ARTICLES
Ice Hotel in Canada
The Ice Hotel (Hotel de Glace) opened on New Year's Day 2001. In its first year of operation, it was located in Montmorency Falls Park, on the outskirts of Quebec City. However, it was always planned to be moved to the nearby Duchesnay resort, where it has been constructed annually ever since.
The Hotel de Glace is situated 5 km north of Quebec City, in the Charlesbourg district, on the slopes of the Laurentian Mountains. It is the first ice hotel in North America, built each December and opened at the beginning of January. The hotel enjoys a four-month operational period each year before being dismantled in April.
In 2000, at its inauguration, the hotel had 22 beds. In its most recent incarnation, it featured 85 beds made of ice, but covered with deer furs, topped with mattresses and sleeping bags suited for arctic conditions. Only the bathrooms are heated and located in a separate insulated structure.
Construction of the hotel, carried out by 60 workers, takes about a month and a half. The hotel is made from its own snow with a special mix to regulate humidity. During construction, metal frames are used to allow the structure to harden properly, after which they are removed. The hotel requires 15,000 tons of snow and 500,000 tons of ice, with walls up to four meters thick.
The hotel is usually equipped (architecture and size may vary from season to season) with arches over rooms reaching 5 meters high and higher spaces used for art galleries. There is also the N'Ice Club and the Ice Cafe, as well as a 60-meter slide. The walls are typically 1.2 meters thick. All furniture is made of ice. In addition to using ice glasses, like the hotel in Kiruna, the bar (and room service) also serves cold cuts on ice plates.
Other amenities include a nightclub, a cinema, an indoor heated washroom, and outdoor hot tubs.
Photos: Ice Hotel
TAGS
By using the website, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with your browser settings.
Privacy Policy