Best Ice Hotels

Did you ever seen the James Bond movie, Die Another Day? Being that I grew up on James Bond I watched this movie a dozen of times. Each time I watched it I grew more and more intrigued with the idea of an ice hotel. While studying abroad in London I frequented an ice bar and became more fixated on the idea of ice hotels. Having no idea the actual Ice Hotel shown in Die Another Day actually existed (listed below) I began to dream about igloos (totally normal, right?). While browsing the Internet a few years ago I came across Kakslauttanen. It has been on my wish list for over two years and I still have the craving to travel to Finland and stay at this arctic resort. Maybe because it is the remote igloos (and how often do you get to stay in an igloo) or maybe it is because of the clear view of the northern lights (also on my bucket list) but this resort has never left my mind. However, within the past year Kakslauttanen has become quite the popular destination. Since it is becoming a go-to spot and not exactly the ice hotel from James Bond I thought about other, lesser known ice hotels that might be out there, yet to be discovered by the onslaught of adventurous tourists. And guess what, there is! Here is a list of the six best ice (and igloo) hotels I could find. May it spur your wunderlust for something a little chillier.

Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland

Located in Finland and 250 kilometers from the Arctic circle Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is a must! Easy to access (nearest airport is 30 minutes away) and right next to the largest national park in Finland. This resort is located in one of the cleanest environments you will find in the world – the water is so pure you can drink it right from the stream. Kakslauttanen is cold in the winter and relatively warm in the summer, so you can be sure to get the exact weather you are looking for. From iglaoos, to cabins, to ice igloos and queen suite this resort has it all. However, I would definitely recommend the glass igloo if you are traveling between August and April. This is when you will get a front row seat to the best show mother nature can offer – the Northern Lights. Aside from the Northern Lights you can also go snowmobiling, on a reindeer safari, sledding with huskies, aurora hunting, ice fishing, ice breaking, and horseback riding.

ICEHOTEL, Jukkasjärvi Sweden

ICEHOTEL is located in Jukkasjärvi, a small village 200 km above the Arctic Circle but only 15 km from Kiruna Airport (KRN) and 17 km from Kiruna train station. This hotel has your safety in mind and runs through a “survival course” upon your arrival. Although temperatures outside reach beyond freezing, inside the hotel will never be colder than-7ºC (44.6ºF). Most guests sleep one night in cold accommodation and several nights in warm. And if you decide to travel in the winter they offer snowmobile tours, dog sledding tours, northern lights, and horse-, moose- and Sami arrangements. Additionally, you can try an ice driving experience, snow shoeing or cross-country skiing with one of their guides. Lastly, you definitely need to travel here with an appetite ICEHOTEL has plenty of restaurants – ICEHOTEL Restaurant, The Old Homestead, the Lounge, The Porch (Verandan) and of course the popular ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL.

Hotel de Glace, Quebec Canada

Hotel de Glace is a hotel with relaxation in mind. It is designed as a place to come to “get away from it all.” With 44 rooms and suites you are sure to find something that suits your needs. They offer everything from regular rooms, themed suites, suites with fireplaces, and deluxe suites that also have their own spa attached. Another perk of Hotel de Glace – as a guest you have full access to the nordic relaxation area which boasts a sauna and and outdoor spas, all under the stars. The hotel also offers packages for honeymoons and romantic getaways. Hotel de Glace is the place to go to reset your energy, relax, and to leave all worries behind.

SnowVillage, Finland

SnowVillage is an unique experience, as you will spend your night surrounded by beautifully illuminated ice art in tranquil silence. Whether you get a standard room or a Snow Suite the temperature hovers between -2ºC and -5ºC. While the rooms are each a work of art you don’t have to stay in them the entire time. SnowVillage offers many exciting activities and restaurants. A few of the activities include ice sculpting, Reindeer excursion, Husky safari, ice fishing, evening snowmobile tour, and daytime snowmobiling. And when all of the activities have you needing energy, SnowVillage hosts two delicious restaurants – the Ice Restaurant and the Log Restaurant. While the Log Restaurant is a cozy and romantic place the Ice Restaurant holds a full menu as well as an ice bar! Anyone say hotty toddy?

