Svalbard Hotell Polfareren

Check-in happens at the reception desk, open around the clock, a practical necessity this far north. Svalbard Hotell Polfareren stands in the middle of Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost town of any size, and takes its design cues from Eivind Astrup, a Norwegian polar explorer who died at twenty-four after two Arctic expeditions. The rooms and public spaces borrow his qualities on purpose: plain, sturdy, built to last. Rustic timber and dark tones run through the interiors, a deliberate contrast to the pale, flat light outside for much of the year. The lobby holds a fireplace, a wide sofa and windows looking out over the settlement and the hills behind it. A polar library sits off to one side. It is a quiet room. Guests can order drinks at the bar or take dinner at Restaurant Polfareren, the hotel's own dining room, before heading out to whatever the Arctic evening brings — northern lights, if the sky cooperates, or simply the dark. Breakfast is served on-site each morning, and housekeeping, room service and Wi-Fi are standard. A conference room and gift shop round out the ground floor. Parking is available for guests arriving by vehicle, though most visitors reach Longyearbyen by air, the town's isolation being rather the point.