Have an ice night
The chance to sleep in an ice hotel always meant heading to Lapland during the area’s coldest, darkest months — until this year, at least.
For the first time there’s a new ice experience opening in Jukkasjärvi called ICEHOTEL 365, due to open in mid-November and stay open throughout the year. The usual seasonal hotel opens in mid-December before its 700 million snowballs’ worth of snow melts back into the Torne River in spring.
With 20 ice suites, nine with their own sauna and warm en-suite bathroom, plus a champagne bar and ice art gallery, the building uses solar panels warmed by the midnight sun to generate enough power to keep everything icy cold.
Fly direct to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland with Discover The World, celebrating 10 years of its “Iceflight”. Three-night breaks start from £1,043. www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel
Voyage to wellness
Seabourn is launching a new wellness and mindful living programme on board its cruises from January 2017. The Spa and Wellness with Dr Andrew Weil programme will include daily meditation and yoga classes focusing on mind, body and spirit, as well as regular seminars. Dr Weil will be on board Encore’s inaugural cruise and will be on board a different ship every year. www.seabourn.co.uk
Croatia with kids
Gone are the days when a pool was enough — the latest luxury family hotel to open in Croatia promises a mini adrenaline park, seven pools, a mini kids’ gym, sports facilities and interactive walls in the rooms so children can customise their stay.
Hotel Amarin in Rovinj, Istria, on Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast, opened in August. Guests staying before December 22 can receive 25 per cent off, with double rooms starting at €101 (£85) per night half-board. Book at www.maistra.com.
Ryanair, EasyJet, Thomson Airways and Norwegian Air fly direct to Pula, half an hour from the hotel.