We visited the Kirkenes Snow Hotel on an excursion from our cruise ship. As it is set in a reindeer park I thought it would be a little further out of town than it is. However the experience will remain with is for years. It is basically a huge igloo which they build every year - each year slightly different. The artistry is incredible [apparently they get Chinese ice sculptors over to do it]. From the reception area, where we were greeted with a traditional berry drink, to the bedrooms the whole experience was magical. Each bedroom is different - the bed surround is made of ice sculptures amd the snow walls are carved with figures and other designs. The family rooms look lovely with their Fairy Tale themes. The beds are really comfortable. Their are no bathroom facilities - these are in a separate building along with a sauna etc. Cannot imagine staying the night there, a bit of a claustrophobic feel to the rooms but some people pay a lot of money to do just that. There is a little wooden restaurant, circular in shape with a huge fire in the middle on which they do their cooking. We were given a traditional hot berry drink and a reindeer sausage in a pancake. We then visited the huskies which was a very sad area with lots of little kennels in the snow and one can feed the reindeer who are in the adjoining paddocks. At £45 per person this was more than worth it.

A great place to visit. I was really interested in how they constructed it and the team who'd 'decorated' (ie sculpture and carve pictures into the snow walls) had done an excellent job.

The food in the restaurant was really great & they kept the warm areas superbly warm which was very welcome after the chilly rooms. The staff wake you up with little hand bells in the morning which is really sweet, and the sauna was lovely. The walls are so thick that sound doesn't really travel between the rooms even tho there're no doors- just a curtain for privacy.

I'm very pleased we stayed the night (but probably more after the fact than during the night!). Its a constant -5'C in the rooms, but the sleeping bags are phenomenal, and they provide balaclava, hat, socks for extremity protection. We weren't cold at any stage and the procedure for getting in and out of the bags was highly amusing, although I was pleased not to have to go to the bathroom during the night.

However, the sleeping bags are pretty snug and if you're the kind of sleeper who stretches out or turns over a lot, you can feel quite constricted. Or wake up somehow facing the worng way inside the bag. The beds aren't tiny, and the matresses are comfy, I was really anxious I was going to fall out overnight. In the morning, I found out one chap had fallen out overnight- with his arms scrunched into the sleeping bag, he'd no way of preventing a painful (and cold) landing! He was entirely uninjured and laughed about it over breakfast.

I can't stress enough, not to bring extra things into the room. I had a phone and kindle and water bottle and my glasses and so on and so on. Well, if you don't want to risk damage, they all have to go into the bottom of the sleeping bag, where the staff recommend you also leave your day clothes so they aren't frosty in the morning (or for your loo trip during the night). I think its better to have more body space and less clunky extras in the bag- you'll sleep better!

The rooms are lit all the time. Some have a very white light, some more blue and a few more pinkish. I pulled my hat over my eyes but an eye mask would've been good. If you get the option, have a look first and pick a room you like.

I found the location to be a bit disappointing, I expected, it to be more remote, not 300m from the main road. I felt that the overall experience was too commercialized. I also expected to socialize a little more especially as you arrive. We were shown to our rooms within 5 mins of entering. Not recommend for anyone who suffered from claustrophobia. That being said the hotel itself is amazing and it still is an experience I am glad I did.

My partner booked this as the end to a Hurtigruten cruise for my 50th birthday. I have spent time in the outdoors so I was realistic about what to expect. Some that were in our party clearly thought that they were in for something different, and that they would not actually be sleeping in the Snow Hotel! Staff were great, equipment was excellent,and if you followed their clear intructions, you would have a fabulously comfortable night in your room (minus 5c). We arrived in minus 27c to crystal clear blue skies, a husky dog ride and then a great meal by the fire. best nights sleep of the trip. Good hearty breakfast and then off to the airport to fly home. For the moaning people who complained in our group......get a life....enjoy yourselves!