Spending the Night in a Canadian Ice Hotel
I wiggled myself into my thermal sleeping bag and extinguished the candle on my nightstand to hunker down for the challenge of sleeping the entire night in a pretty cool accommodation: an ice hotel.
Located in the Canadian province of Quebec, Hôtel de Glace is exactly what its name implies (glace is French for “ice”). Built anew every December, this winter attraction starts with snow — 30,000 tons worth — that is continuously churned out from snow blowers to build the hotel’s foundation. Ice is then involved in the building process. Blocks are partially used in the construction but also get turned into furniture and become stands for the hotel’s bar area.
Overnight guests at Hôtel de Glace are let into their rooms at 9 p.m. My game plan for the night was to first go for a cocktail at one of the three bar sections and then run back to my room at Village Vacances Valcartier to get dressed and use the toilet one last time. I also wanted to secure my snow-colored room key inside my pocket.
Apparently, there is no curfew inside Hotel de Glace, so guests can opt to return to their room at Village Vacances Valcartier at any time, particularly if they decide that they want to sleep there instead. I wasn’t sure I would stay the entire night in my ice room, but I figured I’d see how I felt – and how cold I would feel.
Room 41 was mine. It was cozy, reminding me of a studio apartment. I found my bed to be reasonably firm and the light switch readily accessible. I pulled out my sleep sack and put my boots inside its holding bag to keep them from freezing. While trying to fully remember my given instructions, I wormed my way into the sack. I tugged up the zipper and crunched myself down inside, while wearing my well-approved long johns and knit socks, along with gloves, snow pants, hat, and ski jacket (I tend to err on the side of caution). As an extra feeling of security, I kept one hand warmer inside one glove and another in a lined pocket. I pulled over my sleep sack hoodie and after a bit of maneuvering to get comfortable and removing a slightly sweaty hat, I slept. I woke up a bit during the night, but rolled back into a steady slumber.
Startled awake by my morning wakeup call, I unzipped myself, got dressed, left my sack on the bed, and headed out. Going back to my hotel room at Village Vacances Valcartier, I rewarded myself with a warm shower, put on a change of clothes, and headed down for breakfast inside the restaurant area. I don’t know if I would book a repeat reservation, but it’s interesting to check a stay at a place like Hôtel de Glace off my bucket list.
