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1.0 Introduction

Hôtel de Glace, the French word for “Ice Hotel”, is the first ice hotel that has ever

been built in North America. This exquisite hotel is situated near Québec City, Québec,

Canada. Hôtel de Glace is open annually to the public only during the winters, which is

around January to March every year. During these times, it is regarded as a must-see

attraction in the state of Canada.

Located at only 10 minutes away from downtown of Québec City, the hotel has

been recognized as one of the tourists’ hotspots in Canada and is backed by Québec’s

tourism department. As one of the unique hotels in America, Hôtel de Glace has

seduced half a million visitors from all over the world ever since its opening in 2001. Its

dazzling decorations and designs have left its visitors to stay in awe and amazement

throughout their stays in the hotel.

This hotel is also listed in the Signature Experiences Collection program - an

innovative marketing approach to lure more high-spending international travelers to

Canada and satisfy their craving for the unique and the exotic. This program was

launched by the Canada Tourism Commission on 11 th July 2011. This year, the hotel was opened to the public from January 7 th until March 27th,

2011. It was brought down and melted away in the summer. However, promotions for

next year’s opening have started, and is said to open on January 6th to March 25th, 2012.

2.0 History Hôtel de Glace

Hôtel de Glace was first opened to the public on the New Year’s Day of 2001.

During its first year, the hotel was built in Montmorency Falls Park, which is on the

outskirts of Québec City. On its second year, the location of the hotel was moved and

was built nearby Duchesnay resort, and has been statically built in the location ever

since.



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This hotel is built on early December every year, and will be open to the public in

the beginning of January. This hotel has a lifespan of four months every year, before

being brought down in April, and the leftovers are left to melt away as the winter walks

away. In its early development, the hotel offers 22 rooms to its visitors. However, now

the hotel provides a total of 36 rooms to its visitors, with all beds made from ice. The

only heated areas are the bathrooms and it is located in a separate insulated structure.

It will take six weeks to complete building this hotel every year with the power of

30 skilled workers, who will work around the clock. The hotel makes its own snow using

a special mixture to adjust the humidity. The hotel will first be built with metal frames

and is allowed to harden for a few days before the cranes are removed. Overall, this

hotel is made up of 15,000 tons of snow and 500,000 tons of ice. The thickness of itswalls is up to four feet thick while its ceiling is up to 18 feet tall.

Since this hotel is built every year, the interior designs of the hotel will tend to

differ from one year to another, depending on the creativity of its sculptors.

3.0 Special Features of Hôtel de Glace

As one of the unique hotels ever built in America, Hôtel de Glace is able to attract

the attention of many to come and experience the seasonal hotel and the services it has

to offer. Living up to its name, almost everything that is seen in the hotel is made of ice.

From the building to its rooms, down to its furniture are all made from ice. These are the

features that trigger the curiosity of many to come and experience the stay themselves.



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3.1 Accommodations

As mentioned earlier, this hotel has a total of 36 rooms available to its visitors.

However, there are four types of rooms to choose from, which consist of, Hôtel de

Glace rooms (basic rooms), themed suites , themed suites with fireplace , and themed

suites with fireplace and private spa.

All of the hotel’s beds have a solid ice base, with a wooden bedspring and

mattress on top. When evening comes, a cozy arctic sleeping bag will be delivered to

the guest’s room. The ambient bedroom temperature will remain between -3°C and -5°C,

no matter the outside temperature.

Being an exquisitely unique hotel, it is to no surprise that this hotel places highrates for the rooms. However, the rates are not affecting the arrival of tourists, both

domestic and international, to come to this hotel. The lowest room rate offered by Hôtel

de Glace is $399.20 CAD, which is the rate for the basic room during the low season.

Meanwhile, the highest rate offered by this hotel is $1072.09 CAD, a rate for the themed

suite with fireplace and private spa during the peak season. These rates are not the end

prices that a customer had to pay as these are only the basic price for the rooms

excluding taxes. Promotional prices starts from $179 CAD onwards.

