ice hotel Quebec, Canada

Ice hotel

An ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up of snow, sculpted blocks of ice, and, in some cases, some steel framing. They are promoted by their sponsors and have special features for travelers who are interested in novelties and unusual environments, and thus are in the class of destination hotels. Their lobbies are often filled with ice sculptures, and food and beverages are specially chosen for the circumstances.

All of the ice hotels are reconstructed every year, and are dependent upon constant sub-freezing temperatures during construction and operation. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made entirely of ice or compacted snow, and are held together using a substance known as snice, which takes the place of mortar in a traditional brick-built hotel

Existing each year between December and April, the Icehotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden was the world's first ice hotel. In 1989, Japanese ice artists visited the area and created an exhibition of ice art. In spring 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition in a cylinder-shaped igloo in the area. One night there were no rooms available in the town, so some of the visitors asked for permission to spend the night in the exhibition hall. They slept in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skin – the first guests of the "hotel."

The entire hotel is made out of snow and ice blocks taken from the Torne River – even the glasses in the bar are made of ice. Each spring, around March, Icehotel harvests tons of ice from the frozen Torne River and stores it in a nearby production hall with room for over 10,000 tons of ice and 30,000 tons of snow. The ice is used for creating Icebar designs and ice glasses, for ice sculpting classes, events and product launches all over the world while the snow is used for building a strong structure for the building. About 1,000 tons of what is left is used in the construction of the next Ice Hotel.

[edit]Canada

Main article: Ice Hotel (Quebec)

The Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) first opened in January 2011. It was originally located on the shores of Lac-Saint-Joseph, Quebec, 30 minutes north of Quebec City, but has since moved closer to the city, 10 minutes away from Old Town Quebec.^[1] It operates from the first week in January to the last week in March.^[2] It was the first in the world to make a bed and everything else out of ice.

[edit]Norway

[edit]Kirkenes Snow Hotel

Kirkenes Snow Hotel is situated in the eastmost town of Norway, close to the Norwegian-Russian border. The hotel had its first season during winter 2006/2007, the hotel had 20 rooms and the largest snow dome in Norway (8 metres high and 12 metres in diameter). All the rooms were individually decorated by the ice artists from Finland and Japan. The west Snow Hall was decorated by a local sculptor Arild Wara. A night in the snow hotel is combined with a special dinner prepared on an open fire, the visitors can also get a sauna before or after staying at the hotel. There is also a reindeer park and a husky farm in the hotel area.

[edit]Ice Lodge

The Ice Lodge is one of the largest in Norway and part of the Bjorligard Hotel. It has a longer season than most ice hotels because of its altitude (1,250 meters above sea level).

[edit]Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta has been rebuilt yearly since 2000. It is Europe’s northernmost ice hotel, as it is located in the Finnmark region and is approximately 250 km from North Cape. The 2000 square meter hotel has 30 rooms, including 2 suites and it is decorated with numerous ice sculptures and ice furnishings, including lighting systems which enhance the different types of crystalline formations. Besides the bedrooms the hotel also contains an ice chapel, ice gallery and ice bar where drinks are served in glasses made of ice. The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta has a changing theme every year. In 2004, it was a Viking theme, in 2005, Norwegian fairytales, and in 2006, the theme was wild animals of the region. The guests use sleeping bags that sit on top of reindeer hides.

[edit]Romania

Ice Church in Romania, 2011

In 2006, the first ice hotel in Eastern Europe was built in Romania, deep in the Făgăraş Mountains, at an altitude of 2034 m. Due to its altitude and remote location the Ice Hotel is only accessible via cable car in the winter.

This picturesque setting is next to Bâlea Lake, where each year local craftsmen wait for the lake to freeze, before using the ice to build the small 14 room Ice Hotel and its adjacent Ice Church. Local artists imitate sculptures by Romanian modernist sculptor, Constantin Brâncuşi. Typically the hotel is completed in December and is open until it melts in late April or early May.

Bedding, furs, specialist sleeping bags are all provided, with bathroom facilities nearby. There are also two chalets within walking distance, which also provide accommodation. Activities such as skiing, sledging or perhaps a ride on a snow bike are on offer. For those who are more organised and adventurous you can even arrange heliskiing.

The Bâlea Lake Ice Hotel is Romanian owned, but has a relationship with a travel company Untravelled Paths Limited, based in the United Kingdom.

