Monday, November 7, 2016

Chilling at Quebec's Ice Hotel, Hotel de Glace

When Sweden's Icehotel opened in 1990, I dreamed of going there. While I haven't had the chance to go to Sweden at all, luckily I can experience an ice hotel in Canada! Hotel de Glace is open every winter in Quebec, giving vacationers the chance to tour, sleep in, drink in, or even get married in this wintry surroundings.
Hotel de Glace
I decided not to stay at Hotel de Glace, but instead to take a tour of the hotel. In the afternoon, all the rooms of the hotel are open for public tours. In the evening, the hotel is closed to the public and overnight guests can sleep in private.
Hotel de Glace
For the day tour-goers, especially families with children, there's an ice slide they can go on (hey, adults are welcome, too).
Hotel de Glace
Each room has a different theme and decor (think ice sculptures) and the price is different as well. This was one of the most expensive suites (which comes with a private hot tub and bathroom)
Hotel de Glace

I have to say, it's pretty cool-looking, literally and figuratively! The ice beds are equipped with Nordic sleeping bags that will keep you warm through the night. My concern was actually the possibility that I have to go to the bathroom after getting into bed at night LOL.

As you can't go potty on ice, most of the rooms don't have their own bathrooms, instead there's a normal, ice-less building next door with a locker room and showers and toilets along with the cafeteria. You should probably finish all that business before settling into your Nordic sleeping bag.

There's also an Arctic Spa with hot tubs.
Hotel de Glace
Sadly for us, it wasn't sugar shack season anymore when we visited. Next year!
Hotel de Glace
There's also a chapel - an ice chapel. They hold a lot of destination weddings here with some brides wearing fur coats or capes.
Hotel de Glace
The Heineken Bar
Hotel de Glace
More themed rooms:
Hotel de Glace
One of the rooms last year even had this ice sculpture of a snow mobile.
Hotel de Glace
We ended our visit with a drink at the ice bar. Some of the drinks are served in these ice glasses/vessels - of course, we opted for those.
Hotel de Glace
We tried cocktails made with an apple ice wine called Neige. The drinks were sweet but pretty potent and helped to warm us up.
Hotel de Glace
Whether you are spending the night or just a couple of hours touring the hotel, Hotel de Glace is certainly a unique property that you should check out. This winter, the hotel and its 44 rooms will be built at Valcartier Vacation Village, which makes it even better since guests will be in close proximity of Valcartier's various activities like dogsledding, indoor waterpark, snow tubing, and more.
Hotel de Glace will be open January 4 until March 26, 2017.

0 comments:

Gourmet Pigs   © 2008. Template Recipes by Emporium Digital

TOP