Image above taken from the ICEHOTEL website.

It’s not every day you have the opportunity to stay in an ice hotel, but that’s exactly what you’ll find in Sweden this time of year, from early to late winter. Because of its location in Sweden, the ICEHOTEL comes around every winter in the small village of Jukkasjarvi. This is indeed a hotel, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must not only be experienced by visiting the hotel, but also actually staying at it.

The ICEHOTEL is an attraction in and of itself and one that has spanned a couple of decades. Unlike most travel attractions, visitors only have the opportunity to visit it during Sweden’s cold winter months. The ICEHOTEL is rebuilt every year, and a year-long process. Workers start gathering ice and snow blocks from the Torne River in March, harvesting and storing them for several months until it’s time to start rebuilding the hotel. The amount of snow and ice used for the hotel is over 40,000 tons. With that ice and snow, builders begin constructing the ICEHOTEL, complete with ice walls, pillars, decorations, and furniture.

Screen grab above taken from ICEHOTEL website.

The ICEHOTEL is no igloo, as it is a complete hotel with nearly 100 rooms, the ICE Bar, exhibition hall, multimedia theatre, and chapel- all of which are made with ice. The ICE Bar is a popular gathering spot during the evenings. The large bar and lounge features vaulted ceilings, ice sculptures, a see-through ice bar, and tables and chairs that are also made from snow and ice. The ice block seats are covered in reindeer skin to make for comfortable seating. The focus of the bar is on the winter vodka offerings, which also are served in ice glasses.

While you may expect it to be unbearably cold, it’s actually much more pleasant inside the hotel than it is outside, where temperatures can often be below freezing. Temperatures inside are usually a few degrees above freezing. The rooms and suites of Sweden’s ICEHOTEL are also constructed from icy blocks, but the temperature and hard surface of the blocks are offset by the reindeer skin and down comforters that are on each bed.

Screen grab above taken from ICEHOTEL website.

Each year, Sweden’s ICEHOTEL provides a different touch and feel. Guests who go one year will find something different the next, as the hotel is redesigned each winter. Ideal for a weekend jaunt, the ICEHOTEL in Sweden is unlike any accommodation you ever have or ever will stay at.

What is the most unique accommodation you’ve ever stayed at?

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