Best Western Wallin Hotel

Excelent small hotel

by DeYo about Scandic Norra Bantorget

Fantastic breakfast with self-serving. Table was full of various food.
Wireless Internet available.
Polite staff.

Kiruna

by Cowpuccino

"Kiruna / IceHotel"

It was my girlfriends Birthday so I decided to take her some where different. Plus I had an engagement ring "stashed away". We flew from Heathrow to Kiruna via Stockholm and stayed in the Best Western Wallin Hotel for the first night.
Stockholm is a beautiful clean city, with some fantastic restaurants in the Gamla Stam area, the old part of the city.
We would have loved to spend more time there but we were flying out in the morning to Kiruna

Destination was the Icehotel, which must be one of the most unusual hotels in the world. We were going to go dog sledding, watch Hamlet performed in the Ice Globe and spend the night in Freezing temperatures.

"IceHotel in Kiruna"

We flew from Stockholm to Kiruna as we were heading for the Icehotel.
The Icehotel was amazing, stunningly beautiful with Ice sculptures and the famous Absolute Ice Bar. We spent the first night in a cabin which had a glass roof over the bed so you could watch the Northern Lights. Which someone had kindly switched Off !!!
The Absolut Icebar and look around the Ice rooms in the hotel is a must. Stunning is the only way to describe it. A drink in the bar is quite an experience, only vodka cocktails as beer simply freezes in the ice glasses.

"Night in the IceHotel"

In the morning we went for Dog Sled ride, fantastic ! The only thing you need to watch out for is low flying Husky Poo ! the dogs are amazing as they can reach quite a speed, are really keen to pull the sled. Lunch was had in a cabin and was more mouth watering reindeer stew.
I could cope with jacuzzi out on the ice, but ice swimming Not got the bottle for that !
After a Fantastic meal in the Jukasjarvi Wardhus restaurant, the Reindeer steaks are real melt in the mouth stuff we headed for the Bar. Which involved me dropping my pre-stashed engagement ring in an Ice glass of vodka. Louise said yes, so another drink and we were going to brave a night in the IceHotel.
Our room had a big bed made of ice with huge pillars, music was playing which had been produced on Ice Instruments. The room was bathed in Blue light, really romantic. you sleep in Army issue sleeping bags, which are really warm. Beware you do not need thermals on. My shaven head was cold so I had to sleep with my hat on but we slept like logs !