There are few experiences in the world that can rival the allure but also reservation of sleeping in a hotel made purely of ice above the Arctic Circle!
I was certainly nervous for our nights stay. For context, I love my electric blanket and home comforts, so the prospect of trying to sleep on a bed made purely of ice worried me a little.
However, I accepted the challenge, prepped as best I could beforehand and was excited for the night that lay ahead.
The hotel is located 35km from Rovaniemi Airport in Finnish Lapland.
Our journey began with our arrival in to Rovaniemi airport at 8pm, from Liverpool, UK.
As we'd made the decision to save money and travel hand luggage only, we were straight out the airport and into our taxi within 30 minutes of disembarking the aircraft.
We ordered our taxi on the Menevä Taksi app after we had cleared security- we highly recommend downloading this if taking a trip to Lapland.
The taxi arrived within 10 minutes of booking and we were taken to the Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos for a pre-set price of €81 - around a 30 minute journey.
It still amazes me how fast the drivers get about in Lapland, obviously they are use to the conditions and have snow tyres but it always feels a bit hair raising to travel at speed through snowy conditions!
The hotel offers a pre-booked shuttle service for €20 each way which operates regularly throughout the day for hotel guests and includes pick up in the town centre, train station and airport.
As we were arriving at night when the shuttle would not be operating, we made the decision to just hop in a taxi on arrival. That seemed the cheapest and easiest option all round.
A private transfer arranged though the hotel would have been €110. We did however take the hotel shuttle back to Rovaniemi centre the next day, for our stay in Rovaniemi Centre.
During check-in, we were treated to a tour of the SnowHotel. Our guide led us around the premises, giving us a glimpse of where we'd rest for the night.
Until 10 pm, the hotel welcomes tour groups to explore, so the rooms are only available to look in up to until that point.
Meanwhile, we were escorted to the locker room where we received keys to secure our belongings and grab our sleeping bags and blankets that the hotel provides.
The hotel has bunk beds in a heated area next to the lockers, so should you need to escape the cold in the night, you can. This is was certainly reassuring.
We were recommended to wait until we felt tired before heading to our rooms, so in the meantime, we set out to explore the surroundings.
The hotel boasts captivating sculptures both indoors and outdoors. We warmed up in the communal Kota hut which has a fire pit inside and greeted the reindeers in the pen in the grounds.
Although we had already eaten on the flight, others could enjoy the remarkable ice restaurant or the cosy Kota Restaurant.
Additionally, there are two bars—a frosty ice version and a warmer Sky Bar with a 360-degree ceiling view
Within the hotel they have their own little chapel- Imagine how unique a wedding here would be!
Each room at the Arctic SnowHotel is a unique masterpiece, crafted with intricate designs and attention to detail and individually theme- no two rooms are alike.
We spent nearly an hour touring round all these whilst they were empty and each one was just amazing in it's own right.
Each year the SnowHotel is rebuilt from scratch and rooms then feature new designs, it truly is a work of art to see the creativity and thought the designers have put in to each one!
There are around 30 rooms inside the SnowHotel and they sleep from 2 people up to groups of 6 in some of the larger suites.
And then came Room 104. At around 11 pm, we finally stepped inside our room which boasted a striking feature piece of a face with eyes peering through clasped fingers, bathed in an eerie red glow.
I'll admit, compared to the other rooms, it sent a shiver down my spine.
As for the accommodations, it was as minimalist as it gets—a bed featuring a mattress with fur blanket on and a curtain for a door.
They do however have a weatherproof socket to allow you to charge your phone, although we kept getting a message on our phones that there was water in our charger ports. I'd recommend bring a few power banks just in case.
We were advised om arrival to sleep in our base layers with a woolly socks and gloves on, and to tuck our snow boots into the bottom of your sleeping bag to keep them dry.
I, however, opted for comfort, keeping all my regular clothes on probably not the best way but I just couldn't bring myself to strip off when I was already cold.
I'd recommend bringing a sealable plastic bag for the night too so you can safely store belongings that you want next to your bed.
The rooms hover around -5 degrees Celsius, which theoretically should be tolerable, but whether it was the icy surroundings or just my mind playing tricks, I couldn't shake the feeling of coldness.
I'm certain it was purely psychological. It felt like an eternity before I could drift off to sleep, only to be awakened by the aurora alarm at 1:30 am!
After settling in, we learned of the hotel’s Aurora alarm – a service where we’d be woken if the Northern Lights began, of course we said yes!
The hotel is located miles outside of Rovaniemi with no light pollution, giving you the maximum chance of viewing this natural phenomenon.
Indeed, at 1:30am, the call came. Now when I say an alarm, this is a person coming to wake you up so not to disturb other guests.
After a restless night filled with tossing and turning, we finally decided to get up and begin preparing for the day at 6 am.
Breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant in the warmth, which we were so grateful for.
The range of foods they had on offer was incredible. They seemed to have breakfast foods from round the world.
We indulged in sausages and eggs, complemented by continental-style offerings, cereals, fruits, and international selections, all accompanied by a robust cup of coffee to keep us going.
Following breakfast we had a little time to kill so we decided to get some air and explore the surrounding area in daylight as we had been told there was a lake next to the hotel where many arctic activities operate from.
The hotel can arrange an array of different things for you to do to enhance your experience. They also have many sledges and tubes for you to enjoy the thrill of sliding down a hill on to a frozen lake, of course we couldn't resist!
Following breakfast, we were treated to a blissful and private Snow and Sauna Ice Experience that left us feeling utterly rejuvenated.
We were supplied with cosy robes and slippers and advised to wear a woolly hat too.
We were given a private room which we could get changed in, shower and take a traditional sauna. Now to warm up like this was amazing. I've never been more grateful.
From there, we ventured into a snow sauna, tucked within an igloo-like structure. I'd never seen anything like this. Literally a sauna built from snow.
Once it got going we literally couldn't see a thing from the steam it created.
The peak of this wintery indulgence, however, was a Jacuzzi nestled amongst the snowy landscapes. As we relaxed within the bubbling warmth, surrounded by pristine snowscapes, it was a moment of pure bliss and a reward for surviving the night.
In summary, a stay at the SnowHotel offers a truly unique and captivating adventure, one that I'm immensely grateful to have experienced.
It's advised to limit your stay to a maximum of two nights, and I can understand why, as it can be quite a test of endurance.
However, it's an experience I wholeheartedly recommend trying, and for our bravery, we were even presented with a certificate at the end of our stay.
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