Located on the banks of the magnificent Torne River the ICEHOTEL® in Jukkasjärvi is the original snow and ice (“snice”) hotel and is undoubtedly one of Northern Scandinavia’s most fascinating sites. The concept began when a Swede by the name of Yngve Bergqvist built a small igloo to display locally designed art. Some of the guests asked if they could spend the night and it was from these small beginnings that this concept began, rapidly growing in scale each season.
The classic ICEHOTEL® structure is created usually by mid-December using around 30,000 tonnes of snow and ice with ice blocks harvested from the nearby Torne River. This structure is home to the ice rooms, winter suites and chapel. Come summer, the hotel simply melts back into the river from which it came.
Until recently it has always been necessary to brave the sub-zero temperatures of winter if you want to visit or stay. Happily, for anybody who doesn’t like the cold, there is now a permanent ICEHOTEL® 365 which is open every day of the year. A specially designed, permanent ice art hall housing luxury and art suites, an ice bar, sculpture gallery, and an event hall. The exciting new environmentally-friendly concept holds the same standard and visual design as the purely ice and snow building and is kept at the same temperature via inner cooling tubes.
Facilities
It is important to remember that the ICEHOTEL® and ICEHOTEL® 365 also have a “normal” warm side to them. Inside the main warm building, you’ll find a relaxing lounge area, a bar, dressing room, restaurant, warm accommodation options and a gift shop selling gifts and locally sourced handicrafts.
Meals are served in the warm restaurant. The breakfast buffet provides plenty of hot and cold choice to fortify you for the day ahead. Please note that dinner reservations must be made in advance and can be done through us.
If you are spending the night in one of the cold rooms then you’ll change in the facilities provided at the Riverside Lobby next to the main building before walking over to your cold room (approx. 60 to 80 metres).
Cold rooms:
ICEHOTEL®
Inside the cold rooms, the temperature is on average around -5°C, but with the Arctic-grade sleeping bag, insulating reindeer skins and your thermal layers, you will stay surprisingly warm!
There is a range of cold rooms to choose from:
- Ice rooms: These are the simplest rooms which we usually book as standard. These rooms are made of snow and ice and had an ice bed with a mattress topped in reindeer skins, as well as some ice carvings and furniture. The ice rooms are closed off from the corridors by thick curtains rather than doors, but the walls of snow and ice ensure excellent sound insulation. There are around 15 ice rooms available for guests.
- Art suites: Uniquely and expertly designed, the stunning art suites are envisioned and carved by chosen artists and architects from around the world each season. Each room varies in style and is based around a certain theme, utilising sculptures, light and carvings to set the scene. As with the ice rooms, these are closed off from the corridors using thick curtains. There are around 15 art suites available for guests
ICEHOTEL® 365
Accommodation at ICEHOTEL® 365 consists of 9 Deluxe Suites and 11 Art Suites. Ice artists from all over the world come to Jukkasjärvi to create these rooms and no two suites are the same. The expertise and skill are remarkable and each artisan carves his or her own unique vision into each room.
Temperatures inside the suites sit constantly between -5°C and -8°C and, we know that sounds cold but, without any wind chill factor, it’s very tolerable. This is especially the case when you are lying on your comfortable bed, insulated from the cold by a reindeer skins and a thermal sleeping bag.
There are also lockers where you can leave your valuables overnight as well as toilets, showers and, rather temptingly, a sauna. The warm building also has a small number of bunk beds in case you decide your ice room is not for you.
- Art Suites 365: These are the same as the art suites in the ICEHOTEL® but being part of the permanent building allows them to have a proper door. Each is independently designed by chosen artists and architects. There are 12 Art Suites 365 in total.
- Deluxe Ice Suites 365 (upgrade): All deluxe suites are individually themed and come equipped with a heated relaxation area. These are the largest cold rooms available and offer incredible ice and art design along with the comfort of your own warm en-suite shower room, toilet and private sauna (as well as space to store your luggage). Each room has a bed with a wooden base and extra thick mattress topped with reindeer hides and thermal sleeping bags. There are 10 deluxe suites available.
Warm rooms:
Whether you travel in the summer or winter, however, you don’t have to sleep in a cold room, as you can upgrade to one of the lovely, warm rooms, chalets and suites on site for the duration of your stay.
- Kaamos Hotel Room: All warm hotel rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated with natural materials. Each room has two beds, a desk, seating area with two armchairs and a coffee table and the en-suite bathroom comes equipped with heated floors. You can also upgrade a superior room for more space.
- Nordic Hotel Chalet: These are designed to accommodate up to four people. Each has one double/twin bedroom and one room with bunk beds, making them ideal for families or small groups of friends. Each has an ensuite bathroom with shower, small living room with a fridge and kettle and TV.
- Arctic Chalet: These have a double and a single room are best suited to three people. Each chalet is en-suite and has a shower room, a small living area, fridge, kettle, TV and telephone.
Image credits: Peter Grant & Magnus Skoglöf & Martin Jakobsson & imagebank.sweden.se, credit www.icehotel.com & Asaf Kliger
Please note that the images used are from both the ICEHOTEL® & ICEHOTEL® 365
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