'Game of Thrones'-Themed Ice Hotel Opens in Finland
If you've ever wondered what it feels like to gaze into the steely blue eyes of a White Walker, you may have a chance to find out. Winter may have already arrived in many parts of the world, but for Game of Thrones fans, it's still coming — though not fast enough. Last week, HBO confirmed that the final season of the epic series won't be hitting screens until 2019. To bide their time until then, Westeros know-it-alls can travel the world visiting some of the series' real-life locations — or they can cross two items off their travel bucket lists at once by paying a visit to Finland to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights and then spending the night on a bed of ice at Lapland Hotels SnowVillage's Game of Thrones-inspired ice hotel.
Working together with HBO Nordic, a team of designers and professional ice sculptors spent more than a month creating a snow and ice tribute to the Great Houses of Game of Thrones' Seven Kingdoms at Laplands' SnowVillage, the world-renowned ice hotel located nearly 125 miles above the Arctic Circle. The result is a truly spectacular (and sometimes frightening) ode to George R. R. Martin's pop culture sensation.
Scattered within the hotel's 65,000 square feet is the hotel itself, which features 14 rooms and 10 suites, plus a restaurant, a bar, a slide, a seemingly never-ending series of corridors full of ice sculptures and a chapel. (Yes, you can get married here).
Among the sights that will be familiar to Game of Thrones fans: the Hall of Faces, a throne, a direwolf, shards of dragon glass and the aforementioned White Walker (which will watch over some lucky guests as they sleep).
While spending the night is the ideal way to see everything the ice hotel has to offer, gawkers are also welcome (you can explore the public spaces for yourself or take a guided tour). See more of the hotel below, or book your room here now.
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