A German airline is to compete with northern Sweden's famous Ice Hotel by building a multi-million dollar igloo, writes the Swedish Piteå newspaper. The igloo, which will boast a lobby, hotel rooms and bar, will be built by snow blowers in Arvidsjaur county, in Sweden's Far North, and is set to open in December.
"We are investing heavily and want to be at least as large and exclusive as the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi. The world press will talk about us," says Michael Fender from airline Fly Car.
The Ice Hotel, the world's largest hotel made of ice, has proved a popular destination for tourists coming to the far north of Sweden intent on enjoying attractions such as the northern lights.
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Having a German rival may threaten the Jukkasjärvi marvel, especially when that rival is an entire village against one hotel. Turns out, according to UPI, the German airline igloo project isn't just one structure but a cute, frigid village.
The airline's chief, Michael Fender, told UPI "the Ice Hotel in Kiruna is wonderful. It's iconic, it's famous ... but we wanted to add our own highlight here in Arvidsjaur." But Ice Hotel representatives aren't worried. They politely wish them luck. Hotel spokeswoman Helena Sjoholm said, "It's not the first time someone's made a copy of the Ice Hotel."
And Sjoholm's statement is surely true. Since its grand opening in 1990 there have been at least nine other ice hotel/lodges to pop up around the world; including one in Canada, one in Romania, three in Finland and four in Norway, but never has a second landed in Sweden to rival the original.