The story – how it all began

ENTHUSIASTS AT WORK

The business has its roots in a local village

organization and offering summer wilderness

adventures. ICEHOTEL was initiated by and is still

today run by a small team of creative enthusiasts,

constantly searching to develop new experiences

using the resources available. A key part of the daily

work in Jukkasjärvi has been and is to create

meetings between people, creativity and nature.

“DIG WHERE YOU STAND”

That has been and still is the motto of business

visionary and entrepreneur Yngve Bergqvist, who is

the founder of ICEHOTEL. By that, he means that

you should look at the potential and opportunities

that your surrounding area offers.

Initially, the long and cold winters made Bergqvist

look around for new ideas to use what was at hand

in Jukkasjärvi – ice, and plenty of it. Bergqvist was

inspired by the Japanese ice sculpting tradition and

with the help of two professional ice sculptors from

Japan as instructors; he invited artists to attend a

workshop in Jukkasjärvi in 1989. This marked the

start of a nearly 25 year long journey with the Torne

River.

THE FIRST ICEHOTEL

Inspired by the workshop, the following winter saw

the !rst ever ice structure - an especially designed

igloo built using mold technique was constructed on

the frozen Torne River. The 60 m² igloo was

intended to as an art gallery and was named ARTic

Hall. The following winters, ARTic Hall attracted

considerable attention. It was used not only to

display art, but also for church services and !lm

show cases. Bergqvist and his associates also

opened a bar inside the hall, and even tried sleeping

in subzero temperatures. The igloo had grown to

measure 250 m² in size; the building technique was

re!ned and patented in Sweden and Norway.

The !rst party of overnight guests to stay at

ICEHOTEL was a specialist survival group of the

Swedish Armed Forces. International space satellite

company Versatel was the !rst conference group to

sleep in -5° C (23° F) on a bed of soft reindeer

skins. The next morning, they woke up thrilled and

exhilarated by the experience and ICEHOTEL was

born. Nowadays, some 30 000 guests have the very

same experience every winter when they stay in the

original ICEHOTEL.

 

Photo: photobigben.com

JUKKASJÄRVI GOES INTERNATIONAL

Jukkasjärvi is home to some 900 people and

means “meeting place by the lake” – and during

the 1990’s it became an international melting pot

and meeting place as ICEHOTEL became

increasingly known. The business grew and

became a registered trademark in the early days of

the 1990's. The dedication to show only original

art work remained at heart. A group of in-house

designers and architects led the creative

development of the hotel; meanwhile guest artists

from around the world were called for in open

annual invitations for art suite design proposals.

This very tradition is still alive today and the panel

receives some 200 applications every spring from

artists, photographers, engineers, architects,

sculptors, craftsmen and women who want to be

part of the art symposium.

A collaborative partner was found in Swedish

brand Absolut Vodka. Together with Absolut,

ICEHOTEL developed a number of projects; an ice

bar concept and a joint photo campaign with

Versace, shot by Herb Ritts and featuring models

Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Marcus

Schenkenberg on the Torne River. The

temperature had dropped to -40° C (-40° F) as

Moss posed inside an ice sculpture back lit by the

Polar Light.

ICEBERG CATWALK FOR CHANEL

ICEHOTEL continued expansion in the new

millennium. A number of unique projects where

seen through - including a 40 meter long iceberg

catwalk for Chanel, ice installations for BMW,

Haglöfs and other well-known brands around the

world. The partnership with Absolut was dissolved,

though it is still the preferred pouring brand in the

ice bar at the hotel. The people behind ICEHOTEL

have continued a devotion to innovation and

exploring new ways of working with ice. The ice

bar concept was further developed in collaboration

with partners in various locations around the

world. They also started exploring new ways of

re!ning the Torne River ice, including theatre

backdrops, plates, bowls, cocktail and champagne

glasses.

The business has established a relationship with

Virgin Galactic and is one of an exclusive number

of retailers that is an Accredited Space Agent and

certi!ed to sell Virgin Galactic's space

experiences.

ICEHOTEL is also a founding member and part

owner of Spaceport Sweden, which in 2010

offered the world's !rst Northern Lights Flight - a

scienti!cally focused experience that combines

informative lectures on the light phenomenon with

a #ight excursion above the clouds for guaranteed

views of the Aurora Borealis.

During the 00’s, ICEHOTEL also established

important environmental partnerships and has

invested in environmental practices and set the

goal to become CO² negative within the next few

years.

25 YEARS

ICEHOTEL is due to celebrate its 25-year

anniversary in winter 2014/15 and is currently

planning new investments in the on-site facilities

in Jukkasjärvi. Additionally, 2013 sees the launch

of two new business ventures, “TRAC” and “BY

ICEHOTEL”.

TRAC (Torne River Adventure Center), launched in

June 2013. The concept is designed to become a

hub for summer adventures for nature and art

experiences focused around the Torne River.

ICEHOTEL has invested close to SEK 1 million in

new activities, facilities and marketing. The news

include SUP (Stand Up Paddle), XC-cycling tracks

and competitions, Challenge Park with an 18

meter high ropeway track and Sweden's

northernmost zip line.

BY ICEHOTEL is an expanded stock item and

made-to-order offer of re!ned ice products and

design projects for events for private and corporate

clients. Raw ice blocks, customized sculptures,

branded products and stock ice items like glasses

and bar modules are part of the exclusively

designed range.