Hotel of Ice, Romania

Since 2005 (happy 10 year anniversary) every winter the Hotel of Ice in the Fagaras Mountains is rebuilt, namely from the materials offered by nature: huge blocks of ice, cut and removed directly from the glacial Lake Balea. With a different theme each year you are sure to have a unique experience (this years theme is zodiac). Each season another new structure is added and tells a new story. The story is transposed in the architecture and design of the rooms, the Ice Bar and the Ice Restaurant, but also in the special events organized for the guests. What makes this hotel rare – the Ice Church. For the brides wanting a unique experience (hello frozen) or for those wanting a moment of silence (all religions welcome). The Hotel of Ice has one of the prettiest ice restaurants I have seen. And don’t worry about eating only frozen foods – the food is carefully prepared at Balea Lake Chalet and brought to the Restaurant by our winterproof staff. However, don’t order something too warm, each entree is served on an ice place! Keepin’ it authentic.

KirkenessSNowHotel, Norway

KirkenessSNowHotel is only open from December 20th – April 20th so now is the perfect time to book! While the rooms are all unique (some you will only see if you actually visit) the ice bar is one of my favorites. When constructing the Ice-bar they used the expertise of the Chinese ice specialists. The ice used is from the lake located right next to the hotel. Each day the ice continues to grow by 2 cm until it reaches about 70 centimeters in thickness. Pretty cool! Want to know something else cool (besides the entire joint) is that reindeer greet you at the front of the restaurant! As you walk past the reindeer into a cabin with a warm fire crackling you will think you made it to heaven, just wait! The food is supposed to be out of this world and made with only local produce from local farms. Told you this was all very cool!

all images via the websites

Planning a Trip with a Group

Last year my best friend graduated from her Masters program and as a gift her parents gave her a trip to Europe with my husband and me. When you get to travel to Europe with your best friends, you do your research. Planning ahead is key! I know those who know me are DYING over that statement, because I never plan ahead! My travel attitude is very laissez faire (which drives my very organized husband nuts) but when you are planning a multi-city trip with a group, planning is necessary! Since there are three of us traveling, that means there are three different opinions. Fortunately for us, we were all on similar pages. While we didn’t come to a conclusion on the type of trip we wanted to take right away we eventually realized we all had the same idea in mind. When you have three different wants and needs there is a strategic way to handle the planning, as to not leave anyone out, and to make the trip as smooth as possible. Because lord knows you never really know someone until you travel with them. So, here are my tips for planning a group trip.

Figure out what type of trip you want to take: This was by far one of the longest conversations we had. We found it best to sit down, with a bottle of wine of course, and discuss what type of trip we wanted this to be. Did we want to hit up all of the large cities and club? Or did we want to see the countryside? Or did we want to travel to smaller, unnoticed towns and have more of a chill, pub-type trip. We all went back-and-forth on deciding how we imagined this trip but we went back to our initial thoughts – smaller towns with a pub-type feel. Deciding on the type of trip you want to take is so important. This is the base of your trip and something you must be on the same page about. Otherwise you will spend your entire trip wishing you had spoken up or unhappy that this wasn’t the trip you had in mind. If one person wants to do small towns and the other wants to big cities – compromise. Group trips are all about giving a little. So maybe you hit up Madrid for a few nights and then find a smaller spanish town a few hours outside of it. You can make your dream trip work you just have to communicate and compromise.

Budget: Uhg, the dreaded word! Budget can be a real buzz kill but this conversation must take place. If you are all on the same page about what you want to spend no one will feel left out or overextended. The budget will also dictate what kind of trip you are going to take. Can you afford to rent a car and stay in hotels. Do you need to stay in a hostel every now and then. Where can you dine? What extra activities can you afford? These are all questions you need to iron out in the planning process so you can fully enjoy your trip. There is nothing worse than being on a trip and thinking about how much you are spending the entire time. Trust me, I am very guilty of this but for your enjoyments sake you must iron this detail out before you leave. I recommend designating a portion to your hotel, transportation, and eating so when you book you have an idea of what you want to spend and can look for items in that price range.

