Ice hotel

An ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up of snow and sculpted blocks of ice. They may be visited by adventurous travelers that are comfortable with the outdoors. Ice hotels are dependent upon sub-freezing temperatures, are constructed from ice and snow, and typically have to be rebuilt every year. Ice hotels exist in several countries, and they have varying construction styles, services and amenities, the latter of which may include ice bars, restaurants, chapels, saunas and hot tubs.

Overview

Ice hotels are promoted for adventurous travelers who are interested in novelties and unusual environments and are comfortable with the outdoors. Customers have to be prepared to sleep in beds made of snow or ice, but in the warmth of furs, blankets and sleeping bags designed to withstand extremely cold temperatures. Temperature in the rooms is below zero Celsius, but much warmer than outside. Staying at an ice hotel is expensive as prices for a night range from around US $300 to $3,000. Some ice hotels may be destination hotels.

Ice Hotel (Quebec)

The Ice Hotel (French: Hôtel de Glace) near Quebec City, Quebec, Canada is the first and only true ice hotel in North America.

History

The ice hotel opened on New Year's Day in 2001. For its first year, it was located in Montmorency Falls Park, on the outskirts of Quebec City, with plans right from the beginning to move to the nearby Duchesnay resort for its next year. It had been built there from 2002 to 2010. In 2011, the Hôtel de Glace moved to a new site, in Charlesbourg. It has been built there ever since.

The hotel is located 5 km north of Quebec City, on the first slopes of the Laurentian mountains, in the Charlesbourg borough. It is the first and only ice hotel in North America and is built each December for an opening date in early January. The hotel has a three-month lifespan each year before being brought down in April. It had 11 double beds when it first opened in 2001. It has now 51 double beds, all made of ice and followed by a solid wood base and comfortable mattress. When the time comes, a cozy sleeping bag, an isolating bed sheet and a pillow are delivered to the rooms. Only the bathrooms are heated and located in a separate insulated structure.