Best 10 Ice & Glass Igloo Hotels in the World

Ice and glass igloo hotels offer us one of the most beautiful experiences we can imagine and with great luck, we can find them in several countries around the world.

Glass Igloo hotels are ephemeral accommodations that are built every winter in destinations such as Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Lapland, or Canada, to offer travelers a unique experience in dreamlike landscapes.

The arrival of cold weather can be uncomfortable for many, but there are those who enjoy this time of year more than any other. Skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, or enjoying the adrenaline rush on snowmobiles are some of the attractions for lovers of this season. The bravest will find in these igloos made of ice and snow the best complements for a winter getaway, accommodations in which, oddly enough, it is not cold and where you can also taste a cocktail and gourmet cuisine in dishes made of ice.

But can you really sleep in that cold and surrounded by ice? We asked ourselves this question too, looked into it, and this is what we found out.

For the comfort and warmth of the beds, you don’t have to worry. These hotels are fully prepared with special bedding for this kind of temperature, so you should not be cold and the experience can be perfect. In fact, many guests report that they even feel warm during the night.

The main drawback that you can find in this type of accommodation is the use of bathrooms and showers, which are usually located in a building outside the room unless you have the option of staying in a glass igloo that surely has toilets, but you will have to check for each establishment.

TOP 10 Glass Igloo Hotels and Ice Hotels Worldwide.

#1.- Tromsø Ice Domes, Norway (4.7/5)

This 600-square-meter ice igloo hotel, located an hour and a half drive from the city of Tromsø, features not only different rooms but also an ice bar, a restaurant, and even a movie theater. The themed décor ranges from the local Sami culture to the northern lights, captured through colored lights and ice sculptures.

The stay includes a guided snowshoe walk in the surrounding area to enjoy the Scandinavian wilderness and even see the Northern Lights. The final destination is a camp where guides teach guests how to make a fire to roast their own dinner and tell them about the hotel’s construction process.

#2.- Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Norway (4.7/5)

This Ice Igloo Hotel is located 20 km (12.5 miles) from the center of the municipality of Alta, next to the Alta River, in the province of Finnmark, in the north of Norway.

This lodge rises, each winter, with different artistic themes reflecting a part of local history or mythology – such as Vikings, Norse legends, or wildlife – and with a mix of 20 igloo rooms and suites. Each of these suites is uniquely designed and decorated with a special theme. Both the structure and the furniture are made from natural ice and snow by local sculptors. The complex itself covers an area of approximately 2,500 square meters and 250 tons of ice and 7,000 cubic meters of snow are used to shape it. It takes about five weeks to build.

All rooms at Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel are equipped with reindeer skin mattresses and very warm sleeping bags. The property is kept at a constant temperature of between -3°C and -8°C, so bring thermal underwear.

A modern building with showers, changing rooms, and luggage storage are located next to the property. The Sorrisniva also has a sauna and 2 outdoor hot tubs that can be booked.

The hotel has two restaurants serving local specialties and products. At the ice bar, you can enjoy drinks served in glasses made of ice.

This hotel allows its guests to enjoy the atmosphere of an authentic igloo and the possibility of sleeping comfortably wrapped in reindeer skins on a bed of ice. They also have a bar that can be visited without staying at the hotel and a chapel where weddings and baptisms are celebrated.

In addition, there are artistic ice sculptures throughout the hotel and you can book a snowmobile safari to explore the surrounding area.

As extra, complementary activities are offered to the stay, such as excursions to see the northern lights, snowmobile rides, and a route with huskies or reindeer, among other things.

#3.- Hôtel de Glace, Canada (4,6/5)

Hotel de Glace offers rooms in Saint-Gabriel-De-Valcartier, just a half-hour drive from downtown Quebec City. Amenities at the hotel include three themed ice bars, an indoor ice slide, and free WiFi.

