Every year, a fresh hotel made of ice is erected in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. 'Icehotel' is, by its very nature, temporary: by the time the weather thaws, all that work will just melt away. It's a monumental engineering challenge to build (or is that carve?) such a fragile building in a short amount of time, and one that only stays open for a few months - this year's seasons lasts from early December to mid April.

Recently, the hotel operators faced an unusual demand from local authorities when building their accommodation of frozen water: they had to install a dedicated fire alert system. Talking to AFP, spokesperson Beatrice Karlsson says it proved a significant logistical challenge to install the alarms. "The environment is humid, and ice and snow… move, so it had to be taken into account," she explains. "It’s been a challenge for our building team, but it made us one experience richer.”

For many, fire might not seem like the primary health & safety concern in a hotel made of non-flammable ice: if anything, it might just be among the safest accommodation to be in if a fire does happen to break out, barring the risk of melt damage. But Karlsson stresses that the authorities' demand was not unjustified. She points out "there are things that can actually catch fire, like pillows, sleeping bags or reindeer skins. To us the most important concern is the safety of our clients, so we will comply".

As reported by The Telegraph, there has been no fire but one alarm: when a guest entered the cleaning closet for a stealth smoke.

Visitors to the Icehotel spend the night in thermal sleeping bags, with temperatures reaching between –5 to -8ºC. The internal temperature is maintained thanks to the hotel's design, despite the even colder Arctic conditions outside. Although prices start from around €210 a night, there are cheaper day time visits available (around €35 per adult) for those who make the trip to the remote Swedish village.

Image: Stephan Herz, Wikimedia Commons