Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

Icehotel

The Nordics • Stay • Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

What’s the hotel in a nutshell?

A visit to the Icehotel is on many people’s bucket list. Rightfully so. Each year, frozen water is used to create a new development called Icehotel, which has an alluringly distinct and fleeting beauty. The individual ice rooms and more ornately decorated suites are so completely soundproofed from outside noise by tightly packed snow that they are almost unnervingly quiet, with each providing unique accommodations that almost feel like art installations. Top marks in this category should go to The Icehotel because it is such an amazing development, but prospective guests should be aware that such innovative design talent is only available in the ice suites. Surprisingly plain are the nearby dining establishments, reception areas, and “warm” rooms where visitors extend their stay after spending the previous night on ice.

What are the rooms like?

As far as vacation experiences go, staying in one of the hotel’s ice rooms, which are kept at -5C day and night, is one you’ll never forget. Understandably, there are no standard room amenities. Guests change into thermals and boots in a changing area before entering the Icehotel with a sleeping bag fit for an Arctic explorer, which is then placed on top of a reindeer pelt and over a cold but reasonably soft pillow.

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What else?

Guests can choose between eating at The Old Homestead or the main restaurant, The Veranda, while excursions frequently include simple snacks or lunches, like a cinnamon roll or slices of pork heated over an open fire. An eight-course menu based on the eight Sami seasons is served to guests at The Veranda, the chef’s table. At Icebar, the entire glassware is made of ice, so you can enjoy a delicious cocktail or a glass of champagne.

What’s the area like?

Lappland is Sweden’s largest province and makes up about a quarter of its land area. Lappland’s largely untamed natural beauty is what sets it apart from the other 24 provinces. It truly is the landscape of the great expanses and has seven national parks, where, among other things, hunting is completely prohibited. The province attracts tourists who want to go hiking in the mountains, go fishing in secluded lakes, and, of course, see the Northern Lights. It is also referred to as Sápmi and is the native land of the Sami people, who have inhabited it for many centuries.

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