[edit]Finland

[edit]Lainio Snow Village

Snow Village is located in Western part of Finnish Lapland, in close proximity of Ylläs and Levi ski-resorts and easily reachable from the international airport of Kittilä.

The annual construction of the Snow Village begins when the temperature drops to about −10 °C (14 °F) which is usually at the end of October or the beginning of November. Approximately 1500 tonnes (1650 US tons) of snow and 300 tonnes (330 US tons) of crystal clear, natural ice are used for the construction. The constructors, specialized in using snow and ice as building material, are constantly developing new tools and instruments for snow construction and exploring innovative ways of taking this artform into new levels.

Snow Village is built entirely of snow and ice covering approximately an area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft). During the winter season, about 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of covered indoor spaces are built as a combination of different snow and ice structures. The architectural design and the themes of interior decoration vary from year to year. Visitors can find in there for example the biggest ice dome of Europe and an à la carte restaurant with ice carved tables and bar, in addition to snow galleries full of beautifully illuminated ice art.

At Snow Village the visitors can also spend a night in a room made of snow and ice. Because of the good insulating qualities of snow, the indoor temperature of Snow Village remains always between -2 and -5 °C (28 and 23 °F), regardless of the outdoor temperature. There are approximately 30 rooms, all made of ice and snow. Individually decorated suites with different themes are also available.

Ice Hotel (Quebec)

The Ice Hotel (French: Hôtel de Glace) near Quebec City, Quebec, Canada is the first ice hotelin North America.^[2]

[edit]History

The Ice Hotel opened on New Year's Day in 2001.^[1] For its first year it was located in Montmorency Falls Park, which is on the outskirts ofQuebec City,^[1] with plans right from the beginning to move to the nearby Duchesnay resort for its next year, where it has been built ever since.^[1]

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 ice hotel in North America and is built each December for an opening date in early January. The hotel has a four-month lifespan each year before being brought down in April.^[3] It had 22 beds when it first opened in 2000. In its last iteration it had 85 beds, all made of ice but lined withdeer furs and covered with mattresses and Arctic sleeping bags. Only the bathrooms are heated and located in a separate insulated structure.

It takes about a month and a half to build with 60 workers. The Hotel makes its own snow using a special mixture to adjust the humidity.^[3] It is built with metal frames, it is allowed to harden for a few days, and then the cranes are removed.^[3] The hotel is made of 15,000 tons of snow and 500,000 tons of ice and the walls are up to four feet thick.^[3]

[edit]Description

Ice Hotel Chapel, Quebec (February, 2006)

Same Chapel from afar

The hotel is usually made (the architecture and size may vary from season to season) in arches over rooms with 16 foot (5 m) and larger and higher spaces for one art galleries a club dubbed the N'Ice Club, an "Ice Café" and a 60-feet slide. The walls are over 4 feet (1.2 m) thick on average. All furniture is made of ice. In addition to using ice glasses as in the Kiruna ice hotel, the bar (and room service) also serves cold cuts on ice plates.

Amenities include a nightclub, movie theater, indoor heated washrooms and outdoor hot tubs.^[4]

[edit]Tourist site

The hotel has been described as a "tourist hotspot"^[3] and is backed by Quebec's tourism department.^[5] For its first year, it costs $350,000 to build, including $125,000 from the Quebec government.^[6]

Tours are available in French or English, seven days a week, and the hotel is otherwise open to the public.^[5] After the fourth season, the official statistics reported 220,000 visitors and 10,500 overnight guests.^[4] In its fifth season, it hosted around 70,000 tourists.^[3]

[edit]Weddings

There is a chapel where weddings are celebrated. The Ice Hotel has been described as one of the "10 dream wedding locations."^[7]

Eighteen weddings were conducted for the 2003 season,

Ice hotels are a kind of destination hotel found in northern climates. The Quebec Ice Hotel (French: Hôtel de Glace, oh-tel de glass) is the only one in North America.

The notion of staying in an ice hotel may be a romantic one (possibly the word "cosy" comes to mind); but what are the cold, hard facts of staying in this arctic accommodation? Let me answer some of the most common questions about staying at the Quebec Ice Hotel.

1. Where is the Quebec Ice Hotel?

Photo: Roderick Chen / Getty Images

In 2011, the Quebec Ice Hotel moves its location closer to Quebec City at The Quebec Ice Hotel is about 30 mins out of downtownQuebec City or about 20 mins from the Quebec City International Airport.
Address: Station touristique Duchesnay
75 Montée de l Auberge
Phone:(418) 875-4522

The Ice Hotel itself is set just apart from a simple lodge where guests check in and leave belongings in a locker room.

