Ice Hotels in Lapland and Scandinavia

One of the best experiences to have whilst on holiday in Lapland or Scandinavia is staying in an Ice Hotel. It is one of those unique experiences the world and one very worth having. There are a number of different Ice Hotels throughout Lapland and Scandinavia, ranging from ones in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Obviously these kinds of hotels are only around when it is cold, so there isn’t always a guarantee, but you can normally see and stay in them around the months of January to April.

What Are Ice Hotels?

Its all in the name really, Ice Hotels are hotels which are built from ice. This involves many blocks of ice being stacked up, much like brick, to build walls. Packed snow is also used throughout Ice Hotels. The great thing about ice is that we are able to easily sculpture it and this is why Ice Hotels normally have some great architecture going on. The blocks made out of ice and snow is then held together with a substance called Snice, which is a mixture of ice and snow.

With so many Ice Hotels being around in the months of January to April there is a wide range of options available to you. Some hotels offer large areas where you can stay, just like a normal hotel, although the temperature is normally a bit lower, with averages around 0 to -5 degrees. Otherwise you may want to stay in a smaller location, where the hotel normally offers small igloos as rooms, however the temperature are still very low here.

What Else Do I need To Know?

Well the main thing you need to know is that it is very cold and because of this you will have to take along something to keep you warm. The hotels provide thermal sleeping bags so that you have somewhere warm to sleep, but remember that you may need to get up in the middle of the night! So make sure you have some warm cloths, preferably thermal cloths which will make sure you are warm at all times. As well as this remember that these types of hotel are normally there for the novelty factor and because of this you won’t find people spending more than two nights there, the rest of the time they will be staying in normal, warm hotels. So make sure you don’t book your whole holiday in one!

Over the next few days we will be posting up information on some of the well known Ice Hotels in Lapland and Scandinavia, so make sure you check back.

If you have ever stayed in an Ice Hotel then please tell us about it in the comment area below.

The Lainio Snow Village Hotel in Finland

Lumilinna Ice/Snow Hotel in Kemi Finland

The Igloo Village in Saariselkä, Finland

Bjorli Ice Lodge, Norway

The Alta Igloo Hotel in Norway

The Kirkenes Snow Hotel, Norway

The Ice Hotel in Hunderfossen, Norway

The Ice Hotel, Kiruna Sweden