Sweden’s Icehotel is a live art project you can check into, then revisit after it dissolves back into a river.
Your room glows like glacier glass, the bed a block of blue light, the air crisp enough to ring. You zip into an Arctic-rated sleeping bag, nose tingling, and listen to the quiet crackle of ice.
Here’s the interesting part: this hotel melts every spring, on purpose, and you can return to see its next incarnation.
The room that disappears
Each winter, ice is harvested from the Torne River and shaped into corridors, halls and one-off suites by invited artists. When the sun returns, the whole thing softens and flows back to the river, an elegant loop between sculpture and stream.
What’s coming with ICEHOTEL 36
The 36th edition opens on 12 December 2025, unveiling a 2,800-square-metre build shaped by 29 artists from 10 countries
Construction begins in mid-November, culminating in the seasonal hotel’s debut on opening day.
Visitors can expect one-of-a-kind suites with imaginative themes such as Spaghettification and Soap Bubbles, along with striking new installations in halls and entrances.
What melts, what stays
The winter Icehotel appears fresh each season, then vanishes with the thaw. Icehotel 365 stays put year-round inside a purpose-built hall cooled with renewable energy, mostly solar in summer, so you can sleep among ice even under the midnight sun.
It holds nine deluxe suites and nine art suites, plus an ICEBAR and an experience room.
How a suite is sculpted
Designers from around the world pitch ideas, then a handpicked group arrives to carve their rooms, each a one-off installation you can literally lie down in. Lighting does half the storytelling, turning frosted reliefs into shadow theater.
That is why repeat visits feel new: the artists change, the ice is fresh, and the gallery is temporary.
So, how do you actually sleep here
Turns out, comfort matters. Inside temperatures sit around minus five Celsius, you get a sleeping bag rated to about minus twenty-five, plus reindeer hides and a thick mattress on an ice base.
Warm spaces and saunas are steps away, and most travelers do one night “cold” then switch to warm rooms. Even better, the hotel recommends making that cold night your first or last for an easy room change.
Quick planning that saves you stress
- When to go, and why: For Northern Lights, aim for the darker months from roughly August to April. For the Midnight Sun experience, think May to mid-July, when the light never quits.
- Where this is, and how to reach it: Jukkasjärvi sits about 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Fly Stockholm to Kiruna in about 90 minutes, then transfer for 15 to 20 minutes to the hotel, easy even with winter bags.
- How many cold nights: One cold night is the sweet spot; add warm nights around it for activities like dogsledding or ice sculpting.
- What to pack: Think base layers, thick socks and a hat for sleeping. Outdoors can drop far below minus twenty, staff help with gear and tips.
- Quick tip. Prebook the airport transfer for a comfortable journey.