Rooms are heated to between -3 and -5 degrees Celsius and include a sleeping bag and pillows. In addition, guests enjoy an ice-cup cocktail and have access to shared bathrooms. A bed in a shared room is also available if sleeping undercover is preferred.

The property houses a 70-seat ice chapel and Nordic relaxation area with outdoor spas and sauna. An indoor water park is also available for a surcharge.

Skiing and other winter activities are available at the nearby Village Vacances Valcartier for a surcharge.

#4.- Iglu-Dorf Gstaad, Switzerland (4,6/5)

Iglu-Dorf is an Ice Igloo Hotel located 2,000 meters above sea level, in Gstaad (Switzerland), offers a unique experience for nature and winter lovers. This lodging has a small village made up of six igloos, connected by subway tunnels, located among the mountains.

The accommodation options range from shared rooms for families or groups of friends to the romantic version with a private bathroom or a suite with a hot tub. All are equipped with thermal mats, sheepskins, and sleeping bags suitable for temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius. Accommodation includes a welcome drink, a cheese fondue, a night hike or snowshoeing, guides, and a buffet breakfast.

The creation of the resort requires about 3,000 hours of work each season. International artists decorate the Igloo Villages rooms with great attention to detail to create fantasy worlds of ice and snow. The hotel also has a sauna, outdoor jacuzzi, and ice restaurant. In addition, those who wish can participate in the Mystery Igloo, an adventure game in the snow, perfect for warming up.

#5.- Icehotel, Sweden (4.5/5)

Opened in 1989, Sweden’s Icehotel is the world’s first ice hotel. It is located in Jukkasjäarvi, hidden among several lakes and hills in northern Sweden, and located more than 160 km from the Arctic Circle, is built, every winter, with blocks of ice collected from the Torne River. Artists from around the world gather each year in the town of Jukkasjäarvi to create this resort with a different theme. The accommodation offers 15 to 20 standard ice rooms, and up to 10 to 12 very elegant suites, including Art, rooms designed exclusively by artists.

In addition, they have Icehotel 365, the first ice hotel open year-round featuring a huge 2,100 square meter facility with Art and Deluxe Suites, and an experience room where you can learn more about the history of the venue through images, art, and a video presentation. They also have an Ice Bar that serves drinks in handmade ice glasses.

The hotel’s temperature ranges from -5 to -8°C, and each of the rooms has its own themed décor and furniture carved out of the ice by artists from around the world.

After sleeping in a thermal sleeping bag on a bed covered with reindeer skins, you are sure to wake up refreshed and looking forward to starting the day with a wonderful breakfast.

Additional services and activities available at the hotel, or in the area, include saunas, dog or reindeer sledding excursions, and snowmobile tours.

#6.- Arctic Glass Igloos, Lapland, Finland (4,5/5)

Arctic Glass Igloos consists of 39 glass igloos from Arctic Glass Igloos in Sinettä, only 30 minutes drive from the center of Rovaniemi.

All of these igloos are the same, with a hexagonal shape, wooden base construction, and thermal glass roof overlooking the sky. And although they are somewhat less luxurious, they also have all kinds of amenities, such as a private bathroom with a shower and radiant heating. The beds are north-facing and you also have an aurora alarm that you can activate so that you don’t have to keep an eye on whether or not the northern lights appear. In the event that the aurora borealis appears, a reception will turn on the alarm, and the igloo will begin to vibrate.

In the resort, you also have ice igloos, a snow sauna, a sauna by lake Lehtojärvi, and an outdoor jacuzzi. Breakfast is served in the main building and can also be served in your own igloo on request. In addition, you have an ice bar and a magnificent restaurant in typical Lappish Kota where typical Lapland dishes are served, which I highly recommend.

#7.- Alpeniglu, Austria (4,4/5)

The Alpeniglu resort is a work of art in the middle of the Kitzbuehel Alps and the perfect accommodation for those who come to ski in Skielt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental. This white village has 18 igloos, a restaurant, a bar, and an ice sculpture gallery.

