Floating Hotel in Sweden Set to Open in 2018

From the people that brought you the famous Swedish Treehotel, comes their next big project: The Arctic Bath. On the Lule River in Sweden, you can float in luxury at this overnight spa experience.

Inspired by the era of timber floating, during which loggers used the river to transport lumber, every building of this spa will actually be floating on the river. But you don’t have to worry about floating away. The buildings will stay put, either by tether in the warmer months or frozen in place during the winter.

The main attraction is the outdoor pool which is kept at a balmy 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) year-round. The facility will also include a spa treatment room, four saunas, a hot bath, outdoor showers, as well as two dressing rooms.

The inner circle of the buildings is designed to offer ample opportunity for sunbathing or ice bathing (depending on the season), as well as spectacular views of the night sky, which becomes an opportunity to see the dazzling Northern Lights in the winter months.

The spa offers overnight lodgings in six floating rooms each designed with skyward windows for optimal views of the celestial winter lights.

The entire facility is not only visually striking, but it is also designed to have the highest environmental standards in mind. It will be constructed using local materials and with minimal impact on the local environment.

There is no official opening date, but the Arctic Bath is expected to welcome its first guest in “early 2018,” with bookings becoming available up to six months in advance of the opening day.

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More from SmarterTravel:

• 8 Best Places to See the Northern Lights
• 10 Things to Do in Gothenburg, Sweden
• Discover Orust, Sweden’s Wild West

  Matt Buckley is a writer based out of Boston. Check out some of his personal travel experiences on his travel blog Matt Goes Exploring and follow his Instagram of the same name.