#HTE

A Floating Hotel with Aurora Views Just Opened on a Frozen River in Sweden

Arctic Bath. Photographer: Anders Blomqvist

After 16 months of construction, a spa hotel built on the Lule River in the northern province of Lapland Sweden is now open to travelers. Called Arctic Bath, the 12-room hotel features six elevated land cabins and six cabins that float when the river thaws. In the center is a circular structure with saunas, hot baths around the perimeter, and a large ice bath at its core.

For the buoyant rooms and main structure, architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi took design inspiration from timber floating methods used by loggers to transport felled trees downriver. The land cabins were designed by Ann Kathrin Lundqvist with glass walls that provide guests with unobstructed views of the surrounding Swedish landscape. In addition to experiencing the unique architecture, visitors have access to various spa and wellness treatments, chef-prepared meals, and activities including yoga, dogsledding, bear watching, and cross country skiing.

“The Arctic Bath really is a first—it’s a special spa experience,” Lundqvist said in a statement. “So much thought, engineering and ingenuity have come together to provide visitors with an experience they can’t find anywhere else.” Reservations for the hotel are now open, with rates starting at 9600 Swedish Krona (just more than $1,000 U.S. dollars), and dates available between February 2020 and February 2021.

Photographer: Johan Jansson

Photographer: Anders Blomqvist

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

Photographer: Anders Blomqvist

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

Photographer: Daniel Holmgren

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