Imagine waking up in a room made entirely of ice, with flowers encased in the transparent walls and all the comforts and amenities of modern times. The world’s first such hotel built entirely of natural ice and snow, the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, is a visual wonder.
The luxury hotel launched a brand new suite designed by Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte, formally known as the Duke of Värmland, and his business partner Oscar Kylberg. The deluxe suite is named after the famous Shakespearean play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The almost magical rooms feature floral elements and plants encased in ice from the waters of the River Torne.
The Icehotel’s Instagram page described the suite as, “A suite that will bring the visitors mind on a journey to midsummer, one of Sweden’s most beloved traditions.”
The ice was sourced from the river Torne. (Source: Icehotel/Instagram)
The ice used in the making of this ethereal bit of accommodation is extracted from “200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, the ice is so clear that in some places you have to touch it to see that it’s actually there”, Icehotel’s caption added.
Open all year round, Bernadotte and Kylberg told CNN Travel that they,” aimed to create a moment that captured the mood of the Midsummer celebration of the summer solstice, one of the most celebrated holidays in Sweden.”
The hotel’s official website described the suite as a representation of their culture, it said,” For us Swedes, midsummer, and especially midsummer’s night, is filled with myth and legend. The Scandinavian nature that surrounds us flowers and ice plays a huge part in our cultural upbringing and has a bearing on who we are as Nordic people as Scandinavians. Hopefully, our vision with the suite ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will invite you also to be a part of us.”
The website also said that the temperature inside the hotel is maintained at “a constant of minus 5 to 7 minus degrees Celsius.” Guests who visit are provided with “expedition-style sleeping bags” and are given a course on survival to help adapt to the freezing temperatures.
Overnight guests are only allowed to access their rooms at 6 pm. However, the Swedish hotel’s heated service building is staffed and open for 24 hours.
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