Tipsy at the Ice Hotel
There can be no doubt that staying at an Ice Hotel, where the inside (a balmy minus 4) is warmer than the outside (minus 26), and sleeping in a room of ice, on a bed of ice, in a sleeping bag, is a once-in-a-nine-life experience, that is just, most probably, the most unusual place you’ll ever stay in in your life.
However, it was a rather rocky beginning. After a beautiful journey on the train, our arranged pick up was no where in sight. It was dark, freezing cold, and the station was soon thinning of people. Having received no email, we waited at the designated pick up point as we enviously watched a group of jolly tourists entering a warm coach. Then, as the feet stamping began to prove fruitless as our circulation slowed, it became heart-sinkingly obvious that no one was coming. We turned to the last person who was around – another guide, luckily – who sweetly phoned the hotel for us and they informed her that they had sent a taxi. As the coach pulled away, we could see one lone car, parked at the far end and previously hidden from view by the coach, and which, as it turned out, was just about to leave without bothering to come and look for us. We ended up running after it in the snow, numb arms waving, panicking that we’d be left in this desolate landscape – not fun, and not made any better by the lack of apology from the hotel. And Tipsy is not generally a grumpy cat, but when you are paying an absolute fortune, you would hope for better.
BUT, the ice hotel experience itself was amazing. The nice receptionist handed us a full kit – thermal boiler suit and boots, gloves, and a couple of balaclavas each (they are very generous in this, and are happy to swap them and give you more as you need).
We stayed in the newest 365 section (which is now, magically (or enginerringly) open all year round. It is phenomenal. There is a snow-hush all around. You enter and the intense silence continues as you marvel at the walls and ceiling of snow (actually, snice – a specially made mixture of snow and ice). There’s a bar, and next to it, with a tap of your entry card, a set of huge cave-like doors, hung with reindeer hide, open magically, and allow guests entry to a further corridor of snow and whitish light. We stayed in one of the art suites, where everything is beautifully carved with amazing details. You just walk about in awe, with your mouth open, and icicles forming on your whiskers.
The bed, the furniture, the light fittings – everything is snice.
In line with the advice, we picked up our sleeping bags just before going to sleep, and wore just a base thermal layer and jammies into the thermal sleeping bag. It was plenty, but you do need to make sure every part of you is well tucked inside. For some reason, we kept getting up every couple of hours – probably just from the sheer excitement and bizarreness of it all – but all in all, Tipsy had a very comfortable, warm night’s sleep. In the morning, one of the hotel staff wakes you up with a glass of warm lingonberry juice, served from a huge pack on her back (you can help yourself to more at reception).
We then moved to a warm chalet for a couple of days (nice enough, with a handy kitchenette, but the bathroom was in desperate need of updating). You can’t check in till the afternoon though, but there is plenty to do in the meantime, and we went on a tour of both the original hotel and the new 365 one. It is truly like wandering around an icy museum, as each art suite has been individually created by different global artists.
Apart from the hotel and gift shop, there are a couple of lobbies – one in the cold reception – which is actually warm itself, and one in the warm reception. You can also wander down the road to the little town, with its cute nordic houses, lovely Church – we went in and there was a Sunday service on, with Sami dressed in their beautiful traditional outfits- and a little Sami museum.
During our stay, we also went on a snowmobile experience, but after the tumble on the dog sled, Big Pet didn’t fancy driving as her shoulder was hurting, and Little Pet was worried she wouldn’t be able to see (your glasses keep steaming up) and so the guide kindly hitched a sledge up to the back of her snowmobile, and together with a mother and young son, we whipped along in that, feeling rather like Father C and his helpers. The journey takes you through an enchanted forest (so it seems) and along the frozen river. There’s a stop for dinner, which the guide heats up herself in a cosy cabin (it did seem rather a lot of work for one person), but she was brilliantly cheerful throughout, even when there was not enough vegetarian soup to go around (I do think the hotel organisation needs some attention, as Tipsy says, they ‘could no better’).
An absolute must do excursion, is the Ice Sculpting course, where you are given a chisel and are let loose on a block of ice (there’s a guide on paw to help). Tipsy was aiming for a reindeer, but made a bunny instead.
And, if you can, wake up to see the sunrise. The pinks are beautiful and make this unforgettable experience, even more, unforgettable.
Just to let you know, we’ve put in lots of links to help you, and I think, if you book the hotel through Trip Advisor, we’ll get a wee commission ?
Tipsy! I shared this on my FB page and even shared on Elle’s FB page!! I will post on IG too sometime this weekend! What a bizarre adventure! I’m so proud of you for being such a brave soul. Us Texans might not be able to endure such extreme cold for as long as you did. This is just total amazement! And those pinks (pink is a magical color I think)…BEEEEUUUUTIEEEEEFUL!!
Hello Sweet Hope and Elle,
Thanks so very much for your kind support. We really appreciate it, it’s so kind of you to share it with your friends! Hehe, I do feel very brave indeed. Thanks. It’s definitely something out of this world, or so it seems. We loved the colours too. Enjoy your week dears, and thanks again. xxx
Thanks, great article.
Thank you very much!