Sweden Icehotel reveals its frozen masterpiece for 2024 Christmas season

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Sweden’s famed Icehotel has opened its doors for winter with 12 temporary art suites promising travellers a cool night’s sleep.

The Icehotel 35 opened on Friday (13 December) in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the original Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.

Originally opened in 1989 as the world’s first and largest ice hotel, the accommodation and art exhibition is recreated using snow and ice from the Torne River each winter.

Each year, the hotel in Swedish Lapland welcomes thousands of guests to tuck into the hotel that maintains a temperature of -5C, with multi-course Arctic dining experiences and snowmobile tours available on icy itineraries.

The hotel maintains a temperature of -5C (Asaf Kliger)

With 12 art suites, one main hall and one ceremony hall, 26 artists from 13 countries worked to create the frosty art features in Icehotel 35.

Construction took just six weeks and used 550 tons of ice and 10 Olympic swimming pools of snis – a mix of snow and ice.

For 2024, themed rooms include “Áhku Fáhcat”, made in honour of Sami knitting, colours and craft, “Kiln”, inspired by the elegance of traditional Korean pottery and the “Gaia’s Bloom” ceremony hall created by design duo Lisa Lindqvist and Kate Munro.

The Gaia’s Bloom ceremony hall was created by design duo Lisa Lindqvist and Kate Munro (Asaf Kliger)

This year, along with the 12 art suites, there are 20 ice rooms and a 30m-long main hall complete with crystal chandeliers made from 220 handcrafted ice crystals.

Although much of the hotel melts back into the Torne River come spring, Icehotel 365 has 18 art and deluxe suites, an ice gallery, and the new space-themed “Icebar In Orbit” for guests to enjoy year-round.

Discover the World host a range of Icehotel trips combining stays with days in the Abisko National Park, from £625 for a three-night break for couples.