Lapland Day 4 - Ice Hotel & Gala Feast

Day 4 and there is no rest for the wicked as we once again we set the alarms early for another coach journey. This time we are heading off to one of only 6 ice hotels in the whole world. Apparently it is the same team of Finish sculptors who travel around the globe and build all of the ice hotels. As the hotels all melt each summer, then every year they change the design and layout and push the boundaries that but further. It takes them roughly 6 weeks to complete the ice hotel which is pretty amazing really.

 

Outside the ice hotel are these amazing ice sculptures of polar bears.

Inside the ice hotel is surprisingly warm in comparison to the outside environment. Given that there is no wind chill effect then the hotel stays at a fairly constant -1 to -3 Deg C. This sort of temperature is actually pretty comfortable and whilst we still wore hats and coats, I was happy to take my gloves off for plenty of pictures and videos. 

 

The first part of the hotel we visited was the ice chapel. Apparently they taking around 50 bookings a year for weddings in the hotel and in fact just as we were leaving the hotel it looked like a wedding party was just arriving. What a stunning, unique venue to get married in.

Inside the ice hotel chapel.

The corridors were very tall and spacious and surprisingly well lit.

The ice bar complete with all the ice tables.

Look at the amazing detail to create a log effect ice table.

The hotel has several rooms which you can actually pay to sleep in over night. The rooms range from singles, to doubles to full suites. I seem to recall them saying it was around Eur 320 a night for one of the suites. Within most of the rooms are some of the most amazing ice sculptures carved into the walls. 

Rudolph carved into the wall of one of the bedrooms.

Brandon standing in the bar in front of some stunning ice reindeer's.

Time for some grub as we all settle down to a ice dining table.

And how about these, we all cosy up to keep warm on one of the ice beds!! Literally everything is made of ice.

Need to replace your lounge suite, ever considered a matching ice arm chair with matching coffee table. Now that's what I call a cool bum!

Joshua getting some R and R in an ice arm chair.

One of the bedroom suites with two single ice beds inside it.

This is the seating area with ice block benches covered in furs to make them more comfortable.

Me saying a quick prayer in the chapel as Joshua watches on.

This was one of the newer suites which was still work in progress.

Probably the highlight of the ice hotel is the 20ft long ice slide which features around one of the corridors. This is supposed to be strictly for children only. Haha. Like I am going to travel all that way and spend all that money visiting the ice hotel and not take a sneak down the slide!!!! I think there were just as many adults as children taking a whizz down this very impressive slide. 

Brandon ready for his first experience down an ice slide.

And he is off, how cool does that look (no pun intended).

Joshua taking his turn.

Joshua overlooking Brandon on one of his descents down the slide.

The structure of the slide and the lighting effect make it look so amazing.

Imagine waking up in your hotel suite to this aggressive looking character carved into the wall.

Or this ugly looking Viking?

After exploring the ice hotel we all settled down for a nice berry juice, and yes it was served in an ice glass which they kindly said you could take home!

Brandon outside the ice hotel with one of the ice polar bears.

After the amazing trip to the ice hotel we headed back to base for some lunch and then spent the afternoon swimming. The swimming pool in the well being centre is one of the most amazing I have ever seen. There was children's areas, spa's, Turkish baths, pebble foot massages, plunge pools, sauna's, water slides, even indoor lightning and snow effects. You name it and this pool had it.

 

There was one very peculiar feature about Finish swimming baths though and that is the men's attire. You see me, Joshua and Brandon went prepared with our typical swimming shorts which are about knee high and are commonly work but just about every nation in Europe. Not in Finland!!!! No, no, no, they have strict rules that men have to wear skimpy little speedo's!!!! Maybe the like to check out guests packages, who knows? It seemed very weird to me as in this day an age I would expect it to be the other way around. Anyway things got worse since we did not have any speedo's so the pool loaned all 3 of us probably the most untrendy pair of speedo's imaginable so that we could go swimming. Enough said!!!!

Brandon at the bottom of the main water slide. He loved being able to come down on is own.

Joshua was up and down the slide like a yo-yo.

Me and Josh sitting in a ice cold pebble bottomed pool for some foot treatment. Don't look at the speedo's - it wasn't our fault.

The pool area was multi layered and mutli roomed and looked absolutely incredible.

This was the main water slide.

One of the most intriguing features of the pool was that there was a tunnel which you could swim to in order to get to an outdoor pool. From there you could jump out of the pool (in your little speedo's) and jump into a scorching hot jacuzzi. I have to say it is one of the most bonkers but amazing experiences to be sitting outdoors in a jacuzzi when it is -10 Deg C and snowing. 

The outdoor pool area and jacuzzi.

Me and Joshua took the outdoor jacuzzi to new extreme levels by taking a bare foot walk in some of the powder snow. Then legging it back as fast as we could to warm up in the jacuzzi. I know it was stupid but it just had to be done. 

Me and Joshua off for a snow walk before legging it back to the jacuzzi.

This was the little toddle pool, we didn't spend too long here as the boys preferred the other side.

Brandon squirting everyone in the pool.

With swimming out of the way it was time to get showered and dressed up posh ready for our final evening. The final evening features a massive Christmas gala feast / party which was a really enjoyable evening from start to finish. We had the full Christmas dinner, crackers and loads more to go with it. 

Beautiful little Brandon wearing his Christmas party hat.

Me and Little B at our Xmas party.

Tina and Joshie looking very festive.

We four King's bearing gifts from a far.......

The aftermath of our table. We had a very good feed up and I think it is safe to say our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.

The highlight of the evening was the arrival of the real Santa. Everyone got to meet him personally and both kiddies and adults were all given a present. Joshua even managed to get a high five from the real Father Christmas as he left the party (the only child to get a high five, he was so chuffed). This holiday was bloody expensive but it was moments like this when the kids met the real Santa and the looks on their faces that made it worth every penny. 

We four King's with the real Santa.

The boys were each given a huge present from Santa which immediately rang alarm bells as to how the hell we were going to fit these in the luggage! Typically when you see Santa the kids are given cheap little naff toys or books. Not in Lapland. These were full blown kids games and a very decent ones at that. We were not going to let the boys open them until Xmas but just about everyone else had cracked into their presents and were already playing with them. So in the end we couldn't really say no. 

Joshua got "Pop Goes Froggio" from Santa.

And Brandon got this very cool "Scatterpillar Scramble" - unfortunately it needed batteries though!

So Santa waved goodbye and left the party which almost brought our holiday to a close. One more nights sleep in our cabin and then start the journey home.

See you on Christmas Eve,