It isn’t an igloo, just a giant Hotel made completely with ice and it’s ready for use. What? Come again? A hotel made with ice crystals.
At Jukkasjärvii, a village in Northern Sweden, you can watch this Icehotel with your own eyes. A hotel reconstructed yearly with snow and ice; it is the world’s first ice hotel. Ever since its opening in 1990, the hotel has been rebuilt each year from December to April.
Each year, artists from around the world are flown into Jukkasjärvii for their amazing art installations. Each year, the Icehotel is built from scratch from the river water that flows by in the summer. By the time winter comes, the ice is packed and frozen and created into the most incredible and artistic rooms you could ever imagine. This year’s hotel is called Icehotel 31, with the number changing each subsequent year.
The other 2 hotels include Icehotel 365 which is the year-round ice hotel that even functions in summer. It's kept below freezing all year round, with great rooms and an ice bar, where you can try cocktails wrapped in thermal suits. While Kaamos is the warm hotel and a respite from the chilly arctic temperatures. If you are on a 3-day holiday you can divide your time between these three hotels.
There are Art Suites, deluxe rooms, and ice rooms. You can explore ice sculpting, see the northern lights and head across the frozen river on your very own dog sledge that’ll whisk you off into the Arctic countryside. We recommend cross-country skiing on the many ice trails and view the oldest church in Lapland, Jukkasjärvii church which is only a 20-minute walk from the hotel.
This year the 31st Icehotel promises 12 unique art suites as well as six new art suites in Icehotel 365. Around 24 Swedish artists have put together their amazing art installations. In fact, the one who is unable to travel can view the augmented reality experience on Instagram.
There will be a frozen forest in the ceremony hall ‘Skogen’, a composer seat for your classical music, typography room, a hotdog stand, a strawberry stand, and the coldest sauna in the world in the art suite ‘sauna’. But it can be replaced by a hot sauna experience in a private relaxation room for everyone who stays the night in one of the deluxe suites in Icehotel 365. All the art suites are equipped with a QR code that can be scanned to hear an audio guide that tells the story about each art project.
The art suites are now open for their first visitors, with the ceremony hall complete and ready for small ceremonies during the winter. another six art suites in Icehotel 31 will be open from Dec 21st onwards. It’s open till April 11th next year. For more details log on to www.Icehotel.com
