The room is rarely the hard part of an unusual Swedish stay. Getting there, knowing what the price covers and picking the right season are. Here is each type with its access leg, inclusions and accessibility, plus two famous places that no longer take guests.
When you need this
You are planning one special night and choosing between a treehouse, a lighthouse, a glass cabin and the ice hotel. You have no car and wonder whether a remote stay is reachable. You need to know where the toilet is, whether sheets are included, or whether any room works with a wheelchair. Or you are reading an older “unique hotels of Sweden” list and want to know what still exists.
The types at a glance
An unusual stay in Sweden is usually a small place in nature where the building is the experience. What changes from type to type is how you get there, what is included and when it works best.
| Type | Defining example | Best season | Typical standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect treehouse | Treehotel, Harads (Norrbotten) | Year-round | Hotel, electric incinerating toilets |
| Lighthouse-keeper hostel | STF Högbondens fyr, STF Stora Fjäderägg | Summer (boat-dependent) | Hostel, self-catering |
| Off-grid hut | STF Kolarbyn (charcoal-burner’s huts) | Seasonal offers | No electricity or running water |
| Glass cabin | The 72 Hour Cabin, Dalsland | Year-round | Package with meals, outdoor toilet |
| Floating cabin | Lake lodges in Värmland and Dalarna | Varies | Often off-grid |
| Ice room | Icehotel, Jukkasjärvi | Winter (Icehotel 365 all year) | -5 to -8 °C inside |
Three things set all of them apart from an ordinary hotel booking: very few units, fixed access by boat, transfer or walk, and inclusions that range from full board to fetching your water from a spring.
Treehouses and Treehotel
The architect treehouse is the type that put Sweden on this map. Treehotel in Harads, just south of the Arctic Circle, opened in 2010 and has nine treerooms by different architects, among them the mirror-clad Mirrorcube and the Bird’s Nest; the newest, Oasis, was added in 2026.
A few facts matter more than the photos. The treerooms have electric incinerating toilets rather than flushing ones. One treeroom, the Blue Cone, is wheelchair-accessible, there is a ramp to the restaurant and reception, and vehicle transport to the rooms can be arranged on request. The other treerooms are not described as accessible.
Without a car, the access leg is a transfer. Boden station is about 35 minutes away and Luleå airport about 70 minutes; the operator lists the taxi ranges (see Practical information), and a helicopter on request. Book the transfer with the room. Other treehouse stays exist across the country, including an off-grid treehouse village in Värmland without electricity.
Lighthouse hostels on the Bothnian coast
The Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen, STF) runs hostels in former lighthouse keepers’ dwellings (fyrvaktarbostäder) on the Bothnian coast. Högbondens fyr sits on an island in the High Coast World Heritage area; Stora Fjäderägg and Bergudden are in Norra Kvarken.
Expect hostel standard. At Högbonden you cook your own food and bring your own sheets and towel if you want them. Stora Fjäderägg has a self-catering kitchen and no restaurant, so pack food.
The boat decides your day:
- Högbonden: trains run to Härnösand or Kramfors; the island boat is M/S Ronja, booked separately.
- Stora Fjäderägg: bus to Norrfjärden, the free state ferry to Holmön (about 40 minutes), then a water taxi (vattentaxi) that leaves Holmön at 15:00 and is booked as an add-on with the room. Miss it and you miss the night.
Off-grid huts, glass cabins and floating cabins
Off-grid means off-grid. STF Kolarbyn in Västmanland is twelve charcoal-burner’s huts (kolarkojor) with neither electricity nor running water; you fetch water from a spring, there are two outdoor toilets, and bedding is rented. It is about 4 km from Skinnskatteberg station, and bus 550 stops 1 km away. Its current offer runs 24 August–15 November 2026. Some other lodges go further, promoting a phone-free stay, and a few Sami and wilderness eco-lodges take a limited number of guests a year by invitation.
Glass cabins reverse the self-catering norm at the best-known example. The 72 Hour Cabin package at Dalslands Aktiviteter includes breakfasts delivered to the cabin, lunches and dinners. The catch is the toilet: an outdoor one beside the cabin, with the indoor toilet and shower 800 m away. It runs year-round, reached by regional train to Mellerud or Åmål and a local bus to Steneby vägkors.
Floating cabins and a floating lodge exist on lakes in Värmland and Dalarna, often off-grid and without running water. Ask what “floating” means for power, water and toilets before booking.
The ice hotel
Winter adds the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna. The main building is rebuilt from November each year, while Icehotel 365 keeps 18 rooms frozen all year. The ice rooms hold -5 to -8 °C by design. The full picture is in our Icehotel guide.
Two icons that are gone
Two of the most-shared unusual stays no longer take overnight guests:
- af Chapman, Stockholm. STF’s hostel aboard the ship closed in autumn 2022, and STF left after a rent dispute with the city. The ship reopened in summer 2026 as a café and event venue only.
