In frozen Finland, a seasonal hotel that's made entirely out of ice and snow is celebrating its 20th winter in operation by looking toward the future.
Located in a resort area inside the Arctic Circle, Lapland Hotels SnowVillage has a science fiction theme this year, with overnight suites designed to look like the insides of spaceships. Throughout the chilly complex, elaborate ice sculptures depict astronauts, robots, and alien creatures bathed in eerie blue light.
(Credit: Lapland Hotels SnowVillage)
According to a press release, making the hotel required a team of 35 builders working with 250,000kg (276 tons) of ice and 40,000 cubic meters (11 million gallons) of snow.
The hotel opened its doors for day visits (€19/$22) and overnight stays (starting at €235/$266 for a room for two) earlier in the month and will remain in operation through April 3, at which point this incredible creation will go the way of Frosty on a sunny day.
(Credit: Lapland Hotels SnowVillage)
Bundled-up guests spend the night in complimentary sleeping bags set on ice platforms. Temps inside the structure stay in what the hotel's website describes as a "comfortable" range of -2 to -5 degrees Celsius (23–28 Fahrenheit).
(Credit: Lapland Hotels SnowVillage)
The SnowVillage is known for its innovative designs. Previous iterations have been inspired by Game of Thrones. Last winter's version incorporated a gourmet chef's kitchen with functioning appliances encased in ice.
In addition to the sci-fi artwork, this year's hotel has a 100-seat ice restaurant, an ice bar, an ice slide, and, for those who need a break from igloo life, cozy log cabins.
(Credit: Lapland Hotels SnowVillage)
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage is far from the only ice hotel where you can spend the night in cold climes—this isn't even the only ice hotel in Finland. There's another about 200km (124 miles) to the south that's affiliated with Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, the self-proclaimed hometown of Saint Nick. (Despite the global Omicron surge, winter festivities are reportedly in full swing there—for now.)
In the Western Hemisphere, the Hôtel de Glace outside Quebec City—where your intrepid Frommer's correspondent spent a frigid evening a few years ago—is scheduled to open for the season on January 2.
