The first ice hotel to be built in the United States is due to open this month at Chena Hot Springs Resort, 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks Alaska.
Hotelier Bernie Karl and ice sculptor Steve Brice have directed the 30-foot high construction of the six-room hotel, built with 14,000 tons of snow and ice. The main hall is covered by a Gothic arch. Each room hs a slightly different theme, says Brice, but all will stay within the gothic style.
Ice hotels have been built in Finland, Sweden and Montreal, Canada. “What sets this one apart from all the others is the detail,” says Brice.
The structure is decorated with ice sculptures of jousting knights, gargoyles and winged mythical lions. Guests will be entertained by an ice pipe organ and an ice gazebo. Ice chandeliers will hang from the ceiling, fitted with fibre optics that give them a prism effect.
A turret will enable guests to go outside to witness the aurora borealis (northern lights) during the evenings. Inside, they can bed down in sleeping bags on reindeer hides that top the ice beds. Room temperature is around 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
Room states start at $878 for a two-night stay and include complementary survival gear and a back-up suite at the traditional resort alongside. Included in the price is access to the hot springs.
The hotel is expected to remain open year-round with the help of refrigerated pipes interwoven in the walls and a huge “raincoat” to protect the hotel from summer weather. Details: www.chenahotsprings.com
