World’s Best Ice Hotels and Igloo Villages

Icehotel, Jukkasjarvi, Sweden

Sweden's Icehotel, located about 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is not only the world's original hotel composed of snow and ice, it's also an ephemeral work of art. Each winter, artists from around the globe use frozen water from the nearby Torne River to create a new structure, which remains open for visitors until it melts away come spring.

This year, Icehotel's winter season runs from December 3, 2011, to April 15, 2012. Rooms start at 1,600 SEK (about $230 USD) per person per night through March 31 and at 1,250 SEK April 1 through 14. The hotel is approximately nine miles from Kiruna Airport, which offers connecting service from Stockholm, and about 10.5 miles from the Kiruna train station.

Hotel De Glace, Quebec City, Canada

Hotel de Glace has been part of Quebec's winter scene since 2001 and claims to be the only ice hotel in North America made entirely from snow and ice. Like Sweden's Icehotel, there are no permanent structures, and a team of artists (15 sculptors) design a new architectural concept every year. Overnight guests can stay in one of 36 rooms and themed suites and enjoy the on-site cafe, the ice bar, the outdoor hot tubs, and the sauna.

Rooms cost $219 CAD (about $215 USD) per person, based on double occupancy, and packages are available. In 2011, the hotel moved to a new site just 10 minutes from downtown Quebec City and is easily accessible by bus or taxi from Quebec's Jean-Lesage International Airport. This year, the hotel is open from January 6 through March 25.

Snow Village Canada, Montreal, Canada

Hotel de Glace might have a little competition this year, as Snow Village Canada opens about three hours down the St. Lawrence River, in Montreal. Located in the city's Parc Jean-Drapeau, this new frozen "village"—complete with restaurant, chapel, and outdoor recreation area—is the only ice village in the world reachable via metro, making it exceptionally convenient for visitors. The elaborate designs will showcase a new city each year. This year’s Snow Village is, not surprisingly, a replica of Montreal.

Rates are $195 CAD (about $191 USD) per person per night for a polar igloo (or $259 CAD for a standard room/$299 CAD for a prestige suite in the Ice Hotel). The closest major airport is Montreal-Trudeau. The village is a three-minute walk from the Parc Jean-Drapeau Metro station and is open from January 6 to March 31.

Snow Village Finland, Kittila, Finland

From the same frosty rootstock as Montreal's new addition, Snow Village Finland has returned this year for its 10th season. In addition to an a la carte restaurant with tables carved out of ice, it's the small details designed with comfort in mind that set this property apart. Guests can walk from room to room in snow-covered corridors and sleep in "normal" beds, as opposed to those made from a slab of ice. And fleece curtains cover doorways so lodgers don't feel as if they are locked in a frozen prison.

Standard rooms cost €120 (about $152 USD) per person, and suites start at €320 for two people. Snow Village Finland is 25 minutes by car from Kittila Airport, which has connecting service from Helsinki. It's open from December 10, 2011, through April 15, 2012.

Igloo Village At Hotel Kakslauttanen, Saariselka, Finland

Also in Finland, Hotel Kakslauttanen offers a different twist on wintertime slumber. Instead of rooms made literally out of ice and snow, guests can cozy up inside thermal glass igloos and watch snowflakes fall from the Lapland night sky. Not hardcore enough? The hotel also offers snow igloos with indoor temperatures between 21 and 26 degrees—relatively balmy when compared to the outdoors, which can drop as low as -22. Down sleeping bags and woolen socks are included.

Glass igloos are €394 (about $500 USD) per night for two people and include half board (a buffet breakfast and three-course dinner). Bus transfers are available from Ivalo Airport (with connecting service from Helsinki) for an extra fee. The resort, which also offers log cabins, is open year-round.

For another Finland option, the LumiLinna SnowCastle and SnowHotel in Kemi opens on January 28.

