Ett Hem

More than simply cabins tucked away in a forest, the rooms at this contemporary treehouse hotel in Harads are marvels of engineering and works of art, designed with sustainability principles in mind. Whether you’re relaxing on the net patio of the Seventh Room, or gazing out over the forest from the Dragonfly, your stay will be exceptional, luxurious and truly memorable. The seven unique rooms are situated above ground in a pine forest, a celebration of design, taste and nature.

The Seventh Room is located ten metres up in the trees, boasting panoramic windows, which offer views of the Lule River, and skylights in the bedrooms are ideal for admiring the Northern Lights.  The patio level is a net, stretched around the trunk of a pine tree, allowing you to lie back and listen to the sounds of the forest. The room itself is luxuriously modern with Scandinavian wood and fine textures.

The other vastly different rooms include The Cabin, The UFO, The Bird’s Nest, The Mirror Cube, The Blue Cone and the Dragonfly.

Britta’s Pensionat, a short walk from the rooms, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a 1930s-50s setting. The menu changes daily according to what fresh produce is available. Guests can enjoy the bar, television area, sauna and relaxation area. There are a variety of activities for guests to participate in depending on the season, including hiking, mountain biking, moose safaris, fishing and photography.

When it comes to finding rooms with that little something extra, the Icehotel is hard to beat. This hotel and art exhibition was first built in 1989 and has been redesigned and built from scratch every year since.

Water from the River Torne provides ice for the hotel and a team of skilled and hardy workers chip, carve and chisel until the building is complete. There is a mix of warm and cold rooms in which to sleep, the latter lingering between -5 and -8°C on the thermometer. The highlight for most guests is the chance to bed down in one of the cold rooms, where a thick mattress covered in reindeer skins sits on top of a huge bed of ice. Snuggle up in your thermal sleeping bag then wake up in the morning to a steaming cup of lingonberry juice before jumping in the sauna before breakfast.

New for 2016 is the Icehotel 365, a permanent structure that is kept cool in summer by solar panels. Inside are luxury suites, each with their own bathroom as well as art suites designed and hand carved by artists from around the world.

Despite its frosty nature, there are plenty of cosy corners in which to warm your fingers and toes. Set up camp in front of the crackling fire in the Jukkasjärvi Homestead, a timbered building that dates back to 1768. Here you can enjoy beef and salmon steaks hot out the charcoal-fired oven, or head to the hotel restaurant to sample traditional Scandinavian fare with locally sourced fish, game and berries.

Then there is the ice bar, where everything from the glasses to the tables, chairs and bar itself is made from ice. Enjoy the totally unique surroundings and sip on what is likely to be the crispest glass of champagne or cocktail you’ll ever drink.

Set under the northern lights in winter, and the midnight sun during the summer months, this unique hotel set in the wilderness of Swedish Lapland encompasses suites and cabins, positioned on both land and over the Lule River. Created from sustainable materials, blending wood, stone and leather, the varied types of accommodation are connected by wooden walkways, with outdoor decks, underfloor heating and expansive windows.

The Spa and Wellness Centre, set across the water, is a particular highlight, with an array of treatments, a sauna and a hot tub. The Scandinavian-inspired restaurant serves up local dishes, with fresh produce, and guests can grab a drink at the bar, or relax in the lounge. The chefs have carefully planned set menus inspired by the natural surroundings and with Arctic Bath’s wellness focus in mind.

A selection of outdoor activities includes husky tours, snowmobiling and ice fishing.