For the millions showing up at ice rinks this winter knowing full well you can’t skate … we salute you. Tottering around a rink at 2 MPH with a special someone is a time-honored tradition, and you should be proud of those wipe-outs.
Here’s a reward for those folks, and for anyone who favors his or her ice with a dash of romance. (Looking at you, Phil Connors.)
Sweden’s Icehotel just opened for its 29th year, and true to form, each room is a wide-eyed delight.
Quick refresher: the Icehotel is a yearly tradition in the town of Jukkasjärvi, which is way up there in northern Sweden. Sourcing ice blocks and snow from the nearby Torne River (an untamed, “wild” river) local builders team with artists and architects from over a dozen countries to conceive designs that are elegant, eerie and wacky.
This year did not disappoint. Headliners include “Lollipop,” a sugar-coated dreamscape of “ice lollies” and cupcakes designed by a pair of French designers, and “Spruce Woods,” which includes a VW bus (!), campfire and full moon, brought to life by a couple of Canadian artists. Meanwhile, honorable mention icy inspirations include oak trees, coral reefs and a four-poster bed guarded by two mythological creatures.
Oh yeah, that’s the other thing. You’ll be sleeping in these rooms. And each comes with a bed and blanket fit for a King in the North.
For more information on staying at the hotel, head here. Rooms go for around $600 a night.
All images from Icehotel Sweden
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
