Hotels of Ice

By Chris Petry

If you’re ever in Quebec City between January and March, you can book a room at North America’s premier and, until 2012, only ice hotel. What is an ice hotel, you ask? No need to overthink it. It’s literally a hotel made of ice. Which is why bookings are only guaranteed within the aforementioned three-month period where temperatures and precipitation permit its construction.
 


Unless the very sight of snow and ice sends you into a blinding rage, it’s hard not to appreciate the marvelous engineering that results in the idiosyncratic lodging you’ll find at the hotel. The building is constructed of mechanically-produced blocks of snow and ice, packed onto metal frames where they will harden with a little chilly air and time over a period of days. When the blocks are frozen solid, they’re every bit, maybe more, as durable as concrete. Once completely settled, the metal framing is then removed.


 
Over 500 tons of ice are used in the construction of Hotel de Glace. An extra interesting detail is that the water used to produce the ice, is specifically distilled to create fully transparent blocks. The blocks are then accentuated with lighting to produce a truly unique visual experience.


 
All in all, it takes just under 60 days to build the ice hotel, each year. Construction can only begin once external temperatures in the province of Quebec have fallen below 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit for a full week. The internal temperature of the hotel itself rests at a rather brisk -5 degrees Celsius. Or 23 degrees Fahrenheit for us below the border. Beds in each room are made of… you guess it, ice. That said, they’re topped with an insulated mattress and each guest is provided with a sleeping bag duty rated to provide warmth in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius, or -22 degrees Fahrenheit. Which means, you’ll be plenty warm.


 
Don’t worry, there’s also a heated brick and mortar facility for those who find they can’t hack the cold. That’s also where you’ll find showers and restrooms since plumbing can’t be realistically installed and uninstalled with the ice-walled hotel every year.

So why would anyone want to stay in a hotel made out of ice as opposed to a heated 4-star accommodation with all the expected amenities? The experience. If you manage to stay overnight, you’ve done something that a very small percentage of the modern population has done. Of course, there’s probably not a long line of sun-worshippers with their finger on their mouse prepared to confirm a reservation.


 
The first ice hotel opened in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden in 1989. Which is relatively recent if you think about it. Since then, several have opened around the globe, providing adventurous tourists with more opportunities to cross the unique experience off their bucket list. Currently, you can visit ice hotels in Romania, Austria, Norway, Finland, Japan and, for the only American location, Alaska. Who knows, you might enjoy the experience so much you reach out to an agent from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred and Stouffer Realty to help you find a home made of ice! Of course, the yearly remodel won’t be cheap!