Bosses at a Swedish hotel made out of ice and snow say they are a “little surprised” after being ordered to install fire alarms.

Tourists flock from all over the world to stay in the vast igloo in the country’s far north, where they sleep on an ice bed in temperatures as low as -8C (18F).

Located in the small Arctic town of Jukkasjarvi, the Icehotel is rebuilt every winter but it melts by spring.

The first guests stayed at the hotel in 1990, but authorities have this year demanded it put in the alarms for safety reasons.

Hotel spokeswoman Beatrice Karlsson said: “We were a little surprised at first, but the reason is that 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.”

Construction is dependent upon constant sub-freezing temperatures and the alarms made building the hotel even harder than before.

The environment is humid, and ice and snow… move, so it 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 alarms were tested last winter with the local fire department.

The Icehotel was the first of its kind in the world, but others have since popped up in Norway, Canda and Japan.

The structure was first conceived as a work of art and has stayed true to its artistic roots, getting a new design annually which often features ice sculptures.

The hotel is constructed using layers of “snice” – a mixture of snow and ice – which features the insulating properties of snow and is both lighter than ice and stronger than snow.

Each year the mixture is sprayed over arch-shaped frames and left to set until they are solid enough for the moulds to be removed and reveal a stunning ice hotel.

The hotel opens for business in December this year and will stay open until April.

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