Each year, the Hotel de Glace is constructed on the outskirts of Quebec City, Canada, ready for guests during its limited season of three months. For those who want to add a night at the Hotel de Glace aka the Ice Hotel on their list of once in a lifetime musts, there’s a ritual in order to enjoy the experience.
Guests are encouraged to check-in at anytime, but since the hotel is open during the day as an attraction, its only in the evening that the how-to will apply. Each year the hotel is made of several tons of local ice block and snow, with the rooms celebrating the annual theme of the hotel.
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Rooms are different sizes, some with unique art or sculpture, but the same recommendations apply for all guests—in order for a good night’s sleep at Hotel de Glace, here’s the procedure:
1. Guests store their belongings in the heated areas of the hotel, and when they’re preparing for bedtime, are encouraged to spend time in the hotel’s hot tubs.
2. After soaking in the hot tub, guests are instructed to finish any bedtime rituals and put on pajamas in the heated area. Forget the slinky nightgown or the sexy see-through—or even the flannel pjs - guests are recommended to wear long sleeve long underwear or polar fleece, especially made of fabrics that wick away moisture, so when you sleep you won’t sweat excessively and feel cold.
3. Guests are to head to their room to get into bed, but not share the sleeping bags. Each room has walls and floors made of ice block and snow, with a discreet small hole in the ceiling. The doorways have curtains as there are no locked areas within the hotel section, and the hotel has a walled perimeter and security guards for guest security.
Each room has a double bed, which includes a platform bed made of ice block, a wood palette, a memory foam mattress, a four-season individual down sleeping bag with memory foam pillow and fur blanket.
Guests are encouraged NOT to join the two sleeping bags together, as to keep warmer, its best to sleep in the smaller space of one sleeping bag by yourself.
According to staff, men are more excited and interested in sleeping at Hotel de Glace than women, but after a night’s stay, the hotel receives more complaints from men than women about feeling cold.
Open since 2000, the Hotel de Glace always includes a bar/discotheque as part of its creation which serves cocktails in ice glasses as well as a chapel, which has been the site of 150 weddings in the past ten years and numerous engagements. So are you up for the challenge of a night’s stay?
Quebec offers more great winter travel experiences and that European atmosphere without having to cross the Atlantic.
By Waheeda Harris for TripAtlas.com
