Four buildings of ice and packed snow are described here. Each stands for one winter season and is raised again the following year from new material, so no room survives from season to season. Opening dates are not promised on this page. Three of the four operators also keep warm rooms nearby.
Hôtel de Glace
Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Québec, Canada
Each winter this building is raised again from ice and packed snow at Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, north of Québec City. Nothing from the previous season is kept: walls, vaults and carved rooms are cut new every year and melt away in spring. The site belongs to an operator whose warm buildings nearby stay open through all twelve months.
Inside there are sleeping chambers, carved halls, a chapel and a room where drinks are served. Beds stand on platforms of ice and snow, dressed with bedding provided by the house, and guests are given cold weather sleeping bags. Warm washrooms and changing rooms sit in a heated building next to the ice one.
Ask which parts of the building are standing this season and how a night there is organised, since the layout is drawn again each year. Confirm what bedding and clothing are supplied and what you bring. Opening and closing dates are set by the operator, so ask for them directly.
The building beside the Torne River at Jukkasjärvi is made from river ice and packed snow. It goes up at the start of every winter and returns to the river when it melts, so no room lasts beyond one season. The operator also keeps a second structure on the site that is cooled and stays open well past winter.
Carved suites, plain ice rooms, a hall and a bar are cut each year, and the carving is done by different makers from season to season. Warm buildings on the site hold washrooms, changing rooms, a restaurant and heated accommodation. Sleeping arrangements use insulated bags on ice beds, with bedding handed out at the reception.
Confirm which of the two buildings your dates fall in, because one is seasonal and the other runs longer. Ask what indoor temperature is usual and what clothing is lent. Dates and the number of carved rooms change each year, so take them from the operator rather than from here.
Category Ice Hotels · Location Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
Alta, Norway
On the bank of the Alta River in Finnmark, this snow and ice building is put up again for every winter season and taken down when it thaws. Carving, layout and room count are decided anew each year. A separate warm hotel building stands on the same grounds and works through the year, with ordinary heated rooms.
The seasonal building holds carved sleeping rooms, a hall, a bar of ice and a small chapel used for ceremonies. Bedding is a sleeping bag on a bed of ice and reindeer hide, with warm washrooms in the neighbouring building. A restaurant and reception in the warm hotel serve guests of both structures.
Ask whether your night is in the seasonal building or the warm one, as both are on the grounds. Confirm what is lent for the night and what should be brought. Season dates depend on the weather each year and are only worth taking from the operator directly.
Category Ice Hotels · Location Alta, Norway
Hotel of Ice at Bâlea Lac
Făgăraș Mountains, Romania
High in the Făgăraș range, beside Bâlea Lake, slabs cut from the frozen lake are used to build this seasonal house. It is raised again each winter and left to melt in spring, so nothing carries over. The site sits well above the tree line, and a chalet standing by the lake operates alongside the seasonal house through the same months.
Rooms are cut from ice and snow, with beds on ice platforms, and a hall and a small bar are built the same way. A church of ice has been raised in some seasons. Heated washrooms and a restaurant are in the neighbouring chalet, since the seasonal building itself carries no heating.
Access depends on the weather and on the mountain road and lift, and it can stop without warning. Ask the operator how guests reach the lake on your dates and what the return involves. No route advice is given here. Confirm what clothing and bedding are provided before you commit.
Category Ice Hotels · Location Făgăraș Mountains, Romania
