Ice-Cold Comfort

The living isn't exactly easy at Quebec City's Ice Hotel, but a night's stay on a bed of cold crystal can be a magical experience

You wouldn't book a room at Quebec City's Ice Hotel for its amenities. There are no minibars, no televisions, no phones--not even indoor bathrooms for that matter. Warmth? The temperature in each of the hotel's six guest rooms is about 25[degrees]F. In fact, the beds are made of ice. Jacques Desbois, founder and operator of the Ice Hotel, makes no bones about just what the place offers: "We're a thrill service," he says, "not a lodging service."

Yet when the Ice Hotel opened last month, the rooms were booked for weeks. Before the hotel closes at the end of March (what...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!