All of the ice hotels are reconstructed every year, and are dependent upon constant sub-freezing temperatures during construction and operation. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made entirely of ice, and are held together using a substance known as snice, which takes the place of mortar in a traditional brick-built hotel.
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Sweden
Main article: Icehotel (Jukkasjärvi)
Existing each year between December and April, the Icehotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden was the world's first ice hotel. In 1989, Japanese ice artists visited the area and created an exhibition of ice art. In Spring 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition in a cylinder-shaped igloo in the area. One night there were no rooms available in the town, so some of the visitors asked for permission to spend the night in the exhibition hall. They slept in sleeping bags on top of reindeer skin - the first guests of the "hotel".The entire hotel is made out of snow and ice blocks taken from the Torne River - even the glasses in the bar are made of ice. Each spring, around March, Icehotel harvests tons of ice from the frozen Torne River and stores it in a nearby production hall with room for over 10,000 tons of ice and 30,000 tons of snow. The ice is used for creating Icebar designs and ice glasses, for ice sculpting classes, events and product launches all over the world while the snow is used for building a strong structure for the building. About 1,000 tons of what is left is used in the construction of the next Icehotel.
Canada
Main article: Ice Hotel (Québec)
The Hôtel de Glace is celebrating it's 11th year anniversary in 2011. It is located on the shores of Lac-Saint-Joseph, Quebec, just 30 minutes north of Québec City. It operates from the first week in January to the last week in March.[1] It was the first ever in the world to make a bed and everything else out of ice.The hotel de glace is now located at Hôtel de Glace Québec-Canada inc. 9530, rue de la Faune Québec Québec Canada G1G 5H9 Téléphone : 418 623.2888 Toll free : 1 877 505.0423 (Canada et États-Unis)
Google maps still shows it on Lac-Saint Joseph but it has since moved closer to the city and is 10 minutes away from Old Town Quebec.
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Norway
Kirkenes Snow Hotel
Kirkenes Snow Hotel is situated in the eastmost town of Norway, close to the Norwegian-Russian border. The hotel had its first season during winter 2006/2007, the hotel had 20 rooms and the largest snow dome in Norway (8 metres high and 12 metres in diameter). All the rooms were individually decorated by the ice artists from Finland and Japan. The west Snow Hall was decorated by a local sculptor Arild Wara. A night in the snow hotel is combined with a special dinner prepared on an open fire, the visitors can also get a sauna before or after staying at the hotel. There is also a reindeer park and a husky farm in the hotel area.Ice Lodge
The Ice Lodge is one of the largest in Norway and part of the Bjorligard Hotel. It has a longer season than most ice hotels because of its altitude (1,250 meters above sea level).Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta
Sorrisniva Igloo hotel, Alta has been rebuilt yearly since 2000. It is Europe’s northernmost ice hotel, as it is located in the Finnmark region and is approximately 250 km from North Cape. The 2000 square meter hotel has 30 rooms, including 2 suites and it is decorated with numerous ice sculptures and ice furnishings, including lighting systems which enhance the different types of crystalline formations. Besides the bedrooms the hotel also contains an ice chapel, ice gallery and ice bar where drinks are served in glasses made of ice. The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta has a changing theme every year. In 2004, it was a Viking theme, in 2005, Norwegian fairytales, and in 2006, the theme was wild animals of the region. The guests use sleeping bags that sit on top of reindeer hides.Romania
In 2006, the first ice hotel in Eastern Europe was built in Romania, deep in the Făgăraş Mountains, at an altitude of 2034 m. Due to its altitude and remote location the Ice Hotel is only accessible via cable car in the winter.This picturesque setting is next to Bâlea Lake, where each year local craftsmen wait for the lake to freeze, before using the ice to build the small 10 room Ice Hotel and its adjacent Ice Church. Local artists imitate sculptures by Romanian modernist sculptor, Constantin Brâncuşi. Typically the hotel is completed in December and is open until it melts in late April or early May.
Bedding, furs, specialist sleeping bags are all provided, with bathroom facilities nearby. There are also two chalets within walking distance, which also provide accommodation. Activities such as skiing, sledging or perhaps a ride on a snow bike are on offer. For those who are more organised and adventurous you can even arrange heliskiing.
The Bâlea Lake Ice Hotel is Romanian owned, but has a relationship with a travel company Untravelled Paths Limited, based in the United Kingdom.
Finland
Lainio Snow Village
The annual construction of the Snow Village begins when the temperature drops to about −10 °C (14 °F) which is usually at the end of October or the beginning of November. Approximately 1500 tonnes (1650 US tons) of snow and 300 tonnes (330 US tons) of crystal clear, natural ice are used for the construction. The constructors, specialized in using snow and ice as building material, are constantly developing new tools and instruments for snow construction and exploring innovative ways of taking this artform into new levels.
Snow Village is built entirely of snow and ice covering approximately an area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft). During the winter season, about 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of covered indoor spaces are built as a combination of different snow and ice structures. The architectural design and the themes of interior decoration vary from year to year. Visitors can find in there for example the biggest ice dome of Europe and an à la carte restaurant with ice carved tables and bar, in addition to snow galleries full of beautifully illuminated ice art.
At Snow Village the visitors can also spend a night in a room made of snow and ice. Because of the good insulating qualities of snow, the indoor temperature of Snow Village remains always between -2 and -5 °C (28 and 23 °F), regardless of the outdoor temperature. There are approximately 30 rooms, all made of ice and snow. Individually decorated suites with different themes are also available.
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