World's first permanent ice hotel opens

CNN

text

It's the original pop-up: Northern Sweden'sICEHOTELwas the world's first hotel made of snow and ice when it opened back in 1989.

Sweden's ICEHOTEL, which has been built and rebuilt every year since 1989, is now open year-round. The Victorian Apartment (pictured) is designed by Luca Roncoroni. Photo: CNN

Now, after 27 years of being built and rebuilt each winter, northern Sweden's ICEHOTEL 365 will be the first frozen accommodation to stay open year-round.

The building material used for the hotel is called "snice" (a snow and ice mixture). Construction involves enough of it to make 700 million snowballs. The pictured suite was designed by Luc Voisin and Mathieu Brison. Photo: CNN

New solar-powered cooling technology will allow part of the legendary hotel, including a bar, art gallery and 10 luxury suites, to host guests in search of midnight sun as well as northern lights.

The ambient temperature might be -5 C, but there are thick capes, high-quality sleeping bags and luxury fur throws to keep guests cosy. This room, titled Don't Get Lost, was designed by Tommy Alatalo. Photo: CNN

Located 200 kilometers north of the Arctic circle in Jukkasjärvi, ICEHOTEL has been built to a fresh blueprint each year, using 5,000 tons of ice taken from the nearby River Torne in the spring and cold-stored over the summer.

To ensure guests don't miss the Northern Lights, there's a special auroral alarm. Photo:CNN

Sections of the hotel will continue to melt and be rebuilt as usual -- meaning there will still be fresh new icy artworks for guests to enjoy each year.

(CNN)