The stay includes dinner in the ice restaurant, as well as a full entertainment program. They also offer different packages for special moments, such as a birthday package that includes a handmade igloo cake and themed decoration or a treasure hunt with snowshoes in the surroundings. In addition, they have a store where they sell items made of ice, such as bowls, glasses, or plates, and that -they promise- last for a long time.

For snow lovers, Alpeniglu offers the possibility of creating a wide variety of buildings such as halls, churches, labyrinths, and even a miniature golf course, complexes that include light and sound elements, and ice and snow sculptures. Thanks to their construction techniques, they can erect each building in just a few days. To book this option it is necessary to contact the hotel.

#8.- Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle, Lapland, Finland (4,4/5)

We do not know if it is the best glass igloo in Lapland, but it is certainly the most emblematic for being inside the Santa Claus Village, which is a Santa Claus theme park that I dare to say is the most famous place in Lapland. This Santa Claus Village is in the Arctic Circle and is considered the official place of residence of Santa Claus and where we find his Post Office. It is also a complex formed by different cabins among which you can find stores, restaurants, and accommodations. Among these accommodations, you have cabins, ice igloos, and glass igloos.

There are 71 luxurious igloos in Santa’s Village where you can sleep and feel like in heaven. Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle are elegant igloos with all kinds of comforts, from which you can choose three types of igloos: 51 Premium Igloos, 10 Premium Igloos with a sauna that have a private sauna inside the igloo itself, and 10 Premium Igloos with an alcove that have an additional room also inside the igloo.

All igloos have a private bathroom with a rain shower, heating for winter and air conditioning for summer, flat-screen TV, free WiFi, bathrobes, and slippers. Sleeping masks are also available to facilitate your sweet dreams. And in addition to the main establishment, you can have daily breakfast and free parking.

Something very particular about these igloos is that it is equipped with a tablet through which you can communicate with the reception and receive alarms in case the northern lights appear.

#9.- Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Lapland, Finland (4,2/5)

The glass igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort stand out for their unbeatable location in the middle of the Lappish forest. They are located near the Urho Kekkonen National Park and from the igloos, you have spectacular views of the beautiful Lapland landscape. Although it may seem that they are secluded from the world, they are actually easily accessible by car as they are very close to the E75 highway and only 35 kilometers from Ivalo. It also belongs to Saariselkä, just 10 minutes away, which is one of the most important winter sports centers in Finnish Lapland.

In addition to the glass igloos, you can also sleep in ice igloos or in its beautiful wooden cabins, as well as enjoy this resort its restaurants serving Lappish specialties, or the world’s largest smoke sauna.

Kakslauttanen’s glass igloos are thermal and have a bedroom with a glass roof and luxury beds. They are kelo and glass igloos. They are made of Kelo wood and the roof is made of glass. The first igloos they built do not have private bathrooms, only toilets and you have to use the shared showers. The new igloos now include a private bathroom and some even have a sauna, fireplace, and kitchen.

#10.- The Snowcastle of Kemi, Finland (4,0/5)

The Snowcastle of Kemi is not an igloo, but a seawater snow and ice castle that has been built every winter since 1996.

Located in the far north of Finnish Lapland, in the town of Kemi, this fairytale-like complex has accommodation, a restaurant, a sculpture gallery, and a chapel where temperatures hover around minus 5 degrees Celsius. The bed frames are made of ice and include thermal sleeping bags and mats. The ice for the furnishings and decoration is taken from the Gulf of Bothnia, the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea.

The first castle was built in 1996 as a gift from Unicef to children who had never seen snow, and it was such a success that they decided to erect it every year as a tourist attraction, a construction that attracts around 100,000 visitors each season.

If you wish to continue browsing our website, we invite you to read our ranking of the best hotel price comparison websites or our ranking of the best hotel booking websites. We hope they will help you with your next reservation.