Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

I wouldn’t recommend staying overnight at the Igloo Hotel. Until 8pm, your room is open to every visitor. Someone could leave litter, sit or step on the bed, or make the room dirty, and it won’t be cleaned before it’s handed over to you. For a fairly expensive stay, that service isn’t acceptable. I understand the thinking: the ice room is cold, so guests may prefer the warm shared area except when sleeping. But letting visitors use the room during that time makes booking a night feel pointless when the experience is similar to just visiting. You pay a pretty high price for only a couple of hours in an icy room that might even be littered, while visitors get to see it too. For the same money, I could stay about 40km away somewhere cozy and clean with two meals included. Sleeping in an ice room is interesting, but that alone isn’t enough. You can’t really see the sculptures while you’re asleep anyway, right? : ) I’d suggest going as a visitor instead. You can see the sculptures and sit on every room’s bed, without spending the night in a fridge.

The excursions were well organized and left us with great memories, and the food at both Lavvu and Maku was the best I had in Norway. Sorrisniva exceeded our expectations from start to finish. Booking the stay and excursion package, airport transfers, and check-in all went smoothly. The ice hotel was impressive, and the Wilderness lodge and our river room were beautiful. The staff were all so friendly and helpful, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

We came to Sorrisniva for the aurora and joined the northern lights hunt on two nights in a row. Petra was a wonderful guide, carefully checking the weather and other conditions each night to choose the best viewing spot. Her effort paid off: we saw the most spectacular auroras of our whole Norway trip. She also kindly took photos for free and sent us all the beautiful shots afterward. I use a Samsung Android phone, and found I could make Petra’s already great pictures really bring out the aurora colors by maxing out the light balance, then adjusting saturation and contrast or trying a filter. Our Mary Suite had stunning snowy views through huge, unobstructed windows from the living area into the bedroom. It felt like cozy Nordic luxury, with very comfortable bedding and pillows. Housekeeping came twice daily and kept everything impeccable. The front desk staff were consistently courteous and helpful, and there was a good range of tours to choose from. Thanks, Petra, for your patience and attention to detail, and thanks to Sorrisniva for a memorable Arctic adventure. We couldn’t have asked for a better stay.

After lunch at the hotel, our group of seven paid NOK695 each to see the ice hotel while it was being built. The website listed NOK560, and when we booked, nobody told us how unfinished it would be. Only a few sculptures were complete. When I raised the price right after the tour, management said it cost more because it was a “guided tour”. What we got was two YouTube videos and an employee walking us around the construction site. We’ve tried several times to resolve this with management at Sorrisnova and got nowhere, so I’m posting to warn others. Being charged 22% more than advertised for seven people to see so little is a joke. It’s a shame, because it’s a beautiful hotel and I’m sure the finished version is wonderful. I hope anyone visiting before the official opening sees this before booking a ticket.