Pluribus, episode 3, opens in a crystalline dreamscape in Norway — all frost-blue corridors and aurora-lit rooms. Viewers were quick to pose the practical question: Could you really live somewhere like that? The short answer is yes, kind of — the series doesn’t mention a real property, but in Norway, its seasonal ice hotels come near identical, down to the carved suites and subzero sleepover.
What the show gets right about Norway’s ice hotels
Pluribus depicts an ice hotel, built anew each winter from hundreds of tons of ice and many thousands of tons of compacted snow after the previous year’s structure, also made of ice but now melted to groundwater, is wiped away. Well, that’s how the real ones operate. Operators make use of river ice and machine-made “snice” (fine, dense snow) blown over temporary molds to make domes, hallways and themed rooms. Indoor temperatures are generally between -4°C and -7°C, which on paper sounds brutal but feels surprisingly doable with good layers and the thermal sleeping bags provided. These hotels have been described for years by Visit Norway as ephemeral art projects almost as much as lodging, reconstructed with new designs every season.
The series also pays homage to global ice artistry — a sculptor described as a former Harbin competition winner — and that jibes with reality. At many Nordic ice hotels, artists (who also compete in China’s world-famous Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival) are enlisted to carve out each room with carvings, bas-reliefs and even ice furniture that give the spaces a gallery-like feel.
Where you can actually stay at real ice hotels in Norway
Although the on-screen hotel isn’t named, several Norwegian properties provide a close resemblance. Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta is the closest approximation: a seasonal complex that operates from December to April, bursting with hand-carved suites, an ice bar (serving up drinks poured behind one as well), and a chapel. Rooms are rebuilt each year with new themes, and the Alta area is located comfortably within the auroral oval, providing prime Northern Lights viewing when skies are clear. Local tourism bureaus point to high multi-night viewing odds during peak winter.
The Kirkenes Snowhotel, near the Russian border, and the Tromsø Ice Domes in the Tamok Valley both offer similar stays with their own character. You can anticipate 15–30 sculpted rooms each year, depending on the property and that season’s theme, with tours of the ice art as well as activities such as husky sledding or reindeer visits. Operators will usually have a cosy lounge or heated pods where you can warm up before and after.
Pricing differs depending on season and packages, but a night in an ice room typically costs between about $350 and $700, and other options like premium suites or excursions can further add to that amount. Figures quoted by Norwegian operators for recent winters suggest capacity does fill up around aurora peaks and holiday periods, so flexibility would be useful.
How the frozen hotels are built each winter in Norway
Construction is typically six to eight weeks. Teams gather clear ice blocks from rivers or lakes in the vicinity and create snice using snow cannons for the structural shell. Temporary armatures — some made from wood, others constructed of steel frames — mold the arches and domes before snow settles in. Once the shapes are set, artists can start sculpting. In recent years, teams of 15 to 25 craftsmen and builders have been standard for midsize properties, operator briefings and regional tourism reports say.
Safety standards are strict. Load-bearing walls can be more than half a meter thick and maintain steady ambient temperatures to avoid thaw-refreeze cycles that could compromise the structure. Lighting is primarily low-wattage LEDs to preserve canvases of ice. It’s pop-up hospitality, but designed with the same attention to detail as permanent builds — just with a springlike expiration date.
What to expect as a guest at Norway’s seasonal ice hotels
After one night on the ice, most guests transfer to warm accommodations. Check-in consists of a lecture on layering (merino base, insulating mid, windproof outer), using a -20°C or warmer-rated sleeping bag, and what should enter your room. You’ll sleep on a mattress-padded ice platform, usually with reindeer hides as insulation. Most accommodations have their own saunas or hot tubs and will keep you apprised of when to step outside if there might be aurora bursts, along with geophysical observatories in Tromsø and Alta that publish local alerts that guides watch vigilantly.
A couple of practical tips:
- Ditch the cotton layers.
- Charge devices before you go (they are especially susceptible to cold, which drains batteries quickly).
- Set up your camera settings for nocturnal photography.
Morning wake-ups are early so staff members can prep tours, and the thawing routine includes hot berry juice or coffee.
Is it the same hotel from the show, or just inspired by it?
No, the series doesn’t mention a property and the suite design is probably a custom set or an amalgamation of designs from real life. But the experience is attainable. Book a winter retreat at Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Kirkenes Snowhotel or Tromsø Ice Domes and you’ll score the carved chambers, the subzero novelty and a genuine shot at viewing a sky streaked with green. In the world of Pluribus, an ice hotel is a scene. In Norway, it is a night that you can check into at all.
