Icehotel is newly constructed every September in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, approximately 125 miles (200 km) north of the Arctic Circle. The hotel is accessible through the airport at the nearby mining town if Kiruna; from there, visitors may reach the hotel via automobile or hitch a ride on a dogsled and coast along the frozen Torne River.
Icehotel consists of 85 rooms, an IceBar (sponsored by Absolut, of course) and IceChapel. As the name implies, almost everything in the hotel is made of ice and snow, including bed frames, cocktail glasses in the bar, pews and altar in the chapel. The temperature inside hovers at approximately 23 degrees Farenheit (-5 Celsius), cold enough to require heavy-duty sleeping bags with only your mouth and nose peeking out for air.
Icehotel itself is a work of art, especially the 25 hotel suites transformed into “Art Suites,” featuring larger-than-life sculptures molded from the snow and ice. Artists transform each room with a unique theme, creating three-dimensional installations.
Staying at a hotel made of ice isn’t entirely practical, of course—thoughts of using an ice toilet cause shivers literally up the spine—but nervous travelers can rest assured the Icehotel complex also includes permanent buildings, including warm changing areas with showers and bathrooms; traditional hotel rooms are next door, and two fine restaurants offering exceptional Swedish cuisine. Try the moose–it’s delicious.
Besides being a great destination for adventure travel, Icehotel is a popular choice for weddings. Although it is open only half the year, the IceChapel is the third busiest church in all of Sweden, hosting hundreds of weddings each year. This includes gay weddings, as Sweden legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 with the blessing of the Lutheran Church, the predominant religion in the country. And should the happy couple choose to sleep in the ice rooms, the hotel provides sleeping bags roomy enough for two.
Icehotel exterior (photo courtesy Big Ben productions)
Alaskan Huskies on the dogsled team (photo by Dan Renzi)
Travel & lodging for this post was underwritten in part by Visit Sweden & SAS International
