Ice Hotels

Ice Hotel Ice Hotel

Ice hotels or igloo hotels appeared fist in Scandinavia. Know-how in the invention of the new type of tourist accommodation belongs to Sweden. In Sweden, in Lapland (to be exact) in the town of Jukkasjärvi, which is located two hundred kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, the world’s first ice hotel Icehotel was created. It happened in 1991. Since then, ice hotels have become one of the attractions not only in Scandinavia, but also in many ski resorts of the world.

Igloo hotels – is a unique way of recreation in the winter. North exotics can be fully enjoyed in them. Ice platforms covered with fells, used as beds, ice furniture, ice paintings and statues. Typically, the only warm things in the hotel are hospitability and mulled wine. The average temperature in the room of igloo hotel is about -4C. The design in igloo is extremely simple – no TV sets, radio and the Internet.

Composed of ice blocks, igloo hotels are short-lived. They operate during the cold season. In the Nordic countries it usually lasts from November to early April. However, this short duration gives ice hotels additional charm and originality. Igloo hotel are already traditional for Finland, Norway and Sweden, and they are rebuilt every year. But every time they get new look and additional amenities. Thus, the mentioned above ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi initially had only 4 rooms. Today it has 80 rooms and can host up to 30 thousand people per season. In order to book a room in Swedish igloo, the customer must take into consideration that the price matches the uniqueness. One day in the first ice hotel in the world will cost at least 350 dollars.

Previously igloo hotels were just a part of the expositions of the famous exhibitions of ice sculptures, which annually take place in Finland, Sweden and Norway on the Christmas Eve. Today them become independent hotels, which have spread all over the world. It is possible to book an ice hotel in Canada, New Zealand, at ski resorts of Romania and Austria. There are entire ice villages, where in addition to ice hotels ice restaurants, ice garages and even ice temples are located.

Among the most famous ice hotels in the world, in addition to the Swedish Ice hotel, are: Hôtel De Glace in the Canadian province of Quebec, the hotel Kakslauttanen in Finnish Lapland, Whitepod hotel in the Swiss Alps, and recently opened igloo hotel in Andorra at the Iberian resort Grandvalira.

Photo: Markus Bernet, wikipedia