When people ask me what some of my top memories are as a travel writer, staying at an ice hotel is always something I bring up. It stands out because of the unique experience it offers visitors, the fact that there are only a few in the world. In January, I traveled 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle to Kiruna, Sweden, for a visit to the world’s first (www.icehotel.com). The ice hotels in the cities of Montreal and Quebec are beautiful, but the remoteness of Sweden’s separates it from the pack.
Whenever bring it up, I always get tons of questions about what it’s like to stay there. Here are a few common ones along with my responses to help you get a better sense of the concept:
So, it’s, like, made of ice, yeah?
Pretty much, yeah. They never have a firm opening date – the hotels are demolished and restricted every year based on the weather conditions. In Sweden’s case, all the ice and water is taken from the adjacent river (the hotel is built riverside). After constructing the shell, hand-picked artists are brought in to design/carve the place, including the common areas, bar, chapel, and rooms.
How cold is it really?
The rooms are typically kept somewhere between 24 and 27 degrees Fahrenheit (most certainly below freezing). It’s not so bad! Considering it never got above the teens outside, 27 felt pretty good.
Doesn’t your room melt when you go to the bathroom or take a shower?
Ha, no. There’s a separate lodge where you store your stuff, shower, shave, etc. You actually only have access to your room in the ice hotel from about 8 or 9 p.m. until 7 or 8 in the morning, so this is sort of the staging area where you prep for bed. Sweden’s Ice Hotel lodge has a bar and lounge, too, and there’s always hot coffee available as well as warm accommodations should you really wimp out.
Ok. So what’s the deal with the rooms then?
There are a few options at different price points. The artist’s suites, which are individually themed rooms, each created by a different artist (see photos), are the most expensive starting at $349 per person, per night based on double occupancy. The standard rooms are $245 per person, per night (based on double occupancy) but much more basic and without flair, only containing a bed and perhaps a little ice chair/side area. Sweden’s did add a nice touch by projecting the Northern Lights onto the ceilings. My advice is that if you’re going to go – if you’re going to travel all that way to stay – you might as well pay for the extra personality. Here’s more info on the rates (http://www.icehotel.com/uk/Price-list/Winter-price-list).
Did you get drunk at the ice bar?
Uh, no – unfortunately not. The drinks are small (although served in an ice glass), more sweet than strong, and prices are through the roof (upwards of $20 a drink). I had to have one or two for the ambiance, but that’s about all I could justify.
What did you wear to bed?
As little as possible. Seriously! The hotel recommends wearing one non-cotton layer and they provide you with a pretty damn-good Arctic sleeping bag. I wore synthetic long underwear, a pair of socks, and a snow cap and woke up sweating during the night (I took off the boots, snow pants, and jacket that I wore from the lodge to the room). The bags do a great job, but if you’re nervous about being cold, put a pair of gloves and an extra layer in the bottom of your sleeping bag. If you wake up cold, you won’t have to walk all the way back out to the lodge.
Did you sleep well?
Well, it wasn’t the best night’s sleep of my life, but I certainly fell asleep. The ice walls of the hotel really keep the sound out – it’s almost deafeningly quiet – and as I said you are generally pretty warm. The bed is pretty rigid – it is ice then plywood then a thin mattress under your sleeping bag – but again the point of the stay is not to experience a deep sleep (I like to compare it to camping).
So if you only have access to your room for about twelve hours overnight, what do you do during the day?
This is what makes the experience in Sweden so much different than Montreal or Quebec City – you’re literally in the middle of the wilderness. Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and reindeer sleds are all readily available. The hotel offers packages with ....
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