A night in a snow hotel won’t be the most comfortable of your life, but it might be the most memorable (Picture: Alice Murphy)I’m shivering on a bed of ice, nothing but the chattering of my teeth and the sound of howling huskies as company. The temperature is -4°C and the zip on my sleeping bag has jammed. I am, quite literally, freezing.
It’s not everyone’s idea of a luxury holiday, but that’s exactly what’s on offer at the Snow Hotel Kirkenes, an ice and igloo hotel near a remote Norwegian town that feels untouched by the frenzy of urban life.I should start by saying that subzero temperatures are not my thing. But with the rise of ‘coolcations’ – the trend of traveling to destinations that offer a reprieve from stifling weather – Metro was keen to see if a night in the world’s most northerly snow hotel is worth your time and money.
It certainly won’t be the most comfortable sleep of your life, but it might well be the most memorable.Inside the Snow Hotel KirkenesSome 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the hotel is set in dramatic surroundings beside a fjord, making it a great place to see the Northern Lights. It’s the permanent home of hundreds of huskies, whose affectionate howls greet you on arrival.
There are two ways to stay here. There are achingly cool cabins that could have been plucked straight from the set of a Scandi noir series: sheepskin rugs, sleek wooden furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows, perfect for aurora watching.Kirkenes is .
