Historic opening at the ice Hotel

Photo By Pascal Huot

Dominique Lelièvre

Saturday, December 23, 2017 17:27

UPDATE
Saturday, December 23, 2017 17:27

Look at this article

The ice Hotel of Québec welcomed its first visitors, Saturday, succeeding his bet to open for the first time in its history before Christmas. The founder, Jacques Desbois, sign, and its last edition, the most complete to date according to him.

The snow was of the party for the official opening of the establishment of the ephemeral, who is investing for a second time, the site of the Village Vacances Valcartier. The winter conditions very favourable, and the purchase of new equipment was able to deliver the site in time for the lucrative holiday season.

“The conditions are perfect for the ice Hotel to experience a record year. The season is young, but as they say, it goes well”, rejoiced the retiring director, Jacques Desbois.

This 18th edition brings a lot of novelties, like the “Great Alley of the torches”, a natural path illuminated by torches-lamps that leads to the great hall. “Every year, the hotel beats the previous edition, then this year is no default”, slid the founder of the project, mentioning that the ice Hotel had always been a project “larger than life”.

The circus in honour

The central square hosts numerous ice sculptures in the spirit of the theme, the circus. Acrobats, illusionists and clowns are of the party, a trapeze artist, suspended from the ceiling, another first in the ice Hotel.

A “sculptural piece, a monumental dominates the space, while a fountain in winter amazes with its jets of heated water. “It goes with the personality of the website to Valcartier where the water is a central element in solid or liquid form, either to drag to inside with the Bora Barc,” said Mr. Desbiens.

The ice bar and the chapel, are already accessible to the public, while the 45 rooms are inspired of the universe “big top” will be delivered from the 4th of January. A slip “while riding” will be finally inaugurated on January 19, during the “great evening”.

The founder bows out

The 18th edition marks the departure of the founder, Jacques Desbois, who handed over the reins a year after he sold his company to the Group Calypso Valcartier. “I feel very, very serene, he assured. What helps me, is to see the beautiful falls that is in place. You know, for the past few weeks, I am working to be less and less useful!”

“There is a good leadership which mixture all the people of Valcartier that people who are at the ice Hotel for years,” said the one who sees a very bright future for the establishment of winter. “I am convinced that the hotel will know a rapid development in the coming years”, he concludes.

The ice Hotel by the numbers

– 45 rooms

– 150 000 visitors last year

– 500 tons of ice and 30,000 tons of snow

– Size of 3000 m2

– Ambient temperature: -5°C, regardless of the outside temperature