The Vibe: Freezing, yet warm.

The Area: Located in Swedish Lapland in the village of Harads, the Arctic Bath hotel and spa floats atop the Lule river during summer and freezes into place come winter.

The DNA: The star attraction, in keeping with its name, is the bath which sits in the centre of a stunning circular complex – heated to a ‘refreshing’ four-degrees, for those partial to an icy dip. Those less brave can simply lounge around the deck and gaze up in search of the Northern Lights, or find warmth in the accompanying spa and saunas, the roofs topped with an artful array of local timber logs. The project grew out of the opening days of the Treehotel in Harads, Sweden when developers envisioned taking the wood concept from the air to the water as well. Specialist design architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi, both of Sweden, translated the concept into design, utilizing their background of minimalist furniture and building design. The design of the spa and hotel is not only striking in its look but also created with the highest environmental standards in mind, using local materials and leaving a minimal to zero-impact on the environment.

Suite-Me-Up: Visitors can stay overnight in one of the six floating (or in winter frozen) minimalist cabins sleeping two or opt for the larger cabins on the land sleeping 2 to 5.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 6 hotel rooms (24m2) (258 sq ft), 6 cabins (62m2) (667 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2019 • architecture: AnnKathrin Lundqvist, Bertil Harström, Johan Kauppi ✅ free on-site parking • pets allowed