The world-famous Swedish Ice Hotel which melts every spring only to be rebuilt the following winter, was almost prevented from being constructed this year due to lack of a fire alarm system.
Planning permission for the frozen hotel, located 124 miles above the Arctic Circle, was going to be refused this time round unless fire alarms were installed on the premises, which are constructed completely of ice.
The owner, Beatrice Karlsson, was initially surprised as the entire hotel, including all furniture and appliances inside it, are built from ice from the nearby river. However a spokeswomen for the hotel said they understood how "there are things that can actually catch fire, like pillows, sleeping bags or reindeer skins".
"To us the most important concern is the safety of our clients, so we will comply," Beatrice Karlsson added.
But because the ice and snow is constantly shifting, putting in the alarms has proven to be a bit of a challenge.
"The environment is humid, and ice and snow move, so that had to be taken into account," Ms Karlsson said. "It’s been a challenge for our building team, but it made us one experience richer".
The hotel had a test period for the alarms with the local fire department last winter and all seemed to go well. Only one incident has occurred since their implementation, and that was a guest having a cigarette in a cleaning closet, the spokeswoman said.
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