Kirkenes Snowhotel, Kirkenes, Norway

Norway's sub-Arctic north has enough snow for more than one ice hotel. Since 2006, Kirkenes Snowhotel has embraced the scientific fact that snow can act as a great insulator. Cavernous rooms feature ice beds with mattresses covered in thermal insulation (guests also crawl into sleeping bags for added warmth). Lighted ice sculptures, created by artists from Harbin, China (a.k.a. "Ice City"), glow throughout the night. The hotel offers northern-lights wake-up calls.

Double rooms cost 2,350 NOK (about $388 USD) per person, and rates include a three-course dinner, breakfast, access to the sauna, and transfers from Kirkenes' city center. The nearest airport is Kirkenes, which has connecting service from Oslo. This year, the Snowhotel is open December 20, 2011, through April 20, 2012.

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta, Norway

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, also in Norway, is set along a river about 12 miles from Alta, which, by some standards, is considered to be the northernmost city in the world. But don't let its extreme geographical location deter you. The hotel, enjoying its 13th iteration, has a beautiful aesthetic and a homey atmosphere. It offers 30 bedrooms, an ice chapel, an ice bar, and several common relaxation areas. Next door, guests will find a restaurant, a sauna, and hot tubs. Snowmobile safari excursions are available for those who dare to venture out.

Stays cost 1,995 NOK (about $330 USD) per person per night and include breakfast, sleeping bags, sauna access, and transfers from the city center. The closest airport is Alta Airport, with connecting service from Oslo. This year, the hotel is open from January 17 through April 1.

Ice Hotel, Balea Lake, Romania

Long, cold winters evoke images of solitude, and in the wilds of Romania, that's exactly what you'll find. Perhaps the most remote hotel of its kind, Balea Lake's Ice Hotel is set high in the mountains and is only accessible by cable car. The intimate property has just 10 to 14 rooms built each year, and each is designed with a musical theme in mind. An intricate ice church is one of its highlights.

Rates are €120 (about $150 USD) per night and include a lift pass, breakfast, and the services of an English-speaking representative. The nearest airports are in Sibiu (about an hour away) or Bucharest (about five hours away); tour company Untravelled Paths offers packaged trips and transport assistance. The hotel is open December 25, 2011, through April 20, 2012.

Engelberg-Titlis Igloo Village, Engelberg, Switzerland

At an altitude of approximately 5,900 feet, the Igloo Village in Engelberg, Switzerland, offers the pinnacle in alpine winter accommodations. After heading up Titlis mountain, guests can settle in with a cheese fondue meal and a soak in the Jacuzzi before retiring to igloos decorated by Inuit artists. In the morning wake-up tea is served sleeping-bag-side.

Standard igloos start at 149 CHF (about $156 USD) per night for adults, and romantic igloos (with private whirlpools) start at 249 CHF. For extra coziness, heated igloo tents come furnished with a stove and a double bed and start at 399 CHF. Accommodations are available from Christmas though Easter. Engelberg is easily reached by train from Swiss cities like Lucerne, Zurich, Basel, and Bern.

Other Igloo Villages are available in Davos-Klosters, Gstaad, St. Moritz, and Zermatt, Switzerland; Zugspitze, Germany; and Andorra.

Ice Hotel Lumen, Zwolle, Netherlands

New this year, Hotel Lumen in the Netherlands has built a temporary ice hotel as part of the town of Zwolle's ice-sculpture festival. The three sleeping options—an ice cave, a mermaid room, and a shell-themed room—were built by a group of four ice carvers. Guests are kept well-insulated with a sleeping bag and a duvet, and they can find a heated sitting room with a coffee machine nearby.

The hotel is only open from December 3, 2011, through January 29, 2012, and rates are €99.50 (about $126 USD) per person per night, including breakfast. The closest major airport is Amsterdam Schiphol; Zwolle can be reached by train and then a 20-minute bus ride.

Would you brave the cold to stay in a hotel made from ice and snow?

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