The coolest hotel in the world is set to reopen this month, some 200km north of the Arctic Circle
Every winter, when the first snow falls on the banks of the Torne river in the village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, craftsmen from all over the world come together to create a breath-taking hotel crafted from more than 5,000 tonnes of ice and enough snow to make 700 million snowballs. It is a work of art, which lasts only until spring, when the ice melts back into the Torne. Twenty-six teams of artists from 11 different countries – including two teams from the UK – have been selected to design this year’s hotel.
Icehotel
It is the Icehotel’s 28th year and promises to be the best yet. A total of 15 unique art suites have been constructed, as well as an ice church and a dramatic main hall with a chandelier featuring 1,000 hand polished ice crystals. Dorset-based sculptor and taxidermist Lisa Lindqvist, who has won several gold medals at international snow sculpting competitions, has called her suite Wandering Cloud and it features a gigantic cloud hanging over the bed.
A Rich Seam
Meanwhile Liverpudlian brothers Hugh and Howard Miller’s concept is called A Rich Seam and it is an accidental space created by an ice seam left over from frantic digging. Wherever you stay, a magical holiday is guaranteed.
To book
Breaks start from £1,154pp for a three-night break (one night spent in the Icehotel) incorporating a direct flight, and are available from mid-December to early March. Visit discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel for details and to book.