Icehotel

Magical few days away, we stayed in one of the cosy 2 bedroom chalets, which was ideal as it meant we had somewhere to relax during the day if needed. So many activities on offer, I also spent a few hours walking around the local area and exploring the snow shoe/ski trails. I would highly recommend visiting if you can.

Everything in the hotel was really nice. The staff took really care of us. Maybe one thing that could step up is the breakfast the day after. Should be more local groceries.

We spent 3 nights in a warm room and 1 night in a Deluxe Suite (313). Our stay was lovely. Everyone was warm and very helpful. The warm room was somewhat basic. But it was clean, the beds were comfortable, it was a nice size, had great water pressure and plenty of hot water. I loved the fold down seat by door, so you could sit down and take off your boots. The cold room was great. We had a warm bathroom w/ a sauna and shower. It was very expensive. But, we decided to splurge and it was worth it. It was very dark when we turned off the lights - so we left the lights on all night. Once we got settled and cozied up in our sleeping bags, we slept well. I was worried about my nose getting cold, so I wore a face mask around my neck just in case I needed to pull it up over my nose. I also put my glasses case and cell phone in a plastic bag and put that inside my sleeping bag - to keep them from freezing. Tip: pack ice cleats. I wore them everywhere. Having broke an ankle 10 years ago, I could not afford to take a chance on slipping on the ice. Also, pack your 1 set of thermals, outdoor wear, PJs, a change of clothes and your tooth brush in a carry on bag, in case your luggage misses the connecting flight. (This happened to my friend.) The food at the Homestead was amazing. (It is off the road, so it is a little hard to find.) I loved the mushroom soup! Lunch at the restaurant, closest the the hotel, was ok. We got just before the buffet closed. Apparently the food had been out for awhile. We both had upset tummies for a bit after. I highly recommend the Ice Hotel. Having splurged on the Ice room, we could not afford the tours the Ice Hotel offered. So, we booked less expensive tours with other companies. Pick-up and drop off at the Ice Hotel went smoothly.

Loud maintenance outside warm room in morning, poor breakfast, lame activities, poor knowledge from staff and unwillingness to help, difficult process of retrieivng bags from store room between move to ice suite. Personally, wouldn't bother with an art suite in the winter hotel, just as nice to take the normal ice room. Art suites are much better in 365. Bar was nice. Nice lounge area

Overall, it was an okay experience, except for a few issues, like overheated rooms or a non-working shower, which were resolved relatively quickly. I would only recommend staying in the cold room if you have never slept in sleeping bags in extreme camping temperatures. (Is this worth money? Most likely, anyone sleeping in a cold room may wake up a few times during the night; in a deluxe room, you may be unable to control the aircon; it was too hot to sleep for us. (We would recommend the standard cabin where we had the best stay). Staying there for a week could be too much, but a short stay and an ice hotel exhibition are worth visiting. At least once, I recommend dining in an Icehotel restaurant. The food and presentation are outstanding.

We celebrated our 23rd Anniversary at the Ice Hotel by staying in one of the Art Suites. It was truly a unique experience. We enjoyed the Ice Dinner along with the other gourmet meals offered by the Restaurant. We photographed the Aurora Borealis, we skied on the frozen Torne River, we marveled at each Art Suite and enjoyed a cocktail in the Ice Bar. The service and staff were excellent. We highly recommend this amazing place!