A pair of unusual hotels in Sweden have been voted two of the best places in the world.
One hotel built entirely out of ice and another among the tree tops were chosen as two of the "world's greatest places" to stay by Time Magazine.
The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna in the far north of Sweden is famous around the world, and you may be tired of hearing about it getting another accolade, but there you go.
Its permanent section, Icehotel 365, which opened two years ago, received particular praise by Time:
"There's no hotel quite like Sweden's new Icehotel 365, whose suites – featuring ice sculptures of animals, staircases and more – remain open all year. To prevent melting, the structure relies on solar-powered controls, which keep temperatures at 23F (-5C)."
The Icehotel, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT
The magazine also praised the Tree Hotel in the northern forests of Harads, which opened in 2010 and has welcomed several global celebrities among their guests.
Its rooms are no ordinary tree huts: one has a mirror exterior which reflects its surroundings and makes it near-invisible, one resembles a bird's nest and another a UFO.
"Although some guests may have to travel to a separate facility to shower, fans argue that that's a small sacrifice to make for a one-of-a-kind camping experience, especially when it's under the Northern Lights," writes Time Magazine.
The full list of 100 destinations is grouped into three categories: to visit, to stay and to eat and drink.
Sweden's Nordic neighbours also make an appearance: amusement park Tivoli in Copenhagen, the sauna Löyly in Helsinki and geothermal spa Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik.
