Need to know
Rooms
12, including three suites.
Check–Out
11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More details
Half-board rates include breakfast, five-course dinners, a guided spa ritual, spa robe, swimsuit or shorts and a kit with Kerstin Florian products. Full-board rates include lunch too (the set menu changes daily).
Also
Arctic Bath was originally conceived as a floating sauna for guests of fellow Smith spot Treehotel; the hotels are just 10 minutes from each other by car, so you can twin the two for a design-themed break.
Hotel closed
The hotel closes from mid-April to mid-June (exact closing dates vary annually).
At the hotel
Open-air plunge pool, spa, sauna, steam room, hot tub, and free WiFi. In rooms: heated floors, minibar, wood-burning stove, and tea- and coffee-making kit.
Our favourite rooms
There’s a tough decision to be made here: water or land? The stilted land cabins are spread over two floors with a loft-like layout: a spiral staircase leads to a mezzanine bedroom and there are dramatic double-height windows. On the shore, the free-floating water cabins – connected to land by a walkway – are locked in place by the ice in winter and buoyed by the river in summer. Things are a lot cosier in here (be prepared to snuggle up), but they come into their own in summer when the water warms up and you can dive in straight from your private deck.
Spa
The whole hotel is dedicated to wellness in an extraordinary setting, and experiences run hot and cold – literally, as you move from the toasty sauna to the ice-cold river. Plus, soothing treatments (massages and facials) use products by Swedish eco-friendly and vegan skincare line Kerstin Florian. The spa is open to guests from 9am to 10pm, though advance booking is recommended – ask at reception for an introductory spa ritual and check when the Julevädno sauna ritual is.
Packing tips
You won’t be able to wear your own swimsuit, so leave it at home. Instead, you’ll be provided with an Arctic Bath-branded one at check-in (there’s a range of sizes), and it’s yours to keep; they’re chemical free and made from organic cotton to avoid polluting the river. Adult clothing is also offered for pre-booked activities. What you will need are sturdy boots, thermals and a very warm coat in winter, when temperatures hit -20°C; wool layers, a raincoat and thick socks in autumn and spring; jeans and a jumper in summer.
Also
All public areas and one water cabin have been adapted for wheelchair users.
Pet‐friendly
Pups are welcome for SEK500 a stay. See more pet-friendly hotels in Norrbotten County.
Children
All ages are welcome, but the hotel is best for adventurous teenagers who’ll enjoy snowmobile excursions. The set menu isn’t ideal for picky palettes (unless they clamour for moose-heart marrow at home).
Sustainability efforts
The hotel is committed to a light touch on its Lapland landscape – all the cabins were built from sustainably sourced timbers from the surrounding area (and no trees were felled to make space for development); the land cabins are elevated so as not to damage the ground underneath; all produce used in the restaurant is local, seasonal and organic; and every guest is issued a pollutant-free swimsuit to protect the river.