How long: This is important! Make sure you are all on the same page about how long you can be gone. This is something which will probably come up in the budget talk but if it didn’t, iron out any differences now. Since you probably want to travel together it will be important to have the same start and end dates. This will also be good to know so you can figure out how long you can stay in each city, shall you be traveling to multiple.

Where: Once you decide on what type of trip you want to take and your budget, figuring out where you want to go is the fun part. I first recommend selecting a region so you can narrow down your search. At first I wanted to go to Greenland, another wanted to go to Islands, and another wanted to go around Europe. It was a cluster! But we all found common ground – which is important. Since we knew we wanted to spend a few days in Geneva with my in-laws we decided to stick to Europe. Once you narrow down the region, it is fun to pull out a map and circle the places you want to see. If any intersect write it down. Because we knew we wanted to hit up smaller cities and decided a road-trip would be fun, our decision was pretty easy – find cities drivable from Geneva.

Logistics: Once you have your cities picked out, figuring out the logistics is similar to putting the puzzle pieces together. Are you renting a car, taking a train, or flying to the cities? Are you staying in hotels or hostels? How many days should you stay in each city? Are there any extra activities you want to do (canyoning in Interlocken, sailing in Croatia, ect.)? How many different currencies will you need? Where do you catch the train in each city or rent a car? There are soooo many logistical questions that need to be answered. Ironing out as many as possible before you leave will allow your trip to be fully enjoyed.

Book: Once you have everything ironed out and in place, book your trip. Start with flights as those will be the most expensive, then transportation within the region, and then hotels. Remember to look back at your budget and what you allotted to that particular item.

Let the Good Times Roll: You are fully booked and ready for your trip. Don’t forget, not everything will run smoothly, but that is okay! You are traveling with your best friends and making memories for a lifetime! Enjoy every.single.minute.

Travel Essentials

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera – I love this Polaroid camera! I brought it on my trip to Europe this summer and captured really fun memories! The Polaroid’s are a great throwback to years past and also a fun and different way to capture memories! I definitely still bring my “real” camera but to spice up the photos I always have this in my bag!

Beautycounter Lustro Face Oil – My skin goes crazy on trips so I always try to stay consistent with my beauty routine. Since traveling completely strips your skin of hydration I am always sure to pack this face oil. It keeps my skin nourished and beautiful. I also love that it is 100% natural! Read about the founder, Gregg, here.

EOS Lip Balm – I have always been a chapstick junkie. There is nothing worse than dry lips. And like your skin, your lips need extra hydration too. I actually just received EOS over Christmas and am officially obsessed! I will never go back to another balm again. It is smooth, easy to apply, lasts forever, and actually hydrates your lips. After using it you will be able to tell a big difference.

Jack Black EPICMOISTURE Oil, Face and Body Wash, and Face Hydration + SPF – I am a sucker for Jack Black products. I am a new fan of theirs after discovering them a few months ago but they are one to keep in your mind. When I use their body products I know my skin is going to be transformed when I wake up. My dry winter skin is completely changed after using their lotions! I have a few of their carry-on sizes that I always make sure are in my bag! They just work. Plain and simple.

Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses in Black – Because everyone needs badass sunglasses not only when they travel but every day. And who makes cooler sunnies than Ray Ban? Absolutely No one.

Up Jawbone – I tend to walk a lot when I travel! Because there is no better way to see and learn about a city than to walk it. As a reward at the end of the day I plug my Jawbone in and see just how many miles and calories I burned.

Daniel Wellington Classic St. Andrews – I think a watch is so much better than an iphone. Isn’t it sexier to look down and read a watch over pulling out your cell? I love classics and this watch has it all! I wear it daily so it is only fitting it travels with me too!

Apple Ipad – Mainly this is for your ride to-and-from but it is always nice to have something to unwind with in your hotel. Just make sure to download any games, apps, or movies before you leave!

Conde Nast Traveler – A.K.A. my travel bible. I have such admiration and respect for the people over at Traveler. They do such an amazing job with their content and always inspire me to keep going! If you are ever in a funk, just buy the recent issue of CN Traveler and I promise, you will pack your bags and go!

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