The Ice Hotel...

I have heard about this unique hotel over the past year just a handful of times...it's called the Ice Hotel! Tonight, I caught the last half-hour of a special on Discovery Channel that was all about the Ice Hotel, how its built, how long it lasts, and some stunning and unique views of the one-of-a-kind accomodations you will find in this hotel!! It's located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, which is 200km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. I did some more research online and found their website, where you can actually book accomodations online and even take a peek through one of their live webcams! This place looks totally COOL...pardon the pun! Seriously, the bar, the entrance hall, all the bedrooms, and the dining hall are made out of these uniquely carved and designed blocks of ice! Sculptors from all over the world participate each year in creating one-of-a-kind rooms and intricate details such as the large, ice chandelier which hangs from the ceiling in the entrance of the hotel. They have even put fiber optic lighting inside the chandelier to illuminate the interior of the hotel. The hotel also has an Ice Globe Theater for all your entertainment needs, including plays, dancers, singers, etc. And yes, the entire theater is made of ice, including the auditorium. But, don't worry, the hotel graciously accomodates each of its guests with special protective clothing to help keep guests "warm" (which in this case is a very relative term...LOL!) The ice is taken from the Torne River in Sweden, which is known for being one of the purest rivers in Europe.

This hotel actually has its own chapel made of ice, too! Apparently, they perform about 140 weddings there per season! The season lasts approximately 5 months beginning in mid-December until late April or so, when nature takes its course and things melt away. Amazingly, everything flows back into the Torne River from where it originally came. So, in that respect, nothing is really being used up, as the ice eventually melts back into water. Then, it's on to planning for the next season's accomodations by starting to harvest the ice ahead of time in freezers. What an interesting concept! You have to admit, it would be quite an adventure, if even for only one night's stay! Check out their drinking glasses in the picture below from the bar...pretty cool, huh?





I've been trying to do the converting from the Swedish Krona into US Dollars to figure out the exact price for one of their rooms per night, and it appears that the prices for a standard "snow room" start at around $400 per night. There are also "ice rooms", which include sculptured furniture made out of ice. These start at around $430 per night on Mon-Wed only and $580 on Thurs-Sun, during the month of December only. During the remaining months, the prices go up to about $600 per night on Mon-Wed and $800 on Thurs-Sun...OUCH! This does not include the cost of a dog sled ride from the nearest airport located in the town of Kiruna to the fantasy hotel! Let's face it though, right about now in Florida with the heat & humidity steadily climbing, any place cool like this sounds like a treat!





Check out www.icehotel.com