Hôtel de Glace

About Hôtel de Glace

Hôtel de Glace is one of the most unique places you will probably ever stay in. From the design standpoint, the look and feel of the place, as well as the pure idea of sleeping in a frozen room/”igloo” is as unusual as it gets.

You can get married in their beautiful chapel, participate in ice sculpting competitions, have all sorts of fun drinks in the ice bar, go on an ice ride, jump into your bikini and head for the outdoor hot tubs and then share an ice bed! Unfortunately, you can’t share the sleeping bag/cocoon you have to sleep in though lol – sorry if you were hoping for a “hot” couples’ night!

What it’s like to stay at Hôtel de Glace

Sleeping in an ice hotel is a great way to find out your partner’s tolerance level for out-of-the-box experiences, as well as extreme cold. 😂

Staying at Hôtel de Glace was literally like being in a different world, an ice palace of sorts. With the beautiful ice and snow sculptures all around, you think you are somewhere else…maybe the North Pole? The temperature is kept at a constant -3C to -5C so dressing warm and layering your clothes is highly recommended.

More tips for staying at Hôtel de Glace

Once you are inside your special sleeping bag (those can withstand temperatures up to -30C), it is very warm and cozy. You’re likely even to start sweating if dressed too warm. The only drawback is an unwelcome trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night as it’s located outside! So it’s a good idea not to have too many drinks before going to bed.

Treat yourself to appropriate moisture-wicking layers if you can, warm gloves, something to cover your head with and a nice warm dinner before you go to bed. There are restaurants in the Valcartier Hotel next door (same property). If you are particularly sensitive to freezing cold, I suggest bringing a thermos with some hot tea, or maybe warm rum, lol. Once you book your room at the ice hotel, you automatically get another one at Hotel Valcartier where you can take a hot shower and rest before heading for your icy night experience.

You can’t go into the ice hotel until 8pm and you have to leave by 9am. They have scheduled tours between these hours.

The hotel is part of a bigger operation called Valcartier Village. It includes a regular hotel, restaurants, spa, a boutique, stores, an indoor water park (Bora Parc), and a whole winter playground outside, complete with many fantastic snow rides, a skate way, a snow fort, and a children’s playground. It is the largest winter playground in North America where you can be a kid again for a day, so make sure you arrive early to have some fun before heading for your icy experience.

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About me:
Hi, I’m Monika Tarkowska-Carter.  An aspiring travel blogger/writer/photographer – my main niche is luxury travel for discerning travelers, with emphasis on adventures of any kind (the more unusual the better!), food/wine, life/style. You can follow my adventures on my Instagram page @travel.sophisticate.

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