In the Norwegian town of Alta, far beyond the Arctic Circle, the unique IGLOO HOTEL is celebrating its tenth season. We offer you a visit – Alta is quite easy to reach by air and there are plenty of options for winter activities in the area. An advantage is the climate influenced by the proximity of the sea and the presence of warm currents: despite its latitude, average temperatures here in the coldest month, February, reach an acceptable -8 °C. Transport from Alta to the Igloo Hotel is easy: a bus leaves every day from the Rica Hotel in Alta, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. Individual transfers can be arranged by agreement. After visiting reception you can leave your luggage in the left-luggage room in the service building – the ice rooms are equipped only with beds; everything else you need for a comfortable stay you will find in the service building.

The Alta Igloo Hotel is located 20 km from the centre of the town of Alta, in an idyllic setting on the bank of the beautiful Alta river. It is the only hotel of its kind in the world, and in 2011 it will celebrate its 12th season. If the weather and snow conditions allow, it will open from 15 January 2011. The hotel covers an area of 2,000 m² and the whole of it, outside and in, is made of snow and ice: the rooms, the beds, even the glasses in the ice bar. Besides 30 bedrooms the hotel has several suites, an ice chapel, an ice bar and a number of lounges. The entire hotel is decorated with beautiful works of art — ice sculptures and reliefs. The temperature inside is between -4 °C and -7 °C. Guests sleep in sleeping bags made for far harsher conditions (-30 °C), so there is no need to worry about the cold. Next to the hotel stands a service building with a restaurant, a cloakroom, toilets, showers and a sauna, hot baths, a lounge, reception and a souvenir shop.

The ice beds hold mattresses covered with reindeer hide, so you need not fear the cold. All the equipment for a night in an ice room is lent to you on the spot (included in the price of the stay); all you bring is your own warm hat and warm thermal underwear. The price also includes a guided tour of the hotel, during which you will be given plenty of further practical advice for a pleasant night in the freezing surroundings.

For its guests as well as for visitors, the hotel offers the chance to round off the day pleasantly in the outdoor relaxation zone: besides the sauna it includes a whirlpool. The sauna is heated from 7 in the morning, and in the evening dinner is served to all guests in the restaurant.

The Alta Igloo Hotel offers all the facilities for holding a wedding in a unique setting: the beautifully decorated chapel is consecrated every year by the bishop of the Nord-Hålogaland diocese, and two restaurants will guarantee you privacy for your celebration even at the hotel’s busiest times. You can spend your first wedding night in the ice honeymoon suite.

A popular activity combined with a night at the Igloo Hotel is a snowmobile trip. You climb onto your snowmobile right in front of the hotel, and all the necessary equipment including warm clothing is included in the price. The hotel offers trips of various lengths across the plateaux of Finnmark – simply take your pick.