This article was originally published on the flight comparison site Skyscanner. The northern lights are an experience every real traveller needs to see at least once in his or her life. The problem is, they are so far away!
Sometimes you have to get off the beaten path to see them in person. Fortunately, some of the coolest hotels in the world are perfectly located to witness this spectacle.
Skyscanner invites you to read on, then dig out your thickest down jackets for your next trip!
1. Chena Hot Springs, Alaska (USA)
Chena Hot Springs is a resort in Alaska founded 100 years ago, and well-known today for its legendary healing mineral waters, aurora displays, renewable energy projects and Aurora Ice Museum.
Its natural outdoor hot springs, outdoor hot tubs and indoor family pools help you relax and enjoy the views of the Northern lights in sub-zero temperatures - yet still feel warm and comfortable. Because of its location, it's also an ideal place to see wildlife up close.
You can also enjoy drinks at the Aurora Ice Bar for extra warmth in the frigid Alaskan winter. The best time to see the aurora is from late August until May. Intrigued?
56.5 Chena Hot Springs Road, Fairbanks, AK 99711, United States
2. Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat (Greenland)
The world's most northerly 4-star hotel gives guests 7 types of rooms and suites to choose from, including the two-person igloo room directly overlooking the majestic Ilulissat Icefjord, recently listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The igloos combine rusticity with modern comfort so you can fully enjoy the stunning and wild vistas provided by Mother Nature. Take a flight to Greenland from Copenhagen now! How does that sound?
Mittarfimmut Aqq. B-1128, Ilulissat 3952, Greenland
3. Treehotel, Harads (Sweden)
Treehotel is a unique concept in travel architecture: suspended in the canopy of a pristine Scandinavian forest hang several modern "treerooms" seemingly floating in mid-air.
From these gorgeously surreal treerooms, you have access to spectacular views of nature, such as the Lule River valley and miles after miles of forests.
The treerooms were designed by some of Scandinavia's leading architects, giving guests unique furniture, lighting and fabrics.
Staying here provides you with the opportunity to experience Sweden's beautiful winter and the magic of the northern lights between September to March. Time to start planning ahead today for that year-end holiday!
Edeforsvägen 2A, 960 24 Harads, Sweden
4. Hotel Borg, Reykjavik (Iceland)
This stately landmark in the middle of Reykjavik tempts travellers with old-time elegance and restrained splashes of modernity.
Hotel Borg is a showcase of sophistication, whose 56 rooms and suites embrace Art Deco glamour style combined with 21st century technology and amenities. You may even run into celebrity guests!
Who, you say? Angelina Jolie and George Clooney both love this place. There is an abundance of Northern Lights walking and driving tours that leave daily from nearby the hotel. The best time for the Northern Lights are between October and April.
11, Pósthússtræti, Reykjavík, Iceland
5. Hotel Kakslauttanen, Saariselkä (Finnish Lapland)
Kakslauttanen is a family hotel 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the perfect place to be when you want to get away from it all. Lying on the edge of wilderness on the road to the Arctic Sea, this hotel offers a fantastic juxtaposition of the ethereal beauty of the lights with the rugged wilderness of Lapland.
Instead of just witnessing the northern lights from the yard of a hotel, Kakslauttanen offers an Aurora Hunting trip, which essentially means chasing the aurora in the wilderness on a sleigh drawn by a reindeer or a horse, a snowmobile or even skis.
This will be an unforgettable arctic experience for even the most seasoned traveller. Ready for a reindeer sleigh ride?
Kiilopääntie, 99830 Saariselkä, Finland
6. Emerald Lake Lodge, British Columbia (Canada)
More than 100 years ago, when this lodge was founded, you could only visit by taking a horse-drawn carriage through miles of trackless wilderness.
These days, it's a whole lot easier to visit this rustic hotel, though you may feel as if you've travelled back in time while staying here. The fireplaces of this hotel are centuries old and the timber used was hand-hewn.
Located in the heart of Yoho National Park, the hotel provides guests with stunning mountainscape vistas and superb views of the aurora, including outdoor hot tubs that beckon guests sore from the hectic pace of modern life.
Not for the tech-addict though - there are no TVs and no internet in any of the rooms, and in the national park itself, you won't even get cell phone reception. This place is heaven for people looking to disconnect from the stress.
The best months for the Northern Lights in this part of Canada are end of August to mid-April.
1 Emerald Lake Drive, Field, BC V0A 1G0, Canada
7. Sorrisniva, Alta (Norway)
There's no better place to witness the aurora while living out your Frozen fantasies than here, a hotel carved from ice!
Located along the Alta River, a few kilometres upstream of the Barents Sea, this sculpted ice marvel will be your home as you soak up the sites of the far north.
Uniquely, your room is an actual ice cave, made from ice rather than wood or brick. Rest assured however that other facilities in the hotel, such as saunas and toilets, are made of more conventional materials. Ready for some arctic adventure?
Sorrisniva 20, 9518 Alta, Norway
8. Icehotel, Jukkasjärvi (Sweden)
Actually... there may be one place just as good for living out your Frozen fantasies while watching the aurora, though it's impossible to choose between this hotel in Sweden and the one in Norway.
The origins of this magnificent hotel-sculpture lie in 1989, when a group of Japanese artists travelled to the area to create an exhibition of their ice art.
The ice is harvested locally from the Torne River, and the hotel exists only seasonally, between December and April, so make sure you time your trip to coincide with its ephemeral existence. Ready to curl up in an ice palace wrapped inside a reindeer fur sleeping bag?
Marknadsvägen 63, 981 91 Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
9. Levin Iglut, Kittilä (Finnish Lapland)
The glass-ceiling domed rooms of this hotel will give you 360-degree views of the stunning arctic sky, falling asleep with the one you love under the gentle glow of the northern lights.
Each igloo is free-standing, with all the amenities of a modern house, such as toilets and heat. You will especially enjoy the Finnish sauna, as the Finns have been perfecting the art of winter bathing for centuries.
Despite the appearance of remote seclusion, the bustling resort town of Levi is a mere 10 kilometres away, so you'll have access to the comforts of civilisation if you so desire. It's the best of both frozen worlds. Ready for an igloo adventure?
Harjatie 4, 99130 Kittilä, Finland
10. Croft 103, Durness (Scotland)
These luxurious eco-cottages in the wilds of Northern Scotland blend right in to the beautiful and austere highlands.
These self-catering five-star cottages are perched on the edge of both the highlands and the sea, and the seclusion and majesty they offer will take your breath away.
In the winter, you'll have a chance of seeing the northern lights here, but even if the stars don't align, and you miss them, you'll not regret making the trip.
Port na Con, Laid, Durness IV27 4UN, United Kingdom
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