Press Release August 24, 2018
When the American TIME Magazine published “TIME Magazine’s 2018 World’s Greatest Places” on August 23, 2018, the year-round open ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, is on the list.
– We are really proud and happy to be a part of Time Magazine’s list. It confirms that the experiences we create at Icehotel are world-class and that there is a huge interest for unique experiences and sustainable nature tourism above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, says Christophe Risenius, CEO at Icehotel.
Time Magazine’s “2018 World’s Greatest Places” lists 100 places all over the world and is the first annual list of the World’s Greatest Places. TIME solicited nominations across a variety of categories—such as museums, parks, bars, restaurants, theme parks, cruises, and hotels—from editors and correspondents around the world as well as industry experts. Then they evaluated each one based on key factors, including quality, originality, innovation, sustainability, and influence.
– Icehotel is creating immense interest, year after year, from guests as well as press and media, and we are really proud of being on this list, says Josefin Lindberg, Press and PR Manager at Icehotel.
Here is the nomination in TIME Magazine:
“There’s no hotel quite like Sweden’s new Icehotel 365, whose suites—featuring ice sculptures of animals, staircases and more—remain open all year. To prevent melting, the structure relies on solar-powered controls, which keep temperatures at 23°F. By day, guests can unwind in a hot sauna or take a dogsled ride; by night, they can sip on arctic-inspired cocktails at the hotel bar, which is also made of ice. ” — Megan McCluskey, TIME Magazine.
Permanent Icehotel run by solar power
Icehotel was founded almost 30 years ago and it was the founder Yngve Bergqvist together with Icehotel’s Senior Advisor Arne Bergh who came up with the idea for a sustainable and permanent year-round hotel of ice and snow that runs on solar energy.
In December 2016, the permanent part of the hotel opened up and since then, guests from all over the world have visited and been fascinated by ice and snow art in the 20 art suites that are available year-round.
Walls, floors, and ceilings are covered with ice and snow, and the temperature is minus five Celsius year-round in the permanent part of Icehotel, which during the winter season is located adjacent to the seasonal hotel of ice. The cooling system that keeps Icehotel 365 cold during the summer is run on energy from solar panels, which is perfect since Jukkasjärvi is situated 200 km above the Arctic Circle where the sun shines for 50 consecutive days during the summer months.
– Our guests can now choose to combine their ice experience with art and activities year-round – on nature’s terms. Historically, this is the first time in the world something like this have been built and we are very glad to be able to welcome our guests every day, said Yngve Bergqvist at the opening of the permanent part.
On December 14 the seasonal part of Icehotel opens for the 29th year. See this year’s art suites.
