Book a room at the world’s first and most eccentric hotel built from snow and ice. The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland is one of the most ingenious, ethereal and whimsical places you can ever dream of staying!
Everything from the building to the furniture and bedding is made of purely harvested ice from the Torne River beside the hotel.
It comes alive to full glory during the winter and melts back into the Torne River as Spring approaches.
And this hotel ranks among the top 10 Ice Hotels in the globe!
Each year artists from different parts of the world design the hotel with unique ice sculptures, general decor, room architecture, and other craft forms.
But the mainstays usually remain the same.
So, here we unlock the doors of this winter wonderland chic that enchants thousands of tourists annually with its unique themes, dazzling artworks and fairy tale ambience!
Take a look…
1. The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi Overview: Spark Your Wanderlust!
This Hotel has been recognised as a world-famous spectacle, with temperatures dropping up to -5 C. So much so that guests must book at least a year in advance to get a room here.
Over every new construction, the Icehotel always ensures the availability of a reception area, main hall, chapel area and a bar that can occupy over 100 guests.
And to interest you, no two rooms in the hotel remain the same!
Interestingly, today it has branched to open the world’s first ICEHOTEL 365 that offers warm rooms throughout the year with a flat-screen television, free wifi, self-parking space, chic decor, permanent ice suits with private saunas, and heated bathrooms.
It is a completely NO-smoking property that doesn’t allow pets indoors.
Each morning, a buffet breakfast is served on tables made of pure ice. But don’t worry, the cutlery (except the tumblers in the bar) is not of ice to avoid getting stuck to your tongue!
Interestingly, you cannot find any kind of plumbing inside the hotel. You must walk out to find the onsite sauna and hot bathtub outdoors.
Once it’s bedtime, you can jump into the bed created out of ice.
And to make it safe for us to sleep, the hotel offers a foam mattress topped by some reindeer skins with an ice-proof unique sleeping pillow!
Besides that, plenty of photogenic places are inside and outside the hotel. Even various snow-related activities are available to keep you entertained throughout the day.
Staying in the Icehotel might not be your first choice if you wish to hibernate under palm trees and warm climates.
But trust me, if you manage to conquer your fear of getting frozen, then the Icehotel rewards you with an exotic experience you will NEVER get elsewhere!
2. Where is the Ice Hotel Located in Sweden?
During the winter, the Icehotel takes its shape in Jukkasjärvi, 200km (125 miles) in the northern Arctic Circle in Swedan’s Lapland. And it’s just a 17-kilometre drive from Kiruna.
Here’s where the Icehotel sits on the map!
The fundamental construction or the skeleton of the hotel comprises concrete and steel. It is then blanketed with 2,000 square metres of insulation.
To prevent the icy roof from melting during summer, it is built with 20-centimetre insulation.
The ICEHOTEL 365 version of the Icehotel has a huge art hall and Deluxe Suites stretching up to 2100 sq meters.
Added to it comes the Ice Bar and an experience room where visitors can learn about the Icehotel’s history through visuals, short clips and art.
3. Running Backwards in Time to Glimpse at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi History
Now don’t you worry about visiting the experience room at the Icehotel to gain all the history you wish to know. Why?
Because we have drained all the information you seek from that particular room straight into this article to keep you updated and entertained!
Initially, it was started by Yngve Bergqvist as a snow and ice symposium for Japanese ice artists to learn ice sculpting and become a part of an art exhibition.
However, the tale of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi began in 1989 when Jukkasjärvi was a place that offered sculpture art courses. Here the first snow house was built to become an art course venue.
Unfortunately, there occurred a shortage of accommodation with the number of pupils, they used the snow house to accommodate them along with the frozen arts.
To make them comfortable, snow sleeping bags, information on toilet trip management, survivalist advice, and a sauna in the morning to recover from frostbite were provided. This resulted in the sudden birth of an ICEHOTEL.
3.1 How is it at Present?
Today, each winter, ice is harvested from the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjärvi.
Then upon careful selection by the design committee, builders and selected artists set their skills into the gigantic ice blocks.
After a few months, the Icehotel and an Icebar originate out of it.
Unfortunately, like an adamant snowman, the Icehotel melts away each spring. But that is the innate beauty of this hotel. But thanks to the artists from across the world who have put in their efforts each year to build something new.
But the best part is that you can still see the Ice Bar beside the hotel once it’s melted during summer.
Malin Franck, CEO of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, states that;
Our entire business at ICEHOTEL is dependent on rental water, clean air, and untouched nature. With Nordic Ecolabel, we make things easier for our personnel and also for our customers and partner. Hopefully, we will inspire more companies to start their journey and get certified – it is possible, even for a hotel with extraordinary conditions.
