Original Ice Hotel Jukkasjarvi, Sweden

Original Ice Hotel Jukkasjarvi, Sweden

The original Ice Hotel is located in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, 200km north of the Arctic Circle.  Interestingly, the Ice Hotel is constructed from the frozen Torne River.  Rebuilt each year from snice (a mixture of snow and ice), this Ice Hotel in northern Sweden is the world's first ice hotel.  The Ice Hotel is literally breath-taking and has to be seen to be believed!

Reception

Near the Reception

Seasonal Icehotel in Kiruna, Sweden

Ever since 1990, the Ice Hotel is built in the winter with ice from the Torne River and when it melts in the summer, the water returns back to the Torne River.  What is interesting is that the whole structure, including the 'chandeliers', decorations, chairs and even beds are all constructed of ice.

Decorations - ice sculpture

Chandelier

Decor

Icebar

Outside decor

Every year, carefully selected artists use frozen water from the Torne River to create a structure; forming a 'temporary' hotel before it's left to melt back into the river the following spring.  No two designs are ever the same, ensuring visitors get a unique experience.  There are different room options available, from an Ice room up to the Art Suites.

Some of the Art suites of the IceHotel

Check out the various ice sculptures

Astronaut themed Art Suite

White Rabbit Art Suite

More Art Suite designs

The Ice Church where baptisms and weddings take place

Art sculptures

The Ice Hotel used to be a temporary structure as it was dependent on the temperatures.  However, at the original Ice Hotel Jukkasjarvi in Sweden, they have now come up with the IceHotel 365.  The name speaks for itself as it is the world's first permanent ice and snow hotel and has been around since December 2016.

IceHotel 28 - 28th year that the seasonal ice hotel has been constructed

Newly opened Icehotel 365

Featuring 20 rooms, an ice bar and an art gallery, people are now able to enjoy the experience of staying in an Ice Hotel 365 days of the year, thanks to the solar-powered refrigerating plants that are used to keep the hotel cool during the summer months.  Even the drinking glasses at the Icebar are made of, you guessed it, ice.

IceHotel 365

Glasses made from ice

The temperature in the original Ice Hotel is kept at a constant -5 degrees Celsius.  Winter clothing is provided for your stay at the Ice Hotel, including a warm overall, boots, mittens and balaclava.  It is recommended to use the clothing in cold conditions and especially when taking part in winter activities.  Some activities offered are snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice sculpting and reindeer sledding.

Sleeping in the original Ice Hotel on a bed of ice

Interestingly, the Ice hotel is open to the public between 10am and 6pm.  Visitors and guests can walk through the Ice Hotel and check out the various rooms and snap as many pictures as they want.  There is also a guided tour where the history of Ice Hotel and how the Ice Hotel is made is explained.  Visitors who are not staying at the Ice Hotel need to pay an entrance fee to tour the Ice Hotel.  Guests staying overnight at the Ice Hotel are encouraged to vacate their rooms by 10am or they might be surprised by some stranger walking in on them.

For most people, staying just one night in the Ice Hotel is sufficient.  The other night or nights, depending on how many days the length of stay, can be spent at the kaamos or warm rooms.  These rooms are just like any chalets.

Warm room (kaamos) at Icehotel Kiruna, Sweden

Lobby area of the building housing the kaamos

Water from the River Torne

Situated 200km north of the Arctic Circle, we had a truly wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime surreal experience at this original Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.