Quebec Ice Hotel expands for 2013 season

Quebec’s annual ice hotel officially kicked off its 2013 season with its grand opening on Jan. 18. Built in four phases, this year’s frozen fortress features a number of new rooms and activities, as well as a new theme, meant to bring visitors on a journey to the center of winter. Check out these cool images from last year’s Hôtel de Glace.

The Hôtel de Glace is only 10 minutes away from downtown Quebec City and will be open until March 24 this year.

The Hôtel de Glace is offering special guided tours this year that will give visitors a glimpse behind the scenes of the hotel’s construction. The tour features an ice workshop where you can learn how to make your very own ice glass.

The hotel has a number of attractions for guests to check out, including a cafe, gift shop, and its always popular ice bar.

Above, a bundled up guest gives two thumbs up as she takes a turn down the hotel’s ice slide.

Due to its increasing popularity, the Hôtel de Glace added eight more rooms this year, bringing the total number of rooms and suites to 44. Overnight visits start at $199 per person and include a welcome cocktail, Nordic sleeping equipment for the evening, and breakfast.

On Saturdays and Sundays, vistors can check out the Godin’s family Sugar Shack where they can snack on Maple taffy on snow and other sweet winter treats.

While thick snow walls keep the 32,000-square-foot Hôtel de Glace well insulated, guests can find further warmth in the hotel’s spas and sauna.

The hotel highly recommends that its visitors dress appropriately for Quebec’s winter weather as the temperature outside can vary between minus 13 degrees and 41 degrees. While the thermostat inside won’t dip below 23, the sleeping bags provided for overnight guests can withstand temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees.