I must admit, I’m not a fan of cold weather. After 60 years in cold, snowy Philadelphia, I moved to Tucson, Arizona as soon as my kids were out of the house, and I now reside in (usually) warm Southern California. If I was ever going to stay in an ice hotel, I would want it to be a luxury experience.
The InterContinental Montreal (360 Saint-Antoine Street West), in partnership with that city’s Snow Village winter celebration, has created a real Ice Hotel, offering rooms, suites and even private igloos. The Ice Hotel includes an Ice Restaurant, all with the luxury service and amenities InterContinental is known for. Finally, an Ice Hotel I would be willing to spend the night in.
Packages
The InterContinental Montreal offers three basic packages including a stay in the Ice Hotel: Basic, Family and Prestige. Each package consists of a night’s stay at the InterContinental Montreal, and another night at the Ice Hotel. The Basic package includes a basic room in both, the Family package is for two adults and two children, and the Prestige package offers premium suite accommodations at both the Ice Hotel and the InterContinental Montreal.
In all cases, guests get storage for their belongings, a place to shower and a super heavy-duty sleeping bag. The packages include breakfast, cocktails in ice glasses and access to the outdoor spa. The Basic package is $398 for two people, the Family package is $478 for two adults and two children, and the Prestige package is $538 for two people. As guests are getting two nights accommodations for at least two people, with all the other amenities, it seems like a good bargain to me and well worth it to experience something so unique. Rooms are available between January 18, 2013 until March 13, 2013. The Ice Hotel rooms, although carved into ice, include electricity, flat screen televisions and other luxury appointments.
Restaurant
For visitors who want to experience the Ice Hotel but not spend the night, there is the Pommery Ice Restaurant. The Pommery has a three-course fixed price dinner menu for $69 per person and a fixed price lunch for $25. It’s the real deal, guests are in something like a giant igloo, sitting at tables made of ice, on ice benches covered in fur. The menu, prepared by the InterContinental’s chef Matthieu Saunier includes wild boar stew ravioli, house-smoked trout tartar and casserole of Cornish hen.
The Pommery Ice Restaurant is open Thursday to Monday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again for dinner from 5 p.m. to midnight. Guests dining on the fixed price lunch or dinner menu get free admission to the Snow Village.
Snow Village
The ice hotel is part of Snow Village, a large winter celebration in the beautiful Canadian city of Montreal. In addition to the Ice Hotel and Ice Restaurant, there is an Ice Chapel carved into the ice as well as an Ice Bar. The tradition started in Finland and Norway and this is the first Ice Hotel in North America. Snow Village has a pre-opening from January 4 to January 18, 2013 and officially opens on the 18th, lasting until March 21, 2013.
Ted Sherman has spent a lifetime traveling. With journeys to every continent, almost 100 cruises and multiple group tours, he enjoys sharing his travel experiences and knowledge with others. Follow Ted on Twitter, @travel4seniorsand on his travel blog, travel4people.
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