Weekend escapes and northern lights breaks
Experience the world’s most unique hotel made entirely from ice and snow. Swedish Lapland’s Icehotel is one of the most famous and innovative places you can ever dream of staying.
Located 200km north of the Arctic Circle, in the village of Jukkasjarvi, this hotel has been reincarnated into new, breathtaking designs every winter for more than thirty years. We fell under its spell when it first emerged back in 1990 and are proud to be the leading worldwide partner of the Icehotel.
Work on the 35th Icehotel is gathering pace, with sketches for this year’s art suites recently revealed. With the grand opening scheduled for 13 December, we can’t wait to see how the latest iteration of the winter hotel will look. Take a peak at the sketches below.
Sketches for this year’s art suites have been revealed. Spend a night with an enormous rhinoceros that’s barged into the wrong room, curl up in a cosy bird’s nest made of ice and snow, get inspired by both Sami and South Korean craftsmanship, and be captivated by the floral splendour in a tribute to the primordial mother, Gaia, in the ceremony hall at Icehotel.
With 194 applicants from 40 countries, 27 artists from 13 countries have been selected to create this season’s art suites and halls. The 35th edition of Icehotel promises something special.
Sketches: Art suite “Ice Kiln” by Jaeyual Lee & Daeho Lee; Main Hall “Quasar” by Wouter Biegelaar & Viktor Tsarski; Art suite “Whoops Wrong Room!” by AnnaSofia Mååg.
From magnificent Art Suites to thrilling activities, the Icehotel is one of the most extraordinary hotels in the world.
The Icehotel is now open all year-round, offering a variety of activities and experiences in both the winter and summer seasons. For many though, the Icehotel is at its best during the winter months when it is blanketed in snow, the air outside is crisp and cold and the northern lights might make an appearance.
The winter season starts in December until early April. During these months guests can stay in the new, hand carved art suites, or standard ice rooms before the ice melts away and returns to the Torne river. The seasonal art suites are individually designed; each year heralds more inventive and even quirkier designs by artists from all over the world, no two designs are ever the same. The art suites are completely unique and have never been seen or slept in before. The other 20 standard ice rooms are simpler in their design, with art decor and a bed made of ice. Alongside the ice rooms, there are also traditional hotel rooms, known as ‘warm accommodation’.
Should you book an ICEHOTEL holiday during the winter season, we recommend spending one night in the ice rooms before moving to a chalet or traditional hotel room.
In December 2016, Icehotel 365 opened its doors and is the first hotel to office an icy experience all year round! The permanent structure is a specially designed ice hall, housing previously designed art suites, deluxe bedroom suites, and ice hall and ice bar. Maintained at sub-zero temperatures by solar power during summer its domed roof is covered in wild flowers, while in winter, it blends seamlessly with the adjacent winter structure. The summer months from mid-May until the end of July showcase a very different landscape and with that, activities such as rafting, hiking and fishing under the midnight sun.
We’ve answered the most commonly asked questions about the incredible experience of sleeping on ice and staying at one of the world’s truly remarkable hotels in the ultimate guide to visiting the Icehotel.
Guide to visiting the IcehotelSitting well above the Arctic Circle in the tiny village of Jukkasjarvi, the Icehotel is in a great location for viewing the aurora borealis. During the evening, aurora watchers head down to the frozen river to gaze at the night sky in expectation of viewing the northern lights – possibly after enjoying a cocktail or two in the Icebar.
Alternatively, there is a range of enticing excursions from husky safaris to snowmobile tours operating in the evening deep into the wilderness that offer excellent chances to view the aurora, if the cloud conditions permit.
However, if seeing the northern lights is your priority, we recommend combining your Icehotel experience with an overnight stay in Abisko National Park visiting the Aurora Sky Station. Deep in the heart of Swedish Lapland, the Sky Station has one of the best track records for northern lights sightings on earth. The reason being a quick of climate and the local prevailing winds which keep the skies overhead almost always cloud-free. This is also one of the driest areas in Lapland and creates the ideal weather conditions for viewing the aurora.
Explore the charismatic Arctic city of Tromso, dubbed the ‘Paris of the North’. Surrounded by mountains and sea, this lively city is an ideal complement to the wilderness of Abisko and the Icehotel. A scenic rail journey across the top of Scandinavia connects the two.
Iceland doesn’t have an ice hotel of its own, but it is possible to combine with a stay in Sweden’s Icehotel. Explore volcanic wonders, waterfalls and vibrant Reykjavik before heading to the world’s coolest hotel via Stockholm.
Remaining in Sweden, a night in the Icehotel makes a memorable footnote to the wilderness adventure mushing your own team of huskies through the trails around Jukkasjarvi. Of course, if you’d prefer to experience Swedish Lapland under the midnight sun, you can pair your break with a stay at the Treehotel.
To help you plan your perfect itinerary, we have asked our expert team to select their favourite experiences at the Icehotel, providing exclusive insights into all the excursions available.
Read more
The Icehotel in Swedish Lapland opened for the 34th time on 15th December 2023 revealing the artistry of the latest edition.
Read more
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube