The Arctic Circle remains illustrious for its Northern Lights and legendary address of Santa Claus and his reindeer. But you might not know that a famous hotel also awaits your clients one made entirely of ice. Each year teams of skilled artisans create the Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, in December, and each year, it melts back into the river during the summer.
A winterland fairy-tale experience begins when guests are picked up from the Kurina airport on snowmobiles. At check-in, clients receive a snowsuit to wear during their stay, which will come in handy because it’s generally 24 degrees inside and minus 22 degrees outside.
Guests can sleep on a bed of ice layered with reindeer skins and subzero sleeping bags, while activities include cross-country skiing, hiking in snowshoes and listening to folk singing by the Saami people. After an adventurous day, a hot Swedish sauna will warm you up. And the next day, clients can opt for a moose safari and encounter the animals in their native lands.
TravelAge West recently spoke with Johanna Sandstrom, the conference host at the Icehotel, to ask her about the unique property and its adventurous clients.
Q: What kinds of activities do you suggest to clients when they visit?
A: There is so much to do, ice-sculpturing class, snowmobile safaris, go on a raidu the Saami way of transportation with reindeer. Or why not do my personal favorite activity? Dogsledding. Then, of course, clients can just hang around, wandering inside and outside the Icehotel, taking in the atmosphere.
Q: What is the typical regional cuisine, and which restaurants do you recommend?
A: We have two restaurants at the Icehotel, the Old Homestead and the Icehotel Restaurant. Both have very good menus based on our local ingredients, such as bleak caviar, arctic char, reindeer, moose, arctic raspberries, cloudberries and wild mushrooms.
Q: How far in advance should clients book a reservation?
A: Our bookings are 85-90 percent occupancy, so some weekends can be fully booked two years in advance. But if you have some flexibility, we will always do our best to find a good solution for you.
Q: Are you ever cold while working there?
A: No, I know it sounds a bit odd, but even though the temperatures do drop down to below 30 degrees Celsius, the cold is a very dry one, which makes it rather easy to dress warmly. But I also think that when you are prepared for it to be freezing, you tend to overdress.