2. How Cold is it inside the Ice Hotel?

The temperature inside an ice hotel runs between -3°C and -5°C.  Like an igloo, the 4-foot thick ice walls insulate the interior and protect guests from the wind.

3. Can I Just Visit the Quebec Ice Hotel without Staying the Night?

Photo © 2009 Scott McLean

Tours of the Quebec Ice Hotel are available until the early evening, but ticket holders may stay on at the Ice Bar until midnight, after which the hotel remains open only to those people who have bought an overnight package.

For an additional cost, tours can include transportation to and from hotels in Quebec City.

4. What Are the Advantages To Staying Overnight at the Quebec Ice Hotel

Photo © 2009 Scott McLean

As I hope my pictures reflect, the Quebec Ice Hotel is a unique, fairytale-like structure. The artistry and work that has gone into its erection are truly impressive, and the interior lighting gives the Quebec Ice Hotel a strange and glorious glow. All of this magic is best appreciated at night when fewer people are actually in the hotel. Tours stop in the early evening, the DJ amps it up, and the hotel is turned over to the brave souls planning to stay the night.

Another advantage to staying at the Ice Hotel overnight? Don't underestimate bragging rights. "I stayed at the Quebec Ice Hotel" is a statement bound to intrigue and impress.

5. What's it Like Staying Overnight at the Ice Hotel?

Photo © 2009 Scott McLean

Staying overnight at the ice hotel is for hardy people who don't mind foregoing the comforts of a conventional hotel for the experience of sleeping in an upscale igloo. After a drink in the ice bar and a soak in the outdoor hot tub (however, not hot enough to warm us up), we moved to the sauna (thankfully, hot). Upon bedtime, we followed exactly the instructions as laid out earlier by Ice Hotel staff. I got into my sleeping bag, warm and dry and enjoyed 3 or 4 hrs of sound sleep; after this, even my -30°C North Face sleeping bag couldn't save me from the chill of the Quebec night and I arose cold and miserable.

Certainly, there is a novelty and indeed a magic to staying in an ice hotel. I'm glad I did it. Would I do it again? Not a chance.

6. Do I Actually Sleep on a Bed of Ice?

Yes, but you are separated from the solid ice base by a wooden boxspring and mattress.

7. What about Going to the Bathroom?

A heated structure adjacent to the outdoor hot tubs and sauna has electricity, male / female changerooms, flush toilets, hairdryers and lockers.

8. Do the Rooms have Doors? Lighting?

Photo © 2009 Scott McLean

Rooms at the Quebec Ice Hotel do not have doors, but do have a pull curtain for privacy. Noise does not seem to be a problem. Most people conserve their energy and retire quietly into the the hollow silence you would expect of an igloo.

Beds have a light switch built right onto the bed for convenience.

9. Where Do We Eat?

Meals - if they are included in your package - are served just up the road at the Auberge Duchesnay. The meals we had there were excellent.

10. How Should I Prepare for Staying at the Ice Hotel?

First decide whether a night at the Ice Hotel is really something you want to do, or is it just a romantic notion. I saw some shivering, shell-shocked people in the locker room and lobby at 6 am, who, when I talked to them, were just not versed in the realities of staying overnight in an ice hotel. Remember, a tour and a drink at the Ice Hotel is an option (and there's a glorious and warm lodge just a stone's throw away from the Ice Hotel for accommodation).

If you decide that staying at the Ice Hotel is what you want, check out the promotions and packages available online. Most packages include a delicious dinner and a room at the neighbouring Auberge Duchesnay (a kind of insurance policy against the cold). Promotions are more bare-bones.

11. What's Included in Staying at the Ice Hotel? What is the Cost?

Promotions and packages vary in price and in what they include. Overnight stays include an Ice Bar cocktail, access to the *hot* tubs (not too hot the night we were there!) and sauna, gear to sleep in the Ice Hotel rooms (thermal sleeping bag and camping pillow) plus instructions on how to stay warm, and hot morning beverage. Many promotions also offer a hot breakfast at the Auberge Duchesnay, just a 3-minute walk up the road.

Packages are more comprehensive in their offerings, including a room at the Auberge Duchesnay - either as back-up or primary accommodation - and dinner at the Auberge restaurant. Packages generally have themes, such as romance or adventure.

Rates run from about CAD$180 - over $500 per night, per person plus taxes.