Freeze Your Tootsies Off for Family of 5 Fun - CDN$429 at the Ice Hotel Quebec
We here at FTF love the unique and bizarre, and Quebec's Hôtel de Glace is no exception. What’s even more special about this Quebecois attraction is that it will be celebrating its 10th birthday from now until April 4, 2010 and is giving guests the chance to experience a frosty night within its chilly interior -- as well as several not-to-be-missed events.
This year, the hotel is featuring several special promotions designed specifically for families that should be taken advantage of as soon as possible. From now until January 31, 2010, sign up for the One Night Family Promotion, which starts at CDN$429 for a family of 2 adults and 3 children age 12 and under.
Guests will not only receive full equipment for a night’s stay in a room with two beds, but also a warming welcome cocktail for the adults, access to the facility’s hot tubs and sauna, a full buffet breakfast at Auberge Duchesnay, and even a hot morning beverage to warm your insides from an icy coma. (Just kidding, we meant an "Avatar" like trance.)
For the truly brave and weather-resilient, double your stay and all the package inclusions for rates starting at CDN$649 per family. This offer is also valid through the end of January. Don't worry if you want to wait a bit to book your stay; room nights start at CDN$489 through April 4.
In addition to the festivities, the highlight of this year’s Ice Hotel is its 25-foot-high igloo, which spans an impressive 40 feet in diameter. The Inuit-inspired structure commemorates the decade of achievement by featuring a range of activities, while other on-site activities will provide endless fun even in the coldest of temperatures. To name a few: cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and tubing are the usual popular things to do, while the more unique experiences range from dogsled riding, snowmobiling and ice fishing on Lac St-Joseph. Guests can even choose to simply relax at the hotel’s Nordic spa, Tyst Trädgård.
The Nordic Arts and Life Festival takes place throughout February and shows off the work of talented artists in snow painting and sculpting and architecture.
Visitors from all over --especially warmer climes -- often come to the hotel just for the tour, which ranges in price from CDN$16 per adult and CDN$8 per child during daily hours. Tours in the evening (after 8 pm) are slightly cheaper. Special rates for families of two adults and three children are available at CDN$40, while children under 5 may experience the hotel for free. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include taxes.)
For rates, reservations and more information on the hotel, call 877/505-0423 or go to the Hôtel de Glace website. To get more of a first-hand experience of the hotel, be sure to read up on Sheila O'Connor's amusing and detailed article, Chill Out At The Ice Hotel.
To get a feel for the French Canadian city before your stay at the ice hotel, be sure to check out Jesse Spielman's Quebec experience or FTF's more comprehensive list of Quebec City attractions.
