Are you considering staying at the ICEHOTEL in Sweden, but wondering whether it’s worth the price tag? Are you confused about the different room types? Or maybe you need a better understanding of what staying here looks like before pulling the trigger? We’ve got you covered! Our family stayed here for 1 night in 2 different rooms (warm and cold), and we’re going to answer every question you might have in our Ice Hotel Sweden Reviews below!
Welcome to our Extremely Detailed Ice Hotel Sweden Reviews!
We visited the ICEHOTEL in late winter. The rooms and prices obviously vary widely based on season (it is a hotel made of ice after all!)
Please keep in mind that we are only able to review our WINTER experience, and summer at the ice hotel would be very different – only a few of the arctic rooms are kept cold enough to remain open throughout the summer, for example.
How do I get to the ICEHOTEL Sweden?
The ICEHOTEL Sweden is located in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. The easiest way to get there is to fly into either Kiruna or Luleå airport and rent a car.
You could also take a train from Stockholm to Kiruna, and rent a car to get to Jukkasjärvi.
Pictured here:
ICEHOTEL Sweden Room Types:
ICEHOTEL Warm Rooms:
Are you wanting to spend a day checking out the ICEHOTEL and surrounding areas, but not interested in staying in an actual ice room? There’s good news for you! This hotel also offers cozy and lovely warm rooms – just like any other hotel.
Our parents were not feeling up to the cold rooms and stayed in a warm room with a double bed on our trip to Jukkasjärvi, and they were very happy with their accommodations!!
ICEHOTEL Cold Rooms:
Ok, this is what you probably came for!! The actual ice rooms! This part of the hotel is only fully operational between December and April (start and stop dates vary based on temperature). They do keep a few of the cold rooms going all year long, though!
There are 3 types of cold rooms:
Art Suite:
The amazing Art Suites are essentially ice bedrooms with a double or triple bed (no bathrooms, we’ll address that in the next section) that are designed by invited artists! Each room is unique, and its design is completely up to the artists’ discretion – including lighting and sound. The only guideline the artists must follow is that each room must fit a full size bed!
Needless to say, this is a super one-of-a-kind experience!
There are 18 different art suites each year.
Ice Room
These are similar to the Art Suites, but aren’t designed by the invited artists. However, please don’t think they’re boring! These rooms are still beautifully themed and carved, they just have a static design unlike the ever-changing Art Suites.
These rooms also do not have bathrooms. Also, please be aware that the Ice Rooms only have curtains separating them from the main hallways rather than doors.
Ice Deluxe Suite
Are you wanting the best of both worlds and open to splurging on a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience? The Deluxe Suite is that experience.
These large, cavernous ice rooms are incredibly, intricately decorated. Each is unique. They all come with a “lounge” area that usually comprises of ice seats and table as well as a large ice bed.
Best of all, they come with an en-suite warm bathroom! First, you’ll enter a small, warm mud room where you can shed your layers and boots, then step into a warmed bathroom complete with shower, large bathtub, and private sauna!!
We stayed in one of the Deluxe Suites when we visited ICEHOTEL last winter. This room was by far the most expensive hotel room we’ve ever booked ($1,300 for single night … it still hurts to admit that) but it was also the most unique hotel of our lives! And as far as anniversary gifts/splurges go, we thought it was well worth it.
Where do you go to the bathroom in the ICEHOTEL?
If you’re staying in a warm room, you will basically have an en-suite just like any other hotel.
If you’re staying in an ice Deluxe Suite, you will also have a private warm en-suite bathroom.
But if you’re staying in the Art Suites or Ice Rooms? You will not have a private bathroom. You will need to briefly exit your ice room to walk to the Riverside Lobby. There, you will find bathrooms, showers, and saunas. Access to all this is included with the room stay. Additionally, if you are staying in the Art Suites or Ice Rooms, you will also be given access to a private changing area and luggage storage in the Riverside Lobby.
Also, if you’re worried about having to walk outside in the middle of the night, don’t worry! The ICEHOTEL includes snowsuits and boots for people staying in their cold rooms.
What is it like sleeping in the Ice Rooms?
Believe it or not, sleeping in the Ice Rooms is extremely comfortable! I was very nervous about this before arriving at ICEHOTEL, but I slept like a baby wearing only this set of Smartwool thermals as pajamas. And I am the kind of person who is always cold! If I can do it, you can too!!
The beds are made of ice, but are topped with a comfy mattress and a reindeer hide. When it’s time to check into your cold room (6pm, after all the day trippers have left), the staff will leave fresh pillows and a bag with your sleep kit on your bed for you. The sleep kit contains an excellent cold-temperature sleeping bag and a sleeping bag liner.
Wearing only Smart Wool thermals, a winter hat, and warm socks, we stayed super toasty all night in our sleeping bag and liner.
Everyone staying in one of the ice rooms attends an orientation at the Riverside Lounge in the late afternoon where all of these logistics are covered in detail!
