Ice hotels: where you sleep in a room of ice or snow
7 ice and snow hotels in Canada, Finland, Norway and Sweden, each checked on its own website: the cold room to book, how cold it is, sleeping bags, where the warm toilets are, and when it is open.
Photo: inside an ICEHOTEL art suite, Jukkasjärvi. L'Astorina, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The 7 ice hotels
01
ICEHOTEL
Jukkasjärvi, near Kiruna, Sweden · Google 4.6 (5,244 reviews)
BookArt suite · -5 °C
- Thermal sleeping bag
- Warm room option
“Here, you swap a traditional hotel room for an indoor temperature of minus five degrees Celsius, and stunning rooms made of sparkling snow and ice.”
02
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
Lainio, Kittilä, Finland · Google 4.6 (3,831 reviews)
BookLuxury Ice Suite
- Thermal sleeping bag
- Warm room option
“Spend the night in a unique snow suite and enjoy exclusive access to SnowVillage!”
03
Hotel de Glace
Valcartier, Quebec, Canada · Google 4.6 (3,697 reviews)
BookIce room · -4 to -5 °C
“Extend the experience by spending the night in an ice room and savoring a gourmet dinner by Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.”
04
Arctic SnowHotel
Sinettä, near Rovaniemi, Finland · Google 4.5 (1,844 reviews)
BookSnow room · 0 to -5 °C
- Warm room option
“The most stunning example of this is our Arctic SnowHotel, where guests can sleep in snow rooms decorated with amazing ice sculptures, dine at the Ice Restaurant, and party in the Ice Bar.”
05
Kirkenes Snowhotel
Bjørnevatn, near Kirkenes, Norway · Google 4.6 (1,623 reviews)
BookSnow Room · -4 °C
- Thermal sleeping bag
- Warm room option
“Whether you choose a night in the magical Snowhotel, carved from ice and snow, or the comfort of a warm and cozy Gamme Cabin inspired by traditional Sámi huts, we promise you an unforgettable stay.”
06
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
Alta, Norway · Google 4.7 (880 reviews)
BookIgloo room
- Thermal sleeping bag
- Warm room option
“This special atmosphere may be experienced whilst admiring the art work, having a special drink in the ice bar and especially when sleeping in a warm sleeping bag on a bed of reindeer skins.”
07
Hunderfossen Snow Hotel
Fåberg, near Lillehammer, Norway · Google 4.3 (870 reviews)
BookDouble room · -5 °C
- Thermal sleeping bag
“Sleep with magical ice sculptures in Scandinavias southern most Snow Hotel!”
Side by side
"Not stated" means the hotel's own website doesn't say. It may still have it.
| Hotel | Built of | Room temperature | Thermal sleeping bag | Toilets and showers | Bathroom in the cold room | Warm room for other nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICEHOTELJukkasjärvi, near Kiruna | Snow and ice | -5 °C | Yes | Morning sauna and shower in a private relaxation area or the shared facilities at Riverside Lobby | Not stated | Yes |
| Lapland Hotels SnowVillageLainio, Kittilä | Snow and ice | Not stated | Yes | Kota cabin with a sauna, indoor hot tub and beds for two | Not stated | Yes |
| Hotel de GlaceValcartier, Quebec | Snow and ice | -4 to -5 °C | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Arctic SnowHotelSinettä, near Rovaniemi | Snow and ice | 0 to -5 °C | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Kirkenes SnowhotelBjørnevatn, near Kirkenes | Snow and ice | -4 °C | Yes | Heated lounge, restrooms, showers and sauna in a service building steps away | Not stated | Yes |
| Sorrisniva Igloo HotelAlta | Ice | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Hunderfossen Snow HotelFåberg, near Lillehammer | Snow | -5 °C | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Questions
How cold is an ice hotel room?
The rooms stay below freezing all night. Of the 7 we list, 5 give a figure on their website: ICEHOTEL -5 °C; Hotel de Glace -4 to -5 °C; Arctic SnowHotel 0 to -5 °C; Kirkenes Snowhotel -4 °C; Hunderfossen Snow Hotel -5 °C.
What do you sleep in?
5 of the 7 say on their website that they give you a thermal sleeping bag. Sleep in thin thermal layers and a hat, not in heavy clothes, which trap sweat and make you colder.
Where is the toilet?
Not in the ice room. The toilets, showers and usually a sauna are in a heated building next to the ice, and you walk there in your boots and jacket. Each page says what that property states.
How many nights should I spend in the ice?
One. Most people spend one night in the ice room and the rest in a warm room or a glass-roof cabin. 5 of the 7 sell a warm room or a package with one.
Are ice hotels open all year?
Mostly no. They are built from snow and river ice each winter and melt in spring, so overnight stays usually run from December to March or April. Each hotel page gives the season the hotel states.