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On December 11, the doors to Icehotel 31, the winter-open part of Icehotel in the north of Sweden, opened.

The digital opening was seen by more than 30 000 people all over the world. Now the first images of the art are released and for everyone who is unable to travel right now, there is a chance to step into Icehotel’s pristine world via an interactive AR experience on the mobile phone. Welcome!

The 31st reincarnation of Icehotel – an ephemeral art exhibition made entirely of snow and ice from Torne River – is open. Together with Icehotel’s building team, ice production, art support and lighting designers the artists have – apart from the 12 unique art suites in Icehotel #31 and six new art suites in Icehotel 365 – created a ceremony hall for intimate weddings and other celebrations.

“The pandemic forced us to think differently, but the result is a stunning homage to Sweden. The 31st edition of Icehotel will be a memorable one! The 24 Swedish-based artists created concepts that will mesmerize our guests, giving them a much-needed escape from the reality of this year”, says Creative Director of Icehotel, Luca Roncoroni.

Audioguides and handcrafted art
Step into a frozen forest in the Ceremony Hall “Skogen”, a world full of toys in the suite “Toybox”, or enter what’s probably the coldest sauna in the world in the art suite “Sauna”. If the temperature doesn’t meet expectations there, cold can quickly be replaced by a hot sauna experience in a private relaxation room for everyone who stays the night in one of the deluxe suites in Icehotel 365. New this year is that all the art suites are equipped with a QR code that can be scanned to hear an audio guide that tells the story about each art project.

In addition to the art experience, the guests can also look forward to some action with arctic outdoor experiences such as snowmobile adventure under the northern lights and dogsledding, or enjoy award-winning cuisine at Icehotel Restaurant, sip wintry drinks at Icebar by Icehotel or become artists themselves while doing ice sculpting. Icehotel is complying with all the recommendations during Covid-19 to create a safe and secure experience for both guests and staff. 

Everyone can Visit Icehotel – via AR on Instagram
Icehotel has for the last 30 years been a meeting place for people from all over the world, but this year things are different since many are restricted from traveling. For those who are unable to travel in person, Icehotel has created an Augmented Reality Experience on Instagram – a digital journey to Icehotel’s world of ice and snow – from your living room.

“We know that many people are longing to travel, and we wanted to make the Icehotel experience accessible for those who may not be able to visit us right now. So, we came up with the idea to create a virtual trip with the help of AR technology,” says Malin Franck, CEO at Icehotel.

Experience the art on-site in Jukkasjärvi – or online
12 art suites are now completely ready and waiting with sparkling ice art for their first visitors, in addition, the Ceremony Hall is completed and ready for small ceremonies during the winter. Another six art suites in Icehotel 31 will be ready and presented on 21 December.

Icehotel 31 can be experienced from December 11 to April 11, 2021, then the winter-open part of Icehotel melts down to the Torne River again. The permanent part of the hotel then remains and offers ice and snow experiences all year round.

Welcome to Icehotel!