Floating Arctic Bath Hotel Kiruna: You May Want To Pack An Extra Layer

By Jackie Cohen

Dry land is so old school. An unusual new Swedish innovation launched in 2018. This daring design in the middle of the Lule River of Northern Lapland is a floating oasis for a lucky dozen guests.

Opening on November 21, 2020, for the winter season thru to April 10, 2021. Please contact booking@arcticbath.se for any reservations requests

Designed to give visitors a front-row seat to the Northern Lights phenomenon, Arctic Bath bobs on the surface of the Lule River, a small channel near the village of Harads in Swedish Lapland, almost 1000 kilometers north of Stockholm.

After the success of their nearby sister retreat, the wildly popular Treehotel with guestrooms built atop the treetops in the forest, the idea for the Arctic Bath Hotel was born.

Inspired by Natural Beauty

Like the treehouse concept, the floating retreat draws architectural inspiration from the woods and surrounding natural beauty.

The intricately designed tree trunk and log exterior paired with the raw wood interior are an important tribute to a driving force behind Sweden’s economy. They have a booming forestry industry, with major exports including paper, pulp, and raw materials like timber.

Once inside the utopic building, the focal point shifts from architectural beauty to the enormous arctic pool situated in the center of the hotel’s open-air lobby area. Don’t forget to pack your bathing suit, the pool is always set to be a balmy 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

A floating oasis

The phenomenon is open seasonally, complete with floating along the Lule River in the summer months or venturing out to the ice in the winter.

Complete with a full spa with unique services like cold baths, saunas, and Swedish treatments, guests’ mindfulness will become one with the nature they are surrounded by.

Anchored in place, the floating Arctic Bath Hotel in northern Lapland offers guests spectacular views of the Northern Lights.

Easiest to view in the darkness of Swedish winter, views aurora borealis will be approached just as the hotel opened its doors.

With six individual 25 square meter floating cabins, guests will be ready to face the cold with their own wood-burning fireplaces, all while enjoying the simplicity of the classic Swedish minimalist style.

With a capacity setting at just twelve guests, this exclusive retreat is comfortable, cozy, and intimate for visitors.

Access to the floating hotel is via a long boardwalk, stretching from the shore to the entrance of the Arctic Hotel.

Dinner with a view of the aurora borealis

After your refreshing dip in the Arctic bath, visit the hot bath or sauna to warm up.

When you have gotten nice and toasty, settle into one of six floating guest rooms, all with massive windows that have incredible views from the comfort of your bed.

Complete with an on-premise restaurant, you will not have to leave the complex once you have checked in to the hotel and checked out of reality.

“The circular shape of the spa and Arctic Bath creates a protected environment sheltering guests and creating a haven to relax and soak up the local Arctic environment, this will be a one-of-a-kind Arctic experience.

Although all seven buildings are securely anchored in place they are freely floating in the water or frozen into ice,” said Jonny Cooper, of the Arctic Bath Hotel and existing Treehotel.

Guilt-free spa service

Surrounded by natural beauty and incredible resources, part of the design team’s mission was to build this hotel using locally sourced materials, utilizing the availability of such incredible raw goods.

With the use of local materials, their goal was to leave as small an impact as possible on the surrounding environment and ecosystems.

The hotel’s eco-friendly promise will leave guests with a clear conscience, ready to enjoy the spa service guilt-free.

Open Nov through April 2021

With the growing popularity of wellness-based natural getaways, people will likely take advantage of this amenity, as rooms are expected to fill up soon after they become available.

So go for it and experience this unique resort on the Lule River!