Inside the brand new royal suite at Sweden’s ice hotel – KION546
Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN
It is without a doubt one of the coolest hotels in the world, and Sweden’s ICEHOTEL has just launched its 32nd incarnation with a touch of royal magic.
The world’s first hotel built of snow and ice has unveiled a brand new suite designed by Prince Carl Philip Bernadotte, or Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, and his business partner Oscar Kylberg.
The luxurious suite has been named “Midsummer Night’s Dream” and has floral features and plants, a first for the iconic hotel, located 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle in Jukkasjärvi.
Frozen moment
The walls of the suite are adorned with ice blocks filled with colorful flowers and fauna, while a fantastic ice chandelier with flowers inside hangs from the ceiling.
Bernadotte and Kylberg say that their goal was to create a moment that captured the atmosphere during the midsummer celebration of the summer solstice, one of the most celebrated holidays in Sweden.
“Well, what better way to show the true character of ice than to encapsulate the most delicate and beautiful Swedish midsummer flowers in an Arctic environment? For us Swedes, midsummer, and especially midsummer night, is full of myths and legends. ” said the couple in a statement.
“The Scandinavian nature that surrounds us with flowers and ice plays a major role in our cultural upbringing and is important for those of us who are as Nordic as Scandinavians.
“Hopefully, our vision with the suite ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will invite you to be a part of us too.”
Royal addition
Bernadotte, son of Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, founded the design agency Bernadotte & Kylberg together with her friend, the designer Kylberg, in 2012.
While they have previously collaborated with brands such as Hästens and Georg Jensen, this is the first time they have worked on a project that consists entirely of ice and snow.
The couple is among the 32 artists selected to create the latest version of the 2,870 square meter seasonal hotel, which this time consists of 12 art suites, 24 ice rooms and a ceremony hall.
ICEHOTEL was founded by Yngve Bergqvist as early as 1989 and has been built and rebuilt every winter since then.
2016, ICEHOTEL 365, a permanent location within the hotel equipped with solar-powered refrigeration technology was launched. It is open all year round and has a bar, an art gallery and several suites.
Arctic environment
According to the official website of the hotel, the temperature inside hovers at “a constant of minus 5 to 7 minus degrees Celsius.”
Those who book in receive “sleeping bags in expedition style” and receive a survival course to adapt to their frozen surroundings.
Overnight guests have access to their rooms at 6 pm, but the hotel’s heated service building is staffed and open 24 hours a day, so they have the opportunity to return to warm surroundings if they need to.
A number of new ice hotels have emerged over the years since ICEHOTEL opened its doors, Canada’s Hôtel de Glace, located outside Quebec City, and Romania’s Hotel of Ice, based in the heart of the Fagaras Mountains in the Romanian Carpathians.
ICEHOTEL opened for its winter season on December 10 and runs until April 15, 2022.
The-CNN-Wire
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