- Jumbo Stay, Arlanda. The hostel inside a Boeing 747 went bankrupt, and the aircraft is being dismantled.
Any list that still recommends them is out of date. Check that a place is taking bookings before planning a day around it.
Booking and cancelling
Book the access leg before, or with, the room. Then read what is included (meals, sheets, cleaning, sauna, transfers), where the toilet and shower are, and whether any room is adapted (tillgänglighetsanpassad).
Book early. No official lead time exists, but the numbers explain the pressure: nine treerooms, twelve huts, nine lighthouse rooms. Each type’s peak — winter for ice and Arctic treehouses, summer for islands — fills first.
Cancellation is contractual. Swedish law gives no right of withdrawal for accommodation booked for a set date, so the operator’s terms are all you have. At most STF places you can cancel until 18:00 the day before arrival; independent stays set their own terms per room or package.
A single unusual night pairs well with ordinary beds for the rest of the trip: an STF hostel or a rented cabin.
Practical information
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Nightly rates | Vary by room, date and package — not published here; check the operator |
| Luleå airport → Treehotel | About 70 min; taxi 2,700–3,900 kr by group size (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Boden station → Treehotel | About 35 min; transfer 1,700–2,400 kr by party size (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Mainland → Holmön ferry (for Stora Fjäderägg) | Free state ferry, about 40 min (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Holmön → Stora Fjäderägg | Water taxi at 15:00, booked with the room (checked 2026-09-25) |
| STF member discount | 50 kr per adult per night at hostels — see our hostel guide |
| Cancellation | Operator’s terms only; no legal cooling-off period |
| Ice room temperature | -5 to -8 °C |
FAQ
What is Treehotel in Sweden?
Treehotel is a hotel of individually designed treehouses in Harads, in Norrbotten just south of the Arctic Circle. It opened in 2010 and has nine treerooms by different architects, including the mirror-clad Mirrorcube and the Bird’s Nest; the newest, Oasis, was added in 2026. The treerooms use electric incinerating toilets, and one of them, the Blue Cone, is wheelchair-accessible.
How do you get to Treehotel without a car?
Fly to Luleå or take the train to Boden, then book a transfer. The drive from Luleå airport takes about 70 minutes and the operator lists taxis at 2,700–3,900 kronor depending on group size; from Boden station it is about 35 minutes and 1,700–2,400 kronor. A helicopter transfer is available on request. Arrange the transfer when you book the room.
Can you stay in a lighthouse in Sweden?
Yes. STF runs hostels in former lighthouse keepers’ dwellings on the Bothnian coast, including Högbondens fyr in the High Coast World Heritage area and Stora Fjäderägg and Bergudden in Norra Kvarken. Expect hostel standard: shared kitchens, self-catering and sometimes your own sheets. Access is by scheduled boat or water taxi, so the boat time decides your arrival.
Can you still sleep on the af Chapman ship or in the Arlanda jumbo jet?
No. STF closed its hostel aboard af Chapman in Stockholm in autumn 2022; the ship reopened in summer 2026 only as a café and event venue. Jumbo Stay, the hostel inside a Boeing 747 at Arlanda, went bankrupt and the aircraft is being dismantled. Many online lists still include both, so check any unusual stay is currently taking bookings.
How far ahead should I book an unusual stay in Sweden?
As early as your dates are fixed. No official lead time exists, but the numbers explain the pressure: Treehotel has nine treerooms, Kolarbyn twelve huts, Högbonden nine rooms. Peak season for each type — winter for ice and Arctic treehouses, summer for islands — fills first. Check the cancellation terms before paying, because Swedish law gives no cooling-off period.
Are unusual stays in Sweden accessible for wheelchair users?
Some, but rarely the whole place. At Treehotel one treeroom, the Blue Cone, is wheelchair-accessible, with a ramp to the restaurant and vehicle transport to the rooms on request. STF’s Högbonden lighthouse describes itself as accessibility-friendly without meeting all STF criteria. Off-grid huts with outdoor toilets are generally not adapted, so contact the operator before booking.
Related guides
- Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi — the winter ice rooms in full detail.
- Hostels in Sweden and the STF network — the sheets, cleaning and membership rules that apply at lighthouse and hut hostels.
- Flights to Kiruna and Luleå — the fastest way north to a treehouse or ice room.
- The night train to Lapland — the car-free overland route to Boden and Kiruna.
- Northern lights in Sweden — why a winter night in an Arctic treehouse is worth the trip.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Treehotel, Svenska Turistföreningen (STF), Visit Sweden, Västsverige, Stockholms stad, Sveriges riksdag — full register in this topic’s source file. Nightly rates are deliberately not published. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.