Ice Hotel Honeymoon
Imagine you and your
honey snuggling together in a pair of zipped-together sleeping bags,
keeping each other warm even though you're
on a bed made of ice inside a hotel made of snow and ice. Sound
romantic?
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A couple exchanges
vows at the Ice Hotel in Quebec City, Canada.
(Photo credit:
Ice Hotel
Québec-Canada © Yves Tessier) |
If so, join the crowd of couples heading to snow-and-ice hotels
around the world. Besides the novelty factor, these destinations offer a variety of
unique winter
activities including dogsledding, playing a pipe organ made of ice,
watching the northern lights paint the nighttime sky, or warming up in a sauna.
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ROMANTIC SPOT
Never heard of a hotel
made of ice and snow? There are at least five around the world, with more being planned
every year. The first one was built in 1990 in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
Since then, similar hotels have been developed in Quebec City, Canada; Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; Kemi, Finland; and most recently, near
Fairbanks, Alaska (find links to creative honeymoon
ideas for each of these destinations below).
Since the hotels melt
away in the spring, they are rebuilt from scratch every year. The
builders generally get a head start on construction by making elements
such as drinking glasses and sculptures in freezers well before winter
sets in. Once it does, ice is harvested from local lakes or rivers; most
of the hotels claim to have the best-quality (clearest) ice in the
world. The hotels are usually open from December or January through
March or early April.
"Awesome,"
"incredibly beautiful," and "a once-in-a-lifetime experience" are among
the gushy superlatives people use to describe visits to these
destinations. Snow and
ice do strange and magical things to light, lending an ethereal quality
to the hotels' interior. These aren't small igloos—they're large,
multi-room buildings, some with 20-foot ceilings; most of them include a
chapel, a restaurant (tables, plates and drinking glasses may be made of
ice), a theater, hot tubs or saunas, and guest rooms ranging from simple
accommodations to elaborately decorated theme suites. Bars serving vodka
in shot glasses made of ice are popular mainstays at each of the hotels;
the high alcohol content of vodka prevents it from freezing. Several of
the hotels employ professional, award-winning ice sculptors to design
and carve furniture and fantastic sculptures, including chandeliers lit
by fiber-optic lights. Beds, benches, bars—even a working pipe
organ—are all made of ice. Animal furs or colorful cloth soften the
frozen environment and provide a relatively warm place to rest. Among
the few things not made of frozen water are the doors; all the
hotels except the SnowHotel either leave doorways empty or simply hang
deer skins in them.
While overnight
guests do sleep on a bed made of ice, they're made relatively
comfortable by a thin foam mattress, deer skins, and cold-weather mummy
sleeping bags (couples have the option of zipping their sleeping bags
together). Skipping the vodka shots might be a good idea, since midnight
bathroom runs tend to be rather chilly—although the shared bathrooms
are, thankfully, heated. Guests might warm up in the morning with a hot
drink served to them in bed or a trip to the sauna.
But let's cut to
everyone's most pressing question: Is sleeping in a hotel made of snow
and ice comfortable?
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Fire and ice mix to
make a romantic mood—yes, that really is a fireplace in a
room made of snow and ice. (Photo credit:
Ice Hotel
Québec-Canada © Yves Tessier) |
Opinions among guests
seem to be divided. Most people report being mildly uncomfortable, but
not enough to ruin the experience. Because the hotels are basically made
of frozen water, inside temperatures never exceed the freezing point,
but the same materials also provide insulation against colder
temperatures outside; the indoor temperature usually ranges from
23°-28°F. Most of the hotel operators provide heated accommodations
(cabins or another hotel) on the same site. The hotel operators usually
advise guests to stay in the cold accommodations for only one night, booking
additional nights in the heated facilities. In fact, several packages
provide guests with two rooms per night—the ice room and a
heated room in another hotel. On top of that precaution, some hotels
also provide guests with cold-weather clothes. The bottom line: Most
overnight guests say they loved the experience, but if you're the sort
of person who is always turning up the heat, it would probably be better
to limit your experience to a daytime tour.
Although they all
have a lot in common, each destination offers a slightly different
experience; read about the attractions of each destination via the
links below.
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At the time of this writing (January
2004), a night for two in an ice-and-snow hotel cost anywhere from about $275-$550, depending on
the type of room and the season.
Check each hotel's website (links below) for details and current rates.
Note that some rates include simultaneous rental of an ice room
and a nearby heated hotel room on the same site. Use the currency converter
in the "Links" section of this page to convert rates given in foreign
currencies.
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Follow these links to descriptions and
resources for hotels made of snow and ice at the following destinations:
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With so many possibilities, it's hard
to choose the most romantic spot, but we'll be diplomatic by choosing
one you might find at any of these destinations. If you can manage
it, we imagine nothing would beat cuddling with your sweetie under the
stars as you watch the aurora borealis paint the night sky in
ever-changing bands of light.
Your honeymoon story
Have you done this trip (whether on
your honeymoon or other travel)? We'd love to hear about your experience
so we can share it with others . . . just
drop us a line.
Last Updated:
March 4, 2004 |
