Sweden's ICEHOTEL
Sweden’s ICEHOTEL, in the Arctic Circle, is a once in a lifetime experience merging extreme outdoor adventure with indoor creature comforts.
Staying in a hotel made of ice, drinking Absolut from an ice glass in an ice bar, dog sledding, and ice driving are just some of the amazing experiences at the ICEHOTEL.
The ICEHOTEL is exactly what the name says – a hotel made of ice. It is located in the town of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Every year the ICEHOTEL melts, and every year for the past sixteen years architects, designers, and artists recreate it with ice from the nearby river Torne. The 2007 ICEHOTEL is open until the end of April.
Just How Cold is it Inside?
The inside temperature is never colder than -5 °C to -8 °C, regardless of how cold it is outside. The bed is made of ice and covered with a mattress, reindeer skins, and a sleeping bag. The hotel recommends that you sleep in thermal underwear and a hat. There are heated washrooms and changing rooms in the heated part of the Icehotel. Winter boots, a hat, mittens, and a snowmobile suit is included in the price of a night’s stay, but you should still bring your own winter clothing. The ICEHOTEL even sells gear wear appropriate for the Arctic climate in their onsite shop.
Onsite Bar and Restaurants
The ICEHOTEL has an onsite restaurant featuring Sami cuisine from the indigenous residents of Lapland. The Old Homestead Restaurant, on the hotel grounds, serves a la carte Visit the Aboslut Icebar, where you can sip your drink out of a glass made of ice.
What Does One Do at the ICEHOTEL?
You can strike out in the snow on your own or you can take advantage of the hotel’s outdoor adventure packages for activities like a snowmobiling safaris, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, ice driving in a Saab, a moose safari, bird hunting, or ice fishing (in the spring). In January the daylight is short, but as the calendar creeps toward April the days become longer. Those wanting a unique wedding can get married in the Ice church. This being Scandinavia, there is, of course, a sauna for hotel guests.
Details
A stay at the ICEHOTEL is a once in a lifetime experience that does not come cheap. There are a range of room types from a deluxe suite to a basic double room. Prices range from SEK 1120 (approximately $164 USD, 124 euros) to SEK 6550 (approximately $960 USD, 726 euros), depending on the day of week and the room type. Activities cost extra. The nearest airport is Kiruna Airport, 12 km from the Icehotel. Flights from Stockholm take 1.5 hours, from London 3.5 hours, from New York 10 hours. See the ICEHOTEL’s website for more information.