So, reserve your stay much earlier, as this is a fascinating place that woos visitors from the farthest corners of the globe!
Insider tip: Try booking directly on their official website to save a few bucks if you’re on a budget. And just a night here might pin your soul to the place!
4. What is the Ice Hotel Sweden Price for Visitors?
It entirely depends on which time of the year you wish to stay at the hotel. But generally, the cost ranges from 9,000 to 15,000 SEK (Swedish Krona) for just one night.
The price includes a room with beds made of ice with a thermal sleeping bag and reindeer skins as mattresses. Added to that, you get breakfast and sauna.
In case you don’t wish to stay in the main hotel, then you can choose to stay at an igloo. These are smaller accommodations that offer a whole different experience.
The price here starts from $200 per night. But the drawback is that you need to pay extra for your meals. But don’t worry, as you can gain access to the sauna and other amenities.
These Igloos are 10 feet tall, which means you can stand once you are up from your bed made of reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags.
The best part of staying in an Igloo is that you can capture some stunning Northern Lights views that glisten over the silent snow-clad forests!
5. How to Reach the Icehotel in Sweden?
Don’t worry about reaching the hotel from Kiruna, as there are numerous modes of transport to get there!
Among them, the best to get there is by taking a flight or a train. There are 2-hour direct flights to Kiruna from Stockholm available.
By train, you need to take a twelve-hour journey from Stockholm, and it’s highly recommended that you take an overnight train.
Once you reach the Kiruna Airport or Train station, you’re 15-20 minutes afar off from Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi.
6. When is the Best Time to Tour the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi Sweden?
The obvious answer is Winter!
This is when you the incredible works of art purely made of ice and snow. Additionally, you can enjoy to the max in this winter wonderland with action-loaded activities.
However, a word of caution is that since each year gives birth to diverse kinds of interiors at the Icehotel, you might not get to see the same sculpture after it melts in Spring.
So, book your vacation somewhere from December to March to get the best and most memorable experiences from the place!
Seeing the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi on a budget? Then click here!
7. Getting Ready: Outfits for the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
With all the information you need to prepare for your journey, it’s best to know what to pack to avoid unexpected mishaps after landing in the Icehotel.
The first thing to remember is that hotel indoors is cold but not freezing. The average temperature drops to -5 C, and it’s best to pack suitable thermal clothing to beat the cold and create some memories!
So, put a tick to your packing list if you have thermal underwear, warm comfy socks, an extra jumper or fleece, especially for the indoors, in your luggage.
You might not bother much with the outdoors as the hotel shoulders the responsibility of providing boots, gloves, snowsuits, and a balaclava.
Though the hotel provides you with reindeer skins and warm comfy, travel-style sleeping bags inside the cold room, it instructs that you must wear proper indoor clothing in bed!
These iced-up rooms are open to guests between 6 pm and 10 am. But the heated riverside lobby is open 24 hours to access the Ice Hotel toilet, showers, bathrooms and lockers to safely keep your precious belongings.
Nervous about sleeping inside the iced rooms? Then go through this guide!
8. Activities to Amuse Yourself at Icehotel Sweden
Apart from gazing at the ice suites inside the hotel, you can actually step out and enjoy quite a number of activities outside the Icehotel in the miniature Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi.
Dogsledding, Horseback riding, snowmobiling and gazing at the Ice Hotel Nothern Lights Aurora Borealis snaking across the pitch-dark sky.
Also, you can become a sculptor, learning ice sculpting under a direction of a local expert.
Additionally, take a fishing trip beneath the Midnight Sun.
9. Icy Icehotel Facts Just for You
Did you know?
- The Ice Chandelier hanging atop the main hall in the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi comprises 1000 hand-tailored ice crystals.
- The ICEHOTEL 365 is an enduring structure allowing guests to lodge amidst the cold art rooms around the year. And these rooms undergo renovation every six months on a rotation basis.
- Today you can actually find the classic Icehotel and the ICEHOTEL 365 in Sweden. If you’re lucky to step out there during the winter, you can look at both of them!
- The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is made of a combination of ‘snice’, snow and ice. Roughly 30,000 cubic meters of snice and 1,000 tonnes of ice go into creating the Icehotel. This quantity equates to approximately 700 million snowballs!
By Jamaladeen/Unlimphotos. Copyright 2020
For more exciting facts, check this link here!
10. Closing the Icy Gates
So, yeah, there we have it!
Staying at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi is indeed a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience that every visitor must have.
You can expect its unique outcome, perseverance, and originality to promote sustainable tourism and a consistent renewal process in its upcoming hotels, ice crafts, and nature ventures in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden!
So, don’t miss to put your sole there!
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