole delivers on both realism and coziness with this Lego-compatible creation. Let's review it to see what makes this ski lodge stand out.

UnBoxing the FunWhole Ski Lodge

                              

The Funwhole Ski Lodge comes packaged with organized bags, easy-to-follow instructions, and a set of unique parts. From the minute you open the box, the winter theme is evident. Funwhole doesn’t just add lighting—they thoughtfully integrate it to bring out details like windows glowing warmly in the night and flickering fireplaces and campfire.

I counted a total of 43 bags, with 40 of those bags numbered and allocated to the 12 build sections as documented in the clearly marked instruction manual.

The remainder of the  bags consist of  1 bag of large plates and 2 bags of minifigures.  There are a total of 4 Funwhole style cute minifigures in the Ski Lodge set, which you have to assemble yourself.

Out of the four minifigures, three have reversible faces, one side with googles and the other side without. They also come with some accessories, such as a selfie stick, and shovel to clear the walkway.  

The Lighting Kit

The ski lodge comes with built-in lighting, a Funwhole signature feature. The glow brings the set to life, giving it an inviting, lived-in feel. Imagine the lodge sitting on a shelf, lit up in a dim room—perfect for cozying up during winter.

Each lighting kit is customized to the set.  In this custom kit, there is a battery box (uses 3 AA batteries, not included), a pair of tweezers, a small screwdriver, and 2 pouches of lighting elements.  You will see later how the lighting is thoughtfully incorporated into the build process, it's not just a superfical add-on like other lighting kits.

Build Complexity and Progression

With approximately 2187 pieces, the set is moderate in complexity. Funwhole provides a detailed instruction manual that guides builders through multiple sections, making it accessible even for beginner builders. However, seasoned fans will still enjoy the finer details in its architecture and lighting installation, which feels like a rewarding mini-project.

In terms of build experience, you'll find that Funwhole looks and feels just like Lego bricks.  Fit, finish and clutch are excellent.  This will be evidenced during the build progression for the Ski Lodge.

First we start off building the base and the foundation of the lodge structure.  I've modified the base of my set to use a raised baseplate, but you don't have to do this because the Funwhole base is already very sturdy.  I do the raised baseplates to standardize my modular buildings for all new builds.

Some snowscaping features and floors added in section 2.

Now we start constructing the actual lodge with the inclusion of the front walls and a very realistic looking fireplace.  For section 3, we've also added the lighting infrastructure to support all the lighting effects and that is hidden under the floors.

The main floor of the ski lodge consists of a large living room with sofa, side chair and table. I love that Funwhole doesn't overlook the tiny details in their sets.  Check out all the cool knick-knacks around the fireplace!  There's a jacket hung to dry, a Christmas tree and clock and even christmas stockings on the mantle!  Next to the fireplace, there's some logs and a ski poster with a guitar on the wall.  The first aid kit makes another appearance in this set, as it was first seen in the Travel Trailer set.

For section 5 we continue to furnish the interior and complete the walls, but you'll have to discover all of the little accessories for yourself, there's just too many to list!   But I do want to draw your attention to the opening wall!  This is another cool feature which lets you look inside the Ski Lodge without having to remove the second floor, how neat!

Here we can start adding some more detail to the exterior of the lodge in section 6.  Ski and snowboard equipment is stored in the corner of the lodge with some nice touches such as the helmet and the boots, although I think the boots should have been properyl placed inside the lodge, not outside!  The giant printed billboard says the ski lodge is located in the White Valley. 

The Funwhole Ski Lodge features a second floor loft space with access via the stairway located on the main floor.  Although a bit compact, there's still room for a bunk bed, and a small workstation with computer.  There's even a vent so that the heat from the main floor fireplace can heat up the loft area!

Another cool feature of FunWhole building sets is their use of the wireless pads that allow lighting to work on the upper floor of the building without using wires.  With the placement of the upper loft onto the main building, we can have some accent lighting at the computer and on the balcony.  Section 7 is complete.

In section 8, we added the second storey walls to hold up the roof.

Almost there!  The first of two sets of snow covered roof panels will get attached to the ski lodge.  

Before we cover up the rest of the roof, you'll see that there is a small guest who lives up in the rafters! 

Don't worry that the little squirrel will hungry during the winter, because he's got a secret stash of food hidden in the snowbank below!

Once completed, the  Ski Lodge itself has a charming, alpine-style architecture with realistic elements, including snow covered sloped rooftops, rustic timber cladding, and a cozy interior layout. Other little details are snow-covered trees, wooden benches, and winter terrain.  There's even an adjacent ski hill you can build so that the minifigures can practice their turns on before hitting the big slopes.

Don't try this at home, boys and girls!

Here is my list of Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Beautiful design with lots of wintery details
• Integrated lighting that enhances the overall look
• Solid build quality and compatibility with Lego and other brands
• Printed parts used, not stickers
• Great display piece that would look right at home in a winter village scene.

Cons:

I had one missing piece that was the black ski helmet, it is pictured in the manual but I couldn't find it in my minifigure parts bags.

I do have one little gripe and that's the fact that the FunWhole minifigures, with their rounded bums, aren't able to sit properly on the sofa or chairs.  I find that kind of limiting to the display aspect and playability of the set.   In the above picture, I have delicately posed the minifigures to sit on the tree stumps around the flickering fire, but it took me a few tries to get them balanced just so for the pic.  I don't know if FunWhole will be able to address the rounded bum issue though.

Conclusion

The Funwhole Ski Lodge is a perfect winter display piece, merging the charm of a snowy getaway with detailed building elements. It’s a beautiful, seasonal addition for collectors and Lego enthusiasts looking for a cozy project as the colder months set in. Whether it’s the glow of the lights or the intricate details of the lodge itself, this set definitely lives up to Funwhole’s reputation for unique, atmospheric builds.

How to get our own FunWhole Ski Lodge

Pricing:  $99.99 USD, get 25% off now using promo code SKI25

A). From the FunWhole store

https://www.funwhole.com/products/ski-lodge-2187pcs?ref=tN9EBQmQ

B) From the Funwhole stores on Amazon

Amazon link for the USA: 

https://www.amazon.com/FUNWHOLE-Christmas-Ski-Cabin-Lighting-Building-Bricks-Set/dp/B0DDKCT3QG?maas=maas_adg_002D435F0EB96DE17A507930ACD57906_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Amazon link for Canada: 

https://www.amazon.ca/FUNWHOLE-Christmas-Ski-Cabin-Lighting-Building-Bricks-Set/dp/B0DDKCT3QG?maas=maas_adg_5DF1F9771F27FD5EE5B7CC2B3A68AC97_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Amazon link for Europe: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0DDKCT3QG

This will make a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone else who loves Lego style sets!  Hope you have enjoyed this review!   Bye for now!