3.2 Café, Bar & Other Facilities

The same as the other structures in the hotel, the café and bars are also made

from ice. From the counters to the furniture used by the guests, all are made from ice.

The hotel also provides its customers with hand-made glasses which are also sculpted

and carved from ice.

Another facility that is available in this hotel is a chapel. The chapel had held

more than 200 weddings, with 3,200 guest altogether, including a number of same-sex

marriages. This chapel is suitable to couples who wish to exchange their vows in a new

and exotic environment, as well as experiencing a special moment unlike any other.



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Apart from that, this hotel also provides indoor heated washrooms and outdoor

hot tubs built in an insulated area. These are the only places in the hotel that are heated.

Contrary to its temperature, these places are surrounded by ice walls, also made from

ice. Other amenities also include a nightclub and a movie theater.

3.4 Famous Guests

Hôtel de Glace’s unique features did not attract only plain visitors, but also had

lured in some famous celebrities. Those famous people include singers, movie stars,

sport celebrities, and the big names in the business industries. Below are the lists of

famous people who had stayed in this exquisite hotel:

Business:

1. Guy Laliberté (CEO of Cirque du Soleil)

2. The Marciano Family (Owners of Guess Jeans)

Sport Celebrities:

1. Mario Lemieux (The Magnificient)

2. David Douillet (Gold medalist in judo at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000)

Musicians / Singers:

1. Simple Plan

2. Fefe Dobson

3. Garou

Movie Stars:

1. Roger Moore (James Bond)

2. James J. Gandolfini Jr. (The Sopranos)

3. Dame Shirley Bassey

Other Personalities:

1. The prince and princess of Liechtenstein



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4.0 Conclusion

Testimonies from various sites on Hôtel de Glace have proven that this hotel has

been able to satisfy the needs of the guests. Most of the guests who had had the

chance and experience to stay in this hotel had left positive comments or reviews on the

hotel’s services. Even though there are some guests who complained on the increasing

room rates, those guests still recommend other to stay in the hotel for a wonderful and

unforgettable memory.

To conclude, this hotel is one of the most exquisite and exotic hotels in the world.

Although it may operate for only four months in a year, it is proved to be one of the most

popular attractions in Canada. The price may be expensive, yet it has been proved

through its successful operations for the past 10 years, that the stay in this hotel is an

experience of a lifetime.



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Appendices:

Figure 1: Hotel Room Figure 2: Hotel de Glace

Figure 3: The Ice Bar Figure 4: Bathroom and Spa

Figure 5: The Ice Chapel Figure 6: The Hotel's Layout



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Referrences:

1. Hotel de Glace. (2011, January 1). Welcome on the Hôtel de Glace official Website!

Retrieved September 26, 2011, from Hotel de Glace Official Website:

http://www.hoteldeglace-canada.com/

2. Signature Experience Collection. (2011). Member List . Retrieved September 27, 2011,

from Signature Experience Collection: http://en-

corporate.canada.travel/sites/default/files/pdf/sec-ced/sec_member_list_en_0.pdf

3. Expedia. (2011). Quebec Unique Hotel with 3 Spa Tubs - Hôtel de Glace . Retrieved

September 26, 2011, from Expedia : http://www.expedia.com/Quebec-Hotels-Hotel-De-

Glace.h910033.Hotel-Information

4. Unsual and Unique Hotels of the World. (2011). About Hôtel de Glace - Canada .

Retrieved September 26, 2011, from Unsual and Unique Hotels of the World:

http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/HoteldeGlace-Canada

5. TripAdvisor. (2011). Hotel de Glace . Retrieved September 25, 2011, from TripAdvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g155033-d184516-Reviews-Hotel_de_Glace-

Quebec_City_Quebec.html

6. Wikipedia. (2011, March 13). Ice Hotel (Quebec). Retrieved September 25, 2011, from

Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Hotel_(Quebec)

7. Hotel de Glace. (2011). Hotel de Glace - Wall . Retrieved September 26, 2011, fromHotel de Glace Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/H%C3%B4tel-

de-Glace/135208919878994

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