Winter Wonder: Hotels for the Northern Lights

“The electric display of colours that illuminates the skies of the planet’s northernmost regions is a bucket list essential for every nature-lover. The Northern Lights are one of the world’s most awesome, inspiring and beautiful sights. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the places where you can see this truly amazing natural phenomenon are utterly beautiful themselves. Here are five hotels in diverse locations that are ideal for seeing the Aurora Borealis.

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Moorfield House Hotel, Scotland
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You don’t need to leave the UK to see the Northern Lights – or, as they’re known in Scottish Gaelic folklore, Na Fir Chlis. According to Scottish legend, these electric swirls of light were the blood spilled by sky warriors, which fell to Earth as bloodstone. Moorfield House Hotel is in Braemar in the Cairngorms National Park, which is on the same latitude as parts of Sweden and northern Denmark. The surrounding area is among the last places to see a Scottish wildcat – though you probably stand a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights. A dark sky is key, so the optimal time of year is between November and February with a clear weather forecast.

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Hotel Grimsborgir, Iceland
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Located on the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route in southern Iceland, the big draw at Hotel Grimsborgir is the Northern Lights – though it’s also under an hour’s drive from the Great Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall in one direction and Reykjavik in the other. So when the lights aren’t showing, the hotel is still perfectly located near the country’s major attractions so you can choose between touring the nearby sights, such as the Fontana geothermal baths, and activities like fishing for salmon in the Sog river.

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Pike’s Waterfront Lodge, Alaska
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The Northern Lights are such a presence in Alaska that Inuit tribes here have a whole collection of myths surroundings the aurora, including that they’re the spirits of hunted animals. To see the reality, Fairbanks is one of Alaska’s best set-up locations for watching the lights. Pike’s Waterfront Lodge is on the banks of the Chena River here and has a large waterfront deck from which to watch the Northern Lights. This cosy lodge has cabin-style accommodation and is near the Georgeson Botanical Garden and Pioneer Park, an Alaska-themed amusement park, so you’ll have plenty to do in the daytime.

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Lapland Hotel Sky Ounasvaara, Finland
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If you’re planning a festive trip to see the Northern Lights then there’s only one destination: Lapland. Finland’s northernmost region is, of course, home to Santa Claus, and his official hometown is considered to be Rovaniemi, the regional capital. Just outside the city you’ll find the Lapland Hotel Sky Ounasvaara, a cosy and comfortable three-star whose name hints at the major attraction here – it’s high up in the local ski resort so it’s an ideal vantage point to see the lights and you can get out on the mountain during the day.

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ICEHOTEL, Sweden
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Northern Sweden is one of the best places to view the Northern Lights as the weather is often clearer than less clement coastal areas and it’s in the geographical hotspot for the lights, known as the auroral oval. The little town of Jukkasjärvi here is home to another rare phenomenon – the town’s famous ICEHOTEL. Rebuilt each year from ice and snow, the hotel is one of Swedish Lapland’s major attractions in its own right; you can stay in both regular and cold ice rooms, and explore the surroundings – a real winter wonderland – with dog-sledding and snowmobiling.”