What is the temperature inside the ICEHOTEL in Sweden?
The ice rooms are kept at -5° Celsius, about 23° Fahrenheit.
ICEHOTEL Sweden Check In & Check Out Process:
If you’re checking into one of the warm rooms, check in at this hotel is just like any other. The front desk area also has a large luggage storage room in case you get there before your room is ready.
If you’re staying in a cold room, however, it’s a bit different. All of the cold ice rooms are essentially museum pieces, so they are open to the public during the day until 6pm.
You get to check in to your actual room at 6pm once the day trippers are gone and the staff have had an opportunity to prep your room. You will have access to luggage storage before that though.
Check out is also different for those staying in ice rooms. Again, because this area is open as an exhibit during the day, you must vacate the room very early in the morning (I believe we had to be out by 8am).
Breakfast is included at the ICEHOTEL restaurant, as is warm lingonberry juice in the Riverside Lounge in the mornings (if you’ve read any of our other Sweden posts, then you already know … Larry was thrilled!)
Pictured here on Larry, the professional model:
Where do you eat at the ICEHOTEL in Sweden?
Worried about where to eat? Don’t! You’ve got 4 pretty good options here:
Eat in the town of JukkasjärvI – There are a couple restaurants in town within walking distance of the ICEHOTEL.
Riverside Lobby – This Lobby has a small coffee shop with some sandwiches and bites you can purchase.
ICEHOTEL Restaurant – This is where the complementary breakfast is served, but they also offer lunch and dinner service. We would recommend getting a reservation in advance for lunch or dinner.
The Veranda – This is the ICEHOTEL’s high end restaurant with an open kitchen concept. The Veranda offers a prix-fixe tasting menu with or without a wine pairing. There is very limited seating (only 12-15 seats), and reservations are strictly necessary. However, this meal is VERY delicious and memorable.
What is there to do at the ICEHOTEL in Sweden?
You’ll find there is so much to do during your stay here! Here are 4 great ideas for you:
ICEHOTEL exhibit
First of all, the actual ICEHOTEL itself is a marvel, and you’ll want to spend at least 3 hours here. You can check out all the various cold areas – the Art Suites and Deluxe Suites alone are stunning, and you’ll want to see them all – since each is totally different!
You can also watch a short video presentation about the ICEHOTEL history and how they build it every year.
There’s also a Ceremony Hall made of ice that will take your breath away, an ice “viewpoint” overlooking the river, and a fun frozen slide you can take back down.
You must pay for entrance to the ICEHOTEL exhibit if you’re a day tripper, but of course if you’ll be an overnight guest, entrance is included.
Excursions
You can book numerous excursions through the ICEHOTEL itself if you’d like! They offer ice fishing, snowmobiling, northern lights safari, ice sculpting, dogsledding, and much more! Book excursions through ICEHOTEL here.
ICEBAR
While some of the ice hotel areas aren’t open all year long, the ICEBAR area is!! Every year the bar has a different theme, and when we visited the theme was “SpaceBar in Orbit.”
Upon walking through the doors of the ICEBAR, we were in awe by the environment they’d created and carved out of ice. There were ice astronauts, an ice space station, and ice rocket ships. Within the “space station,” there was an area for patrons to enjoy a cocktail and even have some fun going down the slide! Probably best to do before having a cocktail or two though.
The ICEBAR is open to all visitors, not just overnight guests.
Be aware, the ICEBAR closes after the day trippers leave. For people staying overnight, there is a lobby bar open until almost midnight.
Sami Village
Just a five minute drive from the ICEHOTEL, you can visit Nutti Sámi Siida. This is a traditional Sami Village, with multiple exhibits, gift stores, and even a reindeer enclosure!
Nutti Sámi Siida was a great stop that we would highly recommend to anyone visiting ICEHOTEL. You’ll love learning about the indigenous communities of Lapland, shopping for souvenirs made by local artisans, feeding reindeer in the reindeer enclosure, and even having lunch in the traditional teepee restaurant!
Pictured here:
Is ICEHOTEL Sweden worth the price?
For a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list, big anniversary trip, we can absolutely say that ICEHOTEL Sweden is worth every penny! Sleeping in one of the Deluxe Suites was an unforgettable experience, and we highly recommend it!
Our exact Deluxe Suite was called “Dream within a Dream,” and it felt just like that. Like we had to pinch ourselves the whole time to believe this was real! We even got to see the northern lights just outside our room, which was an enormous bonus!
Now, the huge downside to staying in the ice rooms is that you actually have very few hours in your own room. You don’t actually “check in” to your room until 6pm, and you need to be out very early in the morning. So, for the amount of money you spend, you are actually only getting about 14 hours alone in your room.
That being said … it is -5° C in there, so for comfort and safety you probably shouldn’t stay in there for longer anyway!
All in all, we would absolutely recommend this to anyone celebrating a special occasion or who doesn’t mind splurging for a bucket list hotel experience. We will carry these memories at the ICEHOTEL with us forever.
