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Showing posts with label Ice Bar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ice Bar. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

ICE HOTEL, NICE HOTEL, ICE WEDDING CHAPEL, OR AN ALL YEAR ICE BAR IN FLORIDA?

 

Vodka at Ice Bar, Orlando, Florida, USA. Open all year.

CANADA

JAPAN

ROMANIA

SWEDEN

The first ice hotel was in Sweden. You can stay in an ice hotel until April 2021. North Sweden is not your only option. 

You could also pick an ice hotel in Canada or Finland.

If you don't have the time or money or are not sure whether this will suit you, you could try an ice bar. 

ICE Bar

One in Florida, USA is open all year. It also claims to be the world's largest ice bar.

SWITZERLAND

CANADA

Canada[edit]

Ice Hotel[edit]

The Hôtel de Glace (English: Ice Hotel) first opened in January 2001. 85 rooms are furnished with ice beds covered with deer furs and mattresses and equipped with arctic sleeping bags.[1] It was originally located on the shores of Lac-Saint-Joseph, Quebec, 31 minutes north of Quebec City, but has since moved closer to the city, 10 minutes away from Old Town Quebec.[6] It operates from the first week in January to the last week in March.[7] It has the adjacent Le Quatre Temps restaurant, an ice bar named Absolut Ice Bar, which serves Absolut Vodka and other beverages, sauna and outdoor hot tub.[3][8] Construction involves the use of blocks of ice and snow.[8] In 2005, construction involved "400 tons of clear ice blocks, trucked in from Montreal, and 12,000 tons of snow produced on site."[8] Beds are constructed of ice, which are topped with "a wooden boxspring and mattress",[3] and mummy-style sleeping bags are provided.[3] The hotel offers paid tours, the participants of which are allowed to use the ice bar until midnight.[3] Ice Hotel was previously the only ice hotel in North America.[3]

Finland[edit]

SnowCastle of Kemi[edit]

The SnowCastle of Kemi in Kemi, Finland is the largest snow fort in the world, is rebuilt every winter and has a snow hotel[10] with double rooms and a honeymoon suite. The facility also has a restaurant, chapel, and ice sculptures.[10] It is near the Gulf of Bothnia.[10] The style of the facility, including the theme, shape, size and decorations, changes annually.[10]

Lainio Snow Village[edit]

The Lainio Snow Village is located 150 km north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland.[11] This snow hotel is built in the winter atop a wood building. In 2007, construction began in November, and in early November, it began providing lodging.[11] The hotel has restrooms and a sauna, and the village has a restaurant.[11] Rooms are decorated with artwork created from snow.[11] In 2007, art students contributed to the art with professional artists.[11] In the summer, the village provides log cabin lodging.[11]

Japan[edit]

The Alpha Resort Tomamu in the Shimukappu village of Hokkaido Island in Japan builds and opens an ice hotel every year.[12] It may be Japan's first ice hotel, and everything in it is constructed from ice.[12][13] The hotel interiors are typically −3 to −5 °C. Guests dine on ice tables and sit on ice chairs covered with sheepskin. The hotel provides sheepskin apparel for guests to stay warm.[12]


SWEDEN

From Wiivoyage

Sleep[edit][add listing]

Ice hotel (Jukkasjärvi)
  • 1 Ice Hotel (Ishotellet), Marknadsvägen 63 +46 980 668 00 A hotel constructed entirely out of ice. There are many copycats now, but this is the original. Outdoor activities such as dogsled tours are arranged by the hotel but reservation may be advisable, and cheaper alternatives may be available from companies in nearby Kiruna. Remember that winter in Lapland can be very cold, and though Ishotellet provides snowsuits and boots, you may need to bring equipment such as expedition-grade gloves, face masks, and goggles depending on conditions. Read the weather forecast. It is also possible to visit the ice hotel as a tourist attraction without actually spending a night there. It is worth seeing the ice sculptures in the rooms and in the floors. While much of the ice hotel exists only between November and May, a few suites are preserved and open all year around. A stay will cost you upwards of €300/night. Icehotel (Q3139943) on Wikidata 

Go next


UK

I wanted to go to the Ice bar in London for my birthday in March. Then I discovered a few restrictions. First it was expensive. Secondly, you had to book a time and could not stay there the whole evening. thirdly you had to be warmly dressed which ruled out most of my pretty evening clothes.

I might be middling it up with the naked restaurant and the blind restaurant. Anyway, all three sounded amusing but I never made it to any of them for my birthday. We ended up eating locally so we could get home soon after eating and drinking.


USA

Useful Websites

Covering hotels in several countries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hotel 

USA

https