ICEHOTEL weekend

What are you doing his weekend ? I'm off to see the 22nd ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, easily reached from the UK in a few hours. I'm leaving at 7am and will be standing at the Absolute bar early afternoon ready for some light refreshment and entertainment.

I'm choosing to stay one night in cool (a.k.a cold) accommodation at a steady -5c on a reindeer skin bed in a (hopefully) warm sleeping bag. The booking instructions say that I need to wear thermal gear and a hat !! Not entirely sure about this, but my mother always told me to try everything at least once, so I'm taking her advice ..... for one night !!!

My second night will be spent in the comfort of a heated hotel room thawing out from the days activities and hopefully taking some photos of the Northern Lights as I've just purchased a new F1.8 50mm lens for my camera. Previous photographic attempts have failed miserably so I'm hoping for better results. As a precaution I've looked at this guide to taking photos of the Northern Lights which I hope will help. Only time will tell and if I get any reasonable shots, I'll post them on our website.

Can I visit the ICEHOTEL in the summer ?

The obvious answer to the question, "Can I visit the ICEHOTEL in the summer ?" is no, however the clever chaps in Sweden have found a way of allowing you to experience the cool ICEHOTEL during the more temperate months.

Sounding more like an April Fools story, the answer is to build a smaller ICEHOTEL inside what amounts to a large freezer set at -5c. If you know anything about the construction or building of the ICEHOTEL, you may know that the ice used is stored over the summer in giant warehouses ready for the winter season. It's one of these "halls" that the little sister to the main ICEHOTEL will be built.

It will have three different Art suites, just like in the wintertime, Ice Chandelier suite and the main Hall Suite to enable people to experience what they may have seen in the media. It will also have the ubiquitous ABSOLUTE ICEBAR to enjoy a refreshing drink after trying your hand at ice sculpting.

The summer ICEHOTEL is opening on the 10th June 2011, and "warm" accommodation can also be booked whilst you enjoy activities such as ratfting, canoeing, hiking and fishing., instead of dog sledding, snowmobile tours and northern light safaris.

Ice Driving at the Swedish Icehotel

Ice driving in Sweden

Further to my earlier about the Sorrisniva Snow Hotel, it suddenly occurred to me that some of you might like to visit the ICEHOTEL in Sweden.
Most ICEHOTEL holidays encompass an overnight stay in a "cold room" and another night or two in one of the various types of "warm" accommodation, with guided snowmobile tours and husky sledging rides and general fun in the snow, but how often will you get the chance to drive a high performance SAAB at speeds up to 100km/hr on a specially built ice track.  Test your driving skills to the maximum before trying out the king of the "quad bikes" - the Polaris Ranger ATV, with tilt steering, ultra low centre of gravity and extreme power to weight ratio for an positive adrenaline rush.

If this sounds like fun, then take a look at the brochure and give Nordic Experience a call.

71 Degrees North - The Icehotel Experience

Did anyone watch last nights episode of 71 Degrees North where the winning team of Joe and Andrew were given the luxury of staying at the "Celebrated Ice hotel".
Two things struck me as odd when I saw this.  Firstly, they are filming in Norway and the world famous ICEHOTEL is actually located in Sweden, and secondly they were doing a dis-service to the snow hotel they were actually staying in.  (If you're wondering why I've used the phrase snow hotel rather than ICEHOTEL, it's because the Swedish ICEHOTEL have a registered trademark and prohibit the use of the word ICEHOTEL by other similar properties.  Oh, and it has to be written in CAPITALS)

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

The actual property that the celebrities were given the opportunity was the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta (as shown briefly above the doorway in the 71 Degrees North episode).  This is a fantastic alternative to the ICEHOTEL in Sweden, and has all the glamour associated with staying overnight in an Igloo, drinking from glasses made of ice, and the knowledge that warm accomodation is available should it be needed.

There are many activities on offer around Sorrisniva, with snowmobiling, husky dog sledging, snowshoe walking and just about anything that you've seen on the television can be arranged - though it's not for the faint hearted.


If you're looking for somewhere different to visit, or are looking for an alternative wedding venue then this can all be arranged for you.  Definitely worth a visit, but don't leave it too late or it might melt.