One of the world’s most unique stays, Sweden‘s Icehotel has opened for its 33rd season with all new suites.
The first hotel from ice:
Known for being the first hotel ever to be constructed from snow and ice, the hotel is located in the village of Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. It is completely rebuilt every winter when temperatures in Sweden reach their coldest.
This year, the hotel brings guests brand-new suites designed by 24 artists from around the globe. According to the Daily Mail, the artists spent weeks carefully whittling the unique suites out of 500 tons of ice and 10 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of “snice” (a mixture of snow and ice.)
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The new additions:
Among the new suites is the Garden suite by Natsuki Saito and Shingo Saito, which is embellished with a giant flower motif, and Luc Voisin and Mathieu Brison’s Bauh-ice suite, inspired by the Bauhaus design movement. Staying in this suite allows guests to “travel back in time and experience geometric shapes, rounded furniture, lines and stripes.”
Sonia Chow and Huschang Pourian’s innovative High Score suite is a space and video game-themed room, featuring a “playroom for soaking in the nostalgia of a simpler era.”
Pure luxury-
The Maighdeann-roin suite was designed by Emilie Steele and Sara Steele, who drew inspiration from the Celtic legend of a half-woman, half-seal known as the Selkie. “Secrets and messages are hidden everywhere in a mix of snow sculptures, glittering ice, music, and a bittersweet story that plays out the moment you step inside the room,” the Steeles said.
The MushRoom suite
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True to its name, the trippy MushRoom suite by Chris Pancoe and Peter Hargraves contains huge ice-hewn mushrooms amidst a fantastical forest.
An icy stay -
Temperatures at the hotel are kept at minus five degrees to maintain the integrity of the rooms. Guests are given an expedition-style sleeping bag and have 24-hour access to the heated service building for when they need a break from the cold.
In addition, guests can enjoy a variety of activities that are offered by the hotel, including ice fishing, horseback tours, dog sledding, snowmobile rides, and tours to view the breathtaking Northern Lights.
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In 2016, Icehotel 365 opened. The permanent structure features a bar, an art gallery, and a limited number of suites. It is kept cool year-round using solar-powered cooling technology.
“Every year I’m amazed of what this incredible team can achieve,” said Icehotel’s creative director, Luca Roncoroni. “Talented international artists, flanked by a team of ice professionals, can really create magic. Welcome to Icehotel 33!”
This season’s Icehotel will be open until April 2023.
Related: So Icy: These Are Our Favorite Ice Hotels Around The World
