You might want to sleep with Dragonglass under your pillow.
By Mustafa Aadel January 29, 2018
It’s hard to believe we've been quoting Ned Stark for nearly seven years, ever since he uttered the now-catchphrase “Winter is coming” in the debut episode of Game of Thrones. In case you missed it, winter is finally here (you don't have to tell us twice). And it seems the White Walkers have chosen Finland as ground zero for world domination.
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage, in collaboration with HBO Nordic, has built a Game of Thrones hotel entirely of snow and ice. Luckily, fans don’t need to sleep at the base of the Wall, but you do have to go beyond the Arctic Circle into Finnish Lapland. Located in Kittilä, an hour-and-a-half flight from Helsinki, the SnowVillage took only a month to build (and they do it every year), but this year's GoT-themed snow suites were designed by professional ice sculptors from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Latvia. And they're kind of incredible.
The hotel—equipped with a eerie, Braavosi Hall of Faces, an Ice Throne with an Ice Mountain standing guard, and a dragon-shaped ice slide—has 24 rooms, including ten suites, each with their own unique sculptures crafted into the ice walls. Like, a giant White Walker-esque snow demon watching over you as you sleep. Fun! Inside, the temperature is just 23 degrees Fahrenheit—balmy compared to the 10 degree average temperature outside the hotel—but you'll have a warm sleeping bag and a morning cup of hot berry juice to get the blood flowing. The hotel recommends that overnight visitors stay just one night in the “igloo” and enjoy the rest of their stay in one of the cozy cabins nearby.
Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko / Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
Sculptors from around the world came together to work on the ice hotel, and this Hall of Faces.
If new alliances need to be forged between houses, there is an ice chapel in the SnowVillage. “We have approximately 40 to 50 weddings per season,” says Jari Porri, the destination manager of Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. “You don't necessarily need to stay overnight to enjoy the village. There are plenty of activities here for visitors including an ice sculpture workshop, reindeer rides, as well as husky and snowmobile safaris.” Entry to the SnowVillage is $18 (€15) and rooms start at $200 (€165).
Additionally, the SnowVillage has an ice movie theater, where you can watch a short film about how the whole place was built. Visitors can also enjoy a three-course meal in the ice restaurant, with local staples like reindeer and arctic char on the menu. Feel like tipping back à la Tyrion Lannister? Head to the Ice Bar where, instead of wine, the most popular drink is a vodka shot served in a glass made of, you guessed it, ice.
Entry to the SnowVillage is $18 (€15) and rooms start at $200 (€165); the hotel will remain open through April 8.
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