Beautifully positioned in the middle of Sweden’s Lule River – serenely floating in summer and dramatically suspended in ice during winter – this modernist spa retreat is Scandinavia’s latest hotel innovation. Arctic Bath is accepting bookings from February 2020.
Eat
First and foremost, this is a wellness retreat, a fact not lost on the hotel’s multi-talented chefs whose menus promise gourmet dining for the calorie-conscious. And, this being Scandinavia, expect the very best in regional, seasonal ingredients, with river-caught fish, tender reindeer meat and forest berries all featuring prominently.
Sleep
Away from the hotel’s main structure, whose distinctive birds-nest design is a nod to the region’s logging heritage, are six wonderfully romantic and strikingly contemporary guest rooms, each accommodating two people; for families, this is not. Views from the rooms will change with the seasons, with winter’s icy white giving way to spring’s thaw and, in turn, summer’s deep greens and autumns deep ambers and burnished golds. It’s all the perfect setting for days of endless relaxation at the hotel’s signature spa.
Do
And, it’s the spa that forms the hotel’s spectacular focal point, with a collection of treatments rooms, saunas, a bar and the aforementioned restaurant all surrounding a central cold bath where guests will be invited to take an invigorating dip. It’s all offset by the adventures most associated with this wonderfully scenic corner of Swedish Lapland – summer hikes and bike rides, and the wintry thrills of husky sleds and snowmobiles.
