As we made our way towards one of the entrances of the seasonal Hotel de Glace, a quick flurry of snow hit. We had to hurry inside, snow is bothersome when it gets into the eyes. I urged the husband who steered the little boy to the nearest door.
It's cold. Nothing new. I'm always cold in the winter. The ice hotel is built in the mountain slopes of Quebec, a 20-minute drive north of the city.
Loaded with a conventional tourist mindset, I thought the ice hotel is located out in the middle of nowhere. A lone building amidst a vast, seemingly dead, wintry environment. But nope, this is your typical expectations vs reality tourist spot. The hotel is built inside a winter resort. Why did I think visitors would travail such a remote place? Indeed!
While the Hotel de Glace caters to customers looking for novelty, there's also another hotel standing in front of the icy construction that serves customers all year round. And a spa. A winter playground. An indoor waterpark. A campground. It's a happy place for all ages. Best of all, parking is free.
Although it's risky to travel in a world threatened by a deadly virus, we still went for it since we planned this trip months before to celebrate hubby's birthday. I don't recommend you do this in such a precarious time. I've prayerfully reconsidered canceling our road trip at the last minute. Yet, I had the peace to go.
(Before you'd hurl your righteous indignation on me, we took this trip before the government lockdown. Happy?)
And who knows if we will still be in Canada next winter? The Hotel de Glace opens every January with a 3-month lifespan. As of publishing, the 2020 season is already over. The closing date was moved earlier due to the viral issue. You can check them out next year here. We only paid for the day tour. Our son, age two is free.
Eat
Before we get inside the rooms, let's talk about food first. This is to ensure a wonderful tour experience free from protesting stomachs and a whiny toddler, so better shut them up. There are many options inside the resort but we went to Africa -- I mean the Resto Safari.
The food is great. The soup of the day is the bomb. I couldn't stop talking about it. Also, the baby back ribs, the fries, and the coleslaw. The hubby rolled his eyes. Why of course, you haven't had breakfast and it's already past noon. Sure!
The Rooms inside Hotel de Glace
That March afternoon, the temperature inside the ice hotel is colder than it is outside. It felt like moving around the maze compartment of a freezer.
There was a chapel, although closed off due to a wedding. A bar with chairs and benches overlaid with fur. Children's play area with a large slide. Artistically and creatively sculpted walls, others bare. And of course, a hotel wouldn't be complete without its elaborate chandeliers adorning the common areas. All made from ice! That's dedication!
Then there are hot tubs and sauna under the stars as well as heated washrooms.
But wait, how can I charge my phone inside that freezing hotel room? What about my belongings?
Actually, when you book a room in the ice hotel, you also get a room from the adjacent hotel building -- the Hotel Valcartier.
I'm grateful we proceeded with our plan, had we canceled this road trip we would have missed the life lesson, the fun family time together celebrating hubby's birthday and ahem, crossing out an item on my bucket list.
Will you sleep here? Us? Nah, a day tour is fine. What will you do?
