Ice Hotels

Ever wondered what it would be like to spend a night in a hotel built entirely out of ice? Brrrrr!  If you are thinking of an igloo, you are right. An ice hotel is a temporary hotel constructed completely out of snow and blocks of ice. These structures are actually fancier and modern forms of igloos. They are built only in the coldest parts of the world where it is possible to maintain sub-zero temperatures.  The interior of the structures are designed artistically using snow and ice sculptures and even the beds are made from ice! However, rest assured. Guests are provided with warm sleeping bags, reindeer fur, and instructions on how to dress appropriately for the night. The room temperature ranges from -4 Celsius to -6 Celsius degrees. You are strongly discouraged from lighting a fire or using anything flammable when inside the ice hotel.

There are several ice hotels in the northern hemisphere. The world's first and largest one opened in the Swedish town of Jukkasjarvi . Japanese and French artists had visited the area in the winter of 1989/1990 to exhibit their ice art. Using an igloo as a gallery, a French artist displayed his ice art in one of the rooms. The town was bustling with tourists and soon there were no rooms available for the guests. As a suggestion, some requested that they be allowed to use one of the exhibition halls in the igloo for their night stay. Soon, an idea was born and the ice hotel of Jukkasj�i was opened. This hotel is built from ice and snow from the nearby Torne River . Building usually begins in mid-November.  Once Spring sets in, the hotel melts away. Being the largest of its kind, the hotel has a church, a bar, a main hall, a lobby to greet its visitors and rooms and suites to accommodate over 100 guests.