Northern Lights
Every year, an astonishing 50,000 to 60,000 people visit, or stay overnight, in Sweden’s world-famous ICEHOTEL. And until you’ve actually been, it’s easy to wonder why. After all, can it really be much fun sleeping on a bed of ice? But, now I have been, let me assure you that it is – at least for one night of your life.
These days you will find cheaper ‘ice hotels’ around the world, but the original is the most glamorous, most famous and most beautiful – and, therefore, the most expensive. Lying in the village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, around 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, ICEHOTEL – and an ice chapel and ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL (they’re fond of using capital letters in their branding) is built from scratch every year. This winter’s hotel, the 24th one, opens on 8 December and will be around until late March/April.
Sleeping on ice is not actually that arduous – it’s relatively warm tucked up in your sleeping bag and reindeer hides. You will need your fleecy jim-jams and socks though. (And the hotel has warm rooms, too, if it gets too nippy.) More than 60 rooms are built in five categories, including Snow Rooms and Ice Rooms; Art Suites come with your own work of art, but cost more. It’s pretty impossible to take a bad photo of them, and huge e ort goes into creating the ice sculptures.
Designs for this year’s suites include British designer Marcus Dillistone’s London Tube-inspired ‘Mind The Gap’ room celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, in which guests sleep on a bed of ice carved into a Tube carriage. Other designs include a Frankenstein-esque science lab, pole-dancing polar bears and a Montmartre-inspired rooftop setting.
There are also Northern Lights Suites, introduced last year in honour of the extraordinary aurora borealis. With scientists saying this year’s display is likely to be better than usual, high demand for trips to the Arctic is anticipated. Discover The World offers the UK’s only direct ight from Heathrow to Kiruna for the ICEHOTEL, taking three-and-a-half hours, and for this season has increased the number of ights by 30 per cent.
Left: see the amazing Northern Lights. Right: Reindeer hides help keep you warm
The resort offers Northern Lights excursions as well as activities such as husky sledding and ice shing. You can even have a two-hour ice-sculpture lesson. Then, perhaps, you can have a go at creating your own ice room in the garden back home in Britain…
Getting there
Discover The World o ers a three-night break at ICEHOTEL from £1,164 per person, including flights. Art Suite upgrades cost from £82 per person per night; Northern Lights suite from £65 per person per night. If you’re really celebrating, the new Indulgence escape includes Premium Class flights with lounge access at Heathrow, private transfers, one night in an Art Suite, two nights in a warm Kaamos Room, including champagne and a private Husky Safari, from £1,819 per person. Indulgence Deluxe includes a private Husky Sledge transfer on arrival and a deluxe Art Suite; one night, from £2,119 per person.
01737-214291, www.icehotel.co.uk
For more about Sweden: www.visitsweden.com
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
CHRISTMAS CRUISE There’s still time to book Christmas away with P&O Cruises. For example, the 24-night Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean cruise costs from £1,899 per person. It departs from Southampton on 17 December and is exclusively for adults. Ports of call include Madeira, St Maarten, Dominica, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua and the Azores. 0843-374 0111, www.pocruises.com
WELSH WONDER Llangoed Hall hotel in Llyswen, Brecon, Mid Wales, has won Condé Nast Johansens Restaurant of the Year 2013/2014. It is also o ering a new Laura Ashley celebration tea inspired by her designs at Llangoed Hall hotel, once home to the Ashley family. Rooms from £150 per person per night, with breakfast. 01874-754525, www.llangoedhall.co.uk
FESTIVE SPIRIT Book a room at London’s Baglioni Hotel until 5 January and receive entrance to the Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, with two tickets for the giant wheel and ice-skating rink. The o er also includes hot chocolate and tea with Christmas biscuits at the hotel. From £522 per room per night. 020-7368 5800, www.baglionihotels.com
These days you will find cheaper ‘ice hotels’ around the world, but the original is the most glamorous, most famous and most beautiful – and, therefore, the most expensive. Lying in the village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland, around 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, ICEHOTEL – and an ice chapel and ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL (they’re fond of using capital letters in their branding) is built from scratch every year. This winter’s hotel, the 24th one, opens on 8 December and will be around until late March/April.
Sleeping on ice is not actually that arduous – it’s relatively warm tucked up in your sleeping bag and reindeer hides. You will need your fleecy jim-jams and socks though. (And the hotel has warm rooms, too, if it gets too nippy.) More than 60 rooms are built in five categories, including Snow Rooms and Ice Rooms; Art Suites come with your own work of art, but cost more. It’s pretty impossible to take a bad photo of them, and huge e ort goes into creating the ice sculptures.
Designs for this year’s suites include British designer Marcus Dillistone’s London Tube-inspired ‘Mind The Gap’ room celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, in which guests sleep on a bed of ice carved into a Tube carriage. Other designs include a Frankenstein-esque science lab, pole-dancing polar bears and a Montmartre-inspired rooftop setting.
There are also Northern Lights Suites, introduced last year in honour of the extraordinary aurora borealis. With scientists saying this year’s display is likely to be better than usual, high demand for trips to the Arctic is anticipated. Discover The World offers the UK’s only direct ight from Heathrow to Kiruna for the ICEHOTEL, taking three-and-a-half hours, and for this season has increased the number of ights by 30 per cent.
Left: see the amazing Northern Lights. Right: Reindeer hides help keep you warmThe resort offers Northern Lights excursions as well as activities such as husky sledding and ice shing. You can even have a two-hour ice-sculpture lesson. Then, perhaps, you can have a go at creating your own ice room in the garden back home in Britain…
Getting there
Discover The World o ers a three-night break at ICEHOTEL from £1,164 per person, including flights. Art Suite upgrades cost from £82 per person per night; Northern Lights suite from £65 per person per night. If you’re really celebrating, the new Indulgence escape includes Premium Class flights with lounge access at Heathrow, private transfers, one night in an Art Suite, two nights in a warm Kaamos Room, including champagne and a private Husky Safari, from £1,819 per person. Indulgence Deluxe includes a private Husky Sledge transfer on arrival and a deluxe Art Suite; one night, from £2,119 per person.
01737-214291, www.icehotel.co.uk
For more about Sweden: www.visitsweden.com
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
CHRISTMAS CRUISE There’s still time to book Christmas away with P&O Cruises. For example, the 24-night Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean cruise costs from £1,899 per person. It departs from Southampton on 17 December and is exclusively for adults. Ports of call include Madeira, St Maarten, Dominica, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua and the Azores. 0843-374 0111, www.pocruises.com
WELSH WONDER Llangoed Hall hotel in Llyswen, Brecon, Mid Wales, has won Condé Nast Johansens Restaurant of the Year 2013/2014. It is also o ering a new Laura Ashley celebration tea inspired by her designs at Llangoed Hall hotel, once home to the Ashley family. Rooms from £150 per person per night, with breakfast. 01874-754525, www.llangoedhall.co.uk
FESTIVE SPIRIT Book a room at London’s Baglioni Hotel until 5 January and receive entrance to the Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, with two tickets for the giant wheel and ice-skating rink. The o er also includes hot chocolate and tea with Christmas biscuits at the hotel. From £522 per room per night. 020-7368 5800, www.baglionihotels.com