Graham's blog posts

"A Night at the Theatre", art suite designed by Jonathan Green and Marnie Green 

When the plans for this winter's ICEHOTEL® were revealed in September, we couldn’t wait to see the finished Art Suites. The good news is that the wait is finally over!

"A Night at the Theatre", art suite created by Jonathan Green and Marnie Green 

Summer might be drawing to a close but that doesn't mean it is time to pack up your passport just yet! Here at Artisan Travel we think there is plenty to get excited about when it comes to the winter months. Not only are there thrilling Arctic adventures to look forward to but equally as exciting is the fact that Sweden’s world-famous ICEHOTEL® has released its plans for this year as they celebrate their 30^th birthday!

Despite having travelled to Finland several times by myself, I had never given my parents the chance to experience its wonders for themselves. However, in January they got to experience a holiday to Torassieppi in Finnish Lapland for the first time. Read on to find out what they made of their experience to the Arctic North!

Day Three:

To say we were apprehensive about going on a 25km Snowmobile safari is a drastic understatement.  The closer to the activity we got the quieter Jorie and I became. However, when it was time for the activity we went along, watched the briefing video and before long we were being swept along on a snowmobile!

The ICEHOTEL© has opened its door for another year and we believe that it is more impressive than ever. 

Founded in 1989, the ICEHOTEL© has developed into an internationally recognised brand, especially known for its incredible artwork. Each year at the start of winter the hotel is designed and built from scratch from thousands of huge ice blocks harvested from the Torne River which is then carefully sculpted into an amazing architectural building.

On a trip to the north of Norway in February 2014, I had the rather exciting opportunity to stay overnight in a snow hotel and I must admit that it was an evening I'm unlikely to forget!

The location was Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, just outside the Norwegian town of Alta. The hotel here has been constructed annually for the last 15 years, utilising talented artists and architects to create a more impressive design each season.

After a delicious dinner in the restaurant we were shown through into the igloo hotel which is just outside the main building. Stepping inside, the first thing I noticed was just how incredibly quiet it was. Effectively, you are inside a huge dome built of snow which muffles all exterior noise and so it is a rather peaceful experience.