Building igloos is a common and beloved activity from many people’s childhoods, so it’s no surprise that the Ice Hotel is so popular. Of course, it’s also a great way to try something unique that creates amazing memories to tell all your friends about.

If you’re not afraid of ice and cold weather, the Quebec Ice Hotel is something you need to take the opportunity to visit. With something so out of the ordinary, it’s likely that you’ve got a lot of questions about the Ice Hotel before you book a visit.

What is the Ice Hotel?

The Quebec Ice Hotel is exactly what it says it is, a hotel made from ice. This isn’t an over-exaggeration, either, the hotel is entirely made from ice and snow. With over 500 tons of ice and 40,000 tons of snow, this is the only Ice Hotel in North America. This also means that there’s no heat inside and any warmth comes from body heat trapped in rooms. The inside of the hotel typically stays at -5 degrees Celsius, or 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the freezing temperatures, you do have to be well prepared and take precautions during your stay. Overnight guests are even given an orientation before their first night to ensure they stay safe.

The Quebec Ice Hotel has been around for nearly two decades. While it’s been a popular winter destination for that long, the structure itself is brand new. Being that it’s made entirely from ice and snow, the hotel needs to be taken down and rebuilt each winter. Even if you visit each winter, you get to see a new hotel. Each year, the hotel has a new theme for guests to enjoy. Local artists and architects are invited to help design and create the hotel and make it something magical. Every room at the Ice Hotel is a unique work of art.

Activities at the Ice Hotel

Enjoying the architecture of the hotel itself is enough of a reason to visit the Ice Hotel, but it has plenty more to offer guests. One of the most popular things to do at the Ice Hotel is to visit the bar made entirely of ice. Here, you even get your drinks served to you in glasses made from ice. Of course, they do give you the chance to get warm during your stay. To take a break from all the ice and the cold, the Ice Hotel has an outdoor spa where you can relax in a hot tub before going back to the cold. Adults and kids will also be able to enjoy sliding down an ice slide inside of the hotel. The Ice Hotel is even the perfect place to have a wedding. Here, you’ll also be able to find a chapel made entirely of ice that makes the perfect backdrop for any winter wedding. In addition to everything at the Ice Hotel, there’s more winter activities to do right by it to complete your trip. While you’re there, be sure to stop by the Village Vacances Valcartier, one of the best resorts in Canada. This gives you a great chance to enjoy some of the best parts of winter, such as snow tubing and ice skating. As a nice break from all the outdoor activities, they even have an indoor water park.

Do You Have to Stay Overnight?

While a hotel made from ice is a unique experience, many people understandably don’t want to sleep in an ice room overnight. Even the beds at the ice hotel are made of ice, so this can get to be too much for many people. While the hotel provides you with the best sleeping bags available, there’s no denying it is still going to be cold. Fortunately, if an overnight stay doesn’t interest you, you can just skip that part. Guests can visit the hotel during the day and experience everything it has to offer, and then go somewhere else to stay at night. In fact, many people choose not to spend the night at the hotel and stay at regular one nearby instead.

For anyone who wants to visit the hotel during the day and stay somewhere more comfortable at night, renting an RV is the perfect solution. If you want to get the overnight experience, you can always stay there one night and then return to your RV for the rest of your trip. CanaDream has a location in Mirabel that’s only three hours away from the Ice Hotel, which helps make your trip even easier. Plus, there’s plenty more to do in the area that you don’t want to miss out on and having an RV with you makes it simple to visit everywhere on your list.