Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel: What’s ‘Sleeping on Ice’ Really Like?

I have been to some incredible hotels all across Scandinavia, but none of them have been as cool (no pun intended) as Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel located in Alta.

After receiving the news that I was going to Finnmark, the area known as Norwegian Lapland, and as part of the trip I‘d be spending a night in one of the world’s most unique accommodations, I could hardly contain my excitement.

I felt like I was heading off on an Arctic exploration where I had to brave the harsh conditions of ‘sleeping on ice’; or at least I pretended that was the case. I thought of Roald Amundsen, and for a few wistful minutes I regarded myself in the same adventurous esteem. But in reality I was sleeping inside a glamorous ice hotel metres away from a sauna, hot tub, and a cosy wood-cladded bar and restaurant.

Travelling to Alta in Arctic Norway

High above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway, you will find Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in a small town called Alta.

In this part of the world all cities, towns and villages are comparatively very small but they have so much to offer, especially for explorer types in pursuit of their next challenge.

However, more recently people are coming to Finnmark for another reason. No longer is it to say “I’ve crossed the Arctic Circle”, but to say, “I’ve seen the Northern Lights”. As a result, there has been a large increase in visitors, which in turn has helped boost the profile of other activities such as husky-sledding, snowmobiling, and a night in the Igloo Hotel.

Inside Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

The hotel is made completely of snow and ice. The rooms, beds, and bar. Even the shot glasses are made from ice.

Did you know?
The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is rebuilt every year. Ice is resourcefully collected from the nearby Alta River and a team of 10-15 people participate in the construction which takes approximately six weeks to build.

The biggest obstacle the crew have to face is the weather. It’s one of the few times people pray for freezing cold weather! Warm days delay the building process, but luckily the temperature this far north is usually always below freezing point during the winter.

The Igloo Hotel opens at the beginning of January to mid-April. Then it melts away until it’s time to begin building again for the following season. This means each year the hotel is completely new.

To emphasise this, and draw attention to its appeal, the designers choose a new theme each year to decorate the hotel. Last year the theme was Norwegian fairy tales, and this year it’s Vikings.

→ Book a night at Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

Admiring the ice sculptures

The Igloo Hotel is the 1st and biggest ice hotel in Norway. This means that each year the ‘ice architects’ have more experience and familiarity with how this kind of unique engineering works, and it shows!

The moment I opened the reindeer covered door and stepped inside was like nothing I had witness before. I stood in a state of wild bewilderment. If a mirror had been held up to my face, you would have been able to see all the silver fillings in my mouth! 

For most part, the layout of the hotel is like a regular hotel. You have a lobby, bar, and a corridor that leads to several guest rooms, only they are more like cool catacombs of ice.

As I began walking further into the ice hotel, more and more sculptures began to appear with incredible detail. The time and precision was otherworldly. I loved the creativity and effort that had gone into making this place feel so special and undoubtedly memorable.

The Ice Chapel

I thought I had seen the best of it all until I turned left and noticed a cross carved from ice. I was looking at the Ice Chapel. Sculptures of the bride and groom had been carefully carved, not forgetting the roses – which were real!

I’d love to see the wedding photos of the people who have been married here; I’m dying to know what the bride wore on her feet too, because heels are not a wise choice!

The honeymoon suite was particularly extra. It came complete with mood lighting that changed colour and morphed into different hues that supposedly evoke colours associated with romance. 

I’d love to know how many couples actually get jiggy on their wedding night in below zero temperatures though. Sorry, just saying what’s on my mind!

I’m not going to lie, I half expected Elvis to make an appearance because that’s how over-the-top everything looks.

At the same time, this place doesn’t feel commercialised either. I guess a place in the Arctic isn’t for the average holiday-goer.

The climate is cold, and often inhospitable and dark. For a long time such regions were tackled by few: explorers, polar scientists, and sporty types looking to test their endurance levels.

But due the Northern Lights, the Arctic is more popular than ever, attracting people from all over the world to visit in hope of seeing this celestial phenomenon.

To meet this demand new hotels are cropping up and airlines are adding new flight routes. Tourism is growing year on year.

So was I cold inside the Igloo hotel?

The temperature is between -4 and -7 degrees in the igloo hotel and surprisingly, I wasn’t cold and slept very well.

Obviously, if I had turned up wearing a T-shirt and shorts, I wouldn’t have fared so well. Dressing for the Arctic is essential.

The hotel equips everyone with two sleeping bags that have the capacity to keep someone insulated right down to -25 degrees, and also a reindeer skin to lie on. Combining this with my own thermals, two pairs of wool socks, and winter clothes, I was extremely well provided for to ensure I would be as warm as possible considering the subzero temperatures.

The only area of me that was exposed to the cold was my face. but this sensation can be compared most closely to the feeling of sleeping with a window open – quite refreshing I must say!

It’s hard to imagine an igloo room could look so cosy. 

This is probably as cosy as an ice hotel can possibly look!

Food & Warm accommodation at Sorrisniva

Thankfully, the igloo is just one part of Sorrisniva complex. There are warm areas too, including the restaurant. I had a stunning plate of fish and pea puree from the comfort of cosy modern restaurant.

The head chef at the Igloo Hotel is Johnny Trasti, who won Norway’s chef of the year in 2009!

The showers and toilets are also located in the ‘warm area’ so I recommend you go before sleeping. You don’t want to have to get up in the middle of the night to go!

Alternatively, if you don’t fancy the idea of sleeping on ice then the Igloo Hotel offers day visits and a variety of snow activities. 

This is something I would definitely recommend because the best bit for me was seeing it for the first time. The startlingly blue light, intricate ice sculptures, and cool atmosphere goes down as one of life’s adventures.

How to get to Sorrisniva Igloo hotel in Norway

The easiest way is to fly from UK to Oslo and then en route from Oslo to Alta. Both routes are available with SAS and Norwegian.
Want to sleep at the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel? Book here.

Would you like to sleep in an Igloo Hotel?