The reindeer-fur-clad doors of the Icehotel in Swedish Lapland opened for the 34th time on 15th December 2023 revealing the artistry of the latest edition. A spectacular mix of ice, snow, engineering and originality comes together to create one of the world’s most extraordinary and certainly its most ephemeral, hotel.
This year’s creation brought together 32 artists from 14 different countries (part of a team of 90 people involved in the construction) plus 500 tonnes of ice and 10 Olympic swimming pools of “sn-ice” – a bespoke compound mixing ice and snow. The iconic main hall returns after a brief hiatus and three additional suites take the total to 15 based on themes ranging from fairy tales to cultural traditions. An exquisite ceremony hall completes the frozen line-up.
“We are thrilled to have collaborated with artists from 14 countries – some for over two decades, others for the first time. That’s what makes ICEHOTEL unique and still exciting after 34 years. ICEHOTEL 34 has expanded with a new layout, presenting even more art suites, the Ceremony Hall, and our ‘Main Hall’, making a grand comeback after a 4-year hiatus”
Luca Roncoroni, Creative Director ICEHOTEL
This winter guests will be able to sleep in rooms featuring designs such as a cat and rat chase, the goddess of chocolate and a cacao ceremony, a frozen seashore, a desert landscape, fairies and trolls as well as extra-terrestrial hieroglyphs telling the story of the Baltic Sea Anomaly and a Beaver dam.
Featured artists include Lisa Lindqvist and Kate Munro from the UK, whose design, Light Collectors celebrates winter solstice pagan costumes.
Main Hall – LattICE – by artists Kendo Hamaguchi and Taku Ohuchi
Obscura by artist Lukas Petko
Beaver Lodge by artists Brian McArthur and Dawn Detarando
Ceremony Hall – SLAVA – by artists Thomas Czajkowski and Grzegorz Olczak
Oh My Goddess by artists Ulrika Tallving and Giovanna Martinez
Sea Inside by artists Kristina Möckel and Sebastian Scheller
Frozen Moment by artists Tjåsa Gusfors and Hanneke Supply
All images © Asaf Kliger
While art is at its heart, the Icehotel experience delivers far more. An exciting range of activities from husky sledding to snowmobiling, ice fishing to sculpting fill your days, while the prospect of witnessing the northern lights at night adds some out of this world magic. Delectable dining completes the experience with options for a Starlit Wilderness Dinner or a 12-course Chef’s Table upgrade in addition to Icehotel restaurant and nearby Homestead.
Visiting the Icehotel
The seasonal Icehotel is open from mid-December the end of March into early April, when it starts to melt back into the River Torne. It can be experienced on our classic 3-night Icehotel Break or you can choose to combine with a stay in Abisko National Park – rated by Lonely Planet as the best place in the world for experiencing the northern lights – on our Northern Lights, Abisko and Icehotel holiday.
Get in touch with our experts to discuss your options.
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