ICE HOTEL – A “HOT” VALENTINE’S DAY IDEA……..? 😉
Staying at a real ice hotel was always on my bucket list. So I finally decided to book a room at the only hotel of this kind in North America – Hôtel de Glace @hoteldeglace in Québec.
It was a “surprise” for my husband because I knew that if I ever mentioned it I would have been laughed at, and probably ridiculed for being crazy, lol. When my surprise got revealed he was NOT thrilled. He hates cold more than anybody I know. But he was a trooper, although not a happy one. Well, at least he tried. 😂
Situated in Valcartier, a short 40 minute drive from Québec City, it is a true winter wonderland, not only because of the unique concept, but also because of a giant “playground” right next to it.
The hotel is built anew every year, incorporating 40,000 tons of snow, 500 tons of ice, 42 rooms and suites, and showcasing a Grand Hall, a real bar, an ice slide, and a beautiful Chapel (which actually holds weddings if you ever dreamed of saying your vows half frozen while your teeth are chattering 🥶). There are also hot tubs right outside if you’re brave enough to get into a bikini.👙
The playground offers multiple inner tube slides named appropriately Avalanche, Himalaya, Everest and Tornado, as well as a 1 km long skateway. Next door, in Hôtel Valcartier (which you get an additional room in if you book yourself into the Ice Hotel – to change in and retreat to if you decide in the middle of the night that you are becoming an icicle 🤣), there is Bora Parc – a Polynesian-style indoor water park offering a gigantic wave pool, 14 water slides, an adventure river, and a double surf wave attraction.
Whether outside in the snow, or indoors in the water, the place is a fun heaven for kids and grownups alike. There are also a few restaurants, of course, an Aroma Spa, a boutique, and multiple stores.
What has been your most unusual hotel stay so far? I’d love to know. Share with me in the comments below……