The ICEHOTEL®

What’s more, 2018 saw the ICEHOTEL® become the first-ever Nordic Swan Ecolabel hotel made completely of ice and snow.

The certification process looks at all areas, from energy and water consumption to waste management; understandably, this presented many challenges when measuring a hotel whose rooms melt away at the end of each winter season!

The eco-label adds to a growing list of certifications for the ICEHOTEL® who is also certified a Sustainable Arctic Destination. Certification ensures guests are choosing environmentally conscious products and the ICEHOTEL® are – rightly so - very proud to receive such recognition.

ICEHOTEL 365

The hotel now boasts ICEHOTEL 365, a permanent structure, allowing it to be a year-round destination to visitors who travel the world to sleep in a room of ice and snow. Containing deluxe rooms, art suites, an ice bar and a sculpture hall, this environmentally sustainable building is a construct of glass, metal and concrete, but with the same incredible standard and visual design of snow and ice on the inside, with cooling tubes to keep it at a temperature of around -5 at all times.

Alongside this is the classic ICEHOTEL® building, constructed purely of ice and snow and carefully crafted each December, utilising blocks from the nearby Torne River.

Home to ice rooms, winter suites and a chapel the structure is a marvel to see and, come summer, simply melts back into the river from which it came. Each year, architects, designers and artists submit designs for the hotel's features and a handful are chosen to go forward with their theme.

The hotel consists of several buildings including the main ice building and ICEHOTEL 365. We cannot guarantee which area our guests will stay in.

The rooms which are contained within the ice and snow building will not be available until after the 16^th of December. Check-in time for the cold rooms is usually around 6 pm and for the warm rooms, it is approximately 3 pm. The ICEHOTEL® is open to members of the public for viewing between 10 am and 6 pm. You will check out after breakfast. Please also note that for all ice accommodation other than Deluxe Suites, bathroom facilities are shared.

Hotel facilities

• The reception is in the main warm building which also houses the lounge area, warm bar, dressing room, luggage room, restaurant and gift shop which sells a selection of ICEHOTEL® themed gifts and locally sourced handicrafts
• Guests who are on a guided tour of the ICEHOTEL® will also visit the large warehouse where you can learn about how the hotel is constructed each season
• The restaurant serves breakfast lunch and dinner which include some wonderful Swedish favourites. The restaurant operates fixed dinner seating times and we highly recommend that you make a reservation in advance with us
• As an alternative, guests can eat at the Homestead Restaurant which is a smaller, rustic restaurant a short walk from the hotel
• The classic ICEHOTEL® building is connected to a warm building which houses the toilets, showers and sauna. There are also lockers in here in which to store your valuables and clothes overnight
• The warm building also has a small number of bunk beds in case you decide your ice room is not for you

Guest room types

The Cold Rooms: the inside of the cold rooms is kept at around -5°C but you will be equipped with arctic grade thermal sleeping bags so you will stay surprisingly warm!

Please take note that the cold rooms are accommodated in two separate buildings. ICEHOTEL 365 is a permanent building constructed of metal, glass and concrete with an ice and snow interior kept cool via cooling tubes. Some rooms are also in the classic ice building which is made wholly of ice and snow and constructed afresh each winter season. We cannot guarantee which area you will stay in although we use ice rooms in the classic ice building as standard.

Ice Rooms (in classic ice building) (only available after 16th December): the ice rooms are the simplest designed rooms which are usually booked as standard. These are made of ice and snow and each contains a mattress topped with reindeer skins and also some ice furniture and carvings. They are closed off from the corridors via thick curtains as opposed to doors, but the thick walls of ice and snow allow for great sound insulation. There are usually around 15 rooms available for guests.

Art Suites (in classic ice building) (only available after 16th December): these are uniquely and beautifully designed by chosen artists around the world each year and offer a wide variety of themes and include intricate sculptures and carvings to reflect this. As with the ice rooms, these have curtains instead of doors and there are around 15 in total for guests to book.

Deluxe Suites (in permanent ICEHOTEL 365 building): the unique and enchanting Deluxe Suites 365 are individually themed and hand-carved by artists commissioned throughout the world, with the designs changing each year. To spend a night amidst the lifelike and exquisite carvings is a surreal and magical experience. You are awoken by sparkling colours which reflect from the ice and cup of hot lingonberry juice at your bedside table. A sauna session then awaits you before you enjoy a delicious breakfast. The Deluxe Suites are part of the new concept ICEHOTEL 365, available all year round thanks to a new specially designed building which is run on solar power. There are three different types of Deluxe suite available.

Deluxe Suite Hilla: the Hilla Suites are beautifully decorated suites available throughout the year. They contain a bathroom, two comfortable armchairs, a shower and a sauna, which is directly connected to the bedroom. A comfortable bed decorated with reindeer hides and inclusive of a thermal sleeping bag lies at the centre. The design is a mixture of local culture and history created by Marjolein Vonk and Pia Sandgren. A heated relaxation area is available which provides storage for your belongings and the suite has doors which lock for your privacy.

Deluxe Suite Jáuvre: these majestic suites are furnished with comfortable Carpe Diem beds covered in reindeer hides and inclusive of a thermal sleeping bag. Inside the room, there is a bathroom, two comfortable armchairs, a shower, sauna and a bathtub. Similarly, to the other suites, the Jáuvre suites are designed with a combination of local culture and history by Marjolein Vonk and Pia Sandgren and they have a heated relaxation area from where you can store all your belongings and the suite has doors which lock for your privacy.

Deluxe Suite Johka: this spacious suite contains a comfortable double bed, a connecting bathroom, two comfortable armchairs and double waterfall showers, which are directly connected to the room. The design features a combination of local culture and history and was created by Marjolein Vonk and Pia Sandgren. A heated relaxation area provides storage for your belongings and the suite has doors which lock for your privacy.

Art Suites 365 (in permanent ICEHOTEL 365 building): these offer the same amenities as the art suites in the classic ice building but being part of the permanent building allows them to have a proper door. Each is independently and artistically designed by chosen artists and architects to reflect new carefully chosen themes each year. There are 12 art 365 suites in total.

The Warm Rooms: for those less keen on sleeping in low temperatures, the ICEHOTEL® also has a number of warm accommodation options:

Kaamos Hotel Room (standard): light and airy, these en-suite rooms have modern décor and furnishings. Each has a double bed or twin beds and TV.

Kaamos Hotel Room (superior): these rooms have the same amenities as the standard Kaamos rooms, however, they have recently been updated and decorated in a contemporary style.

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 so 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: ICEHOTEL, Jose Carlos, Cabello Millan, Javier Alvaro, Colomino Matassa & Asaf Kliger, Tjasa Gusfors, David Andren, AnnaSofia Maag, Anna Katrin Kraus, Hans Aesch, Rob Harding, Timsam Harding, Luc Voisin, Mathieu Brison, Petros Dermatas, Ellie Souti, Nicolas Triboulot, Cedric Alizard, Sebastian Scheller,Kristina Mockel, Jose Carlos, Cabello Millan, Javier Alvaro, Colomino Matassa, Peter Grant & Magnus Skoglöf & Martin Jakobsson & Imagebank.sweden.se