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ICEHOTEL© FAQ's...
1. Where is ICEHOTEL©? How do I get
there?
On the banks of the Torne River 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, lies the
little village Jukkasjärvi and ICEHOTEL©.
Jukkasjärvi is located 12 km from Kiruna airport and 17 km from Kiruna train
station. Mondays-Fridays there are local buses from Kiruna bus station, not on
weekends.
2. When does ICEHOTEL© open for the
winter?
From around the 11th December for overnight stays.
3. When does ICEHOTEL© close in
springtime?
We are in the hands of the weather gods when it comes to the durability of
ICEHOTEL©. From experience we know that sometime at the end of April they must
close due to the roof dripping. From around the 20 April ICEHOTEL© starts to show
signs of actually being, like it is, built of frozen river water. Then it melts
down into the river, and the week of Midsummer Celebration (2 months later) the
last drift of snow usually trickles into the Torne River.
4. For how many years has there been an
ICEHOTEL©?
The winter of 2004/2005 saw the opening of the fifteenth ICEHOTEL©. This means
that they are the first to master the construction of snow and ice in this way.
5. Are the bedrooms at below zero
temperature?
Absolutely! Around -5 degrees Celsius is the indoor temperature in ICEHOTEL©. If
outdoor temperature falls below -30, then it may be -8 inside, but not colder!
6. Can I really sleep well in ICEHOTEL©?
Of course. All overnight guests at ICEHOTEL© have a guided tour upon check-in.
Then You will find out how to actually sleep well during the night.
7. How many nights do people stay?
The ICEHOTEL© facility in Jukkasjärvi has, in addition to "cool" accommodation
also warm accommodation: Nordic and Arctic Chalets and Kaamos hotel rooms.
Usually this means that for practical purposes, and to have the right mix of
adventure and comfort, guests stay one night in ICEHOTEL© proper and then a night
or more in accommodation with private bathroom, luggage keeping etc. Most people
stay at least 2 nights.
8. How big is ICEHOTEL©?
Since ICEHOTEL© melts every spring, the exact number of rooms do vary a little.
ICEHOTEL© spans over some 4 000 m2. The winter of 2004/2005, they had 85 rooms;
Ice rooms, Ice family rooms, Ice suites and Igloo rooms. Invited artists
decorate each suite which are all unique and where all works of art melt in the
springtime as does all of ICEHOTEL©!
9. Is the hotel always the same each
winter?
No, not at all. There is a new architecture each year as well as new art works
and themes, and also new artists from year to year.
10 . What kind of clothes should I
bring?
ICEHOTEL© offers warm outer clothing to all guests in the form of: snow-mobile
overall, hat, mittens and winter boots. In addition to this it is a very good
idea to bring thermal underwear meaning long-johns and long-sleeved undershirt,
woollen and fleece sweaters are very useful, scarf and your own gloves/mittens
are also good, as well as plenty of socks and woollen socks. And then your tooth
brush! Towels are available in the morning sauna houses and naturally in the
warm accommodation, so you do not have to bring towels.
11. Is the restaurant made of ice?
No - we thaw our guests during the meals, when we let you be indoors! In
Jukkasjärvi there are 2 restaurants: ICEHOTEL© Restaurant is about 100 metres
from ICEHOTEL© and serves Laplandic Gourmet foods with raw materials, on plates
of ice from the Torne River if you wish. The other restaurant, The Old Homestead
Restaurant offers and experience of Tornedalen and Sami Culture when one has
one's dinner, and where there is a café during day-time.
12. How are the toilets when sleeping in
ICEHOTEL©?
There are (believe it or not) warm, ordinary toilets in ICEHOTEL©. These are in a
small house which is incorporated into the ICEHOTEL© construction so you can step
directly through a door from ICEHOTEL© into the warm and comfortable ladies' and
gents' rooms.
13. Where do I keep my luggage when I
sleep in ICEHOTEL©?
You cannot lock your hotel room when you sleep in ICEHOTEL©, since there is no
door to your bedroom! This may sound a bit strange, but it is a very special
hotel. Your luggage may be left in special luggae compartments for the ICEHOTEL© night, where there are lockers. Your warm and cozy sleeping bag is retrieved in
warm facility, where you also change clothes, in conjunction with ICEHOTEL©.
14. Isn't it very dark in Jukkasjärvi in
wintertime?
The fact is that, even if we do not see the sun in the
weeks of 50-52, and the daylight gradually returns after this, the snow reflects
all the light there is. The starry skies are perfectly visible here, as are the
northern lights. ICEHOTEL© itself is all white, there's light therapy for you!
From the return of the sun one week into January they receive 1 more hour of
daylight each and every week, until the Midnight sun at the end of May.
13. Do I need to book in advance?
Definitely. Fridays and Saturdays may be fully booked several months before the
winter season starts, so if you wish to come for a weekend, we do ask you to
please contact Robert Broad Travel in very good time. It is generally easier to
book during week-days.
15. What do we do in the summertime?
ICEHOTEL© melts down. The entire hotel literally trickles into the Torne River,
to resurrect during November and December next winter, with a new architecture
and new works of art. So you can come each winter and experience a new ICEHOTEL©.
This means that there are only 300 persons who have the time to spend the night
in each room… then it melts.
16. What do we actually do in the
summer, then?
Well, we must stock ice from the Torne River for the coming winter. We harvest
about 3000 tonnes of ice during March and April and stock it in "ICEHOTEL© Art
Center" in order to be able to built with full force in November. Art Center is
a gigantic freezer at 1500 m2 where a summer art exhibition is prepared with ice
sculptures, ice bar and ice cinema. This ice museum has already been noted in
media and tens of thousands have visited Art Center these first 3 summers. Art
Center has also made it possible for our artists to travel around the world and
sculpt and work with ice anywhere!
Got anymore questions, give us a call on 0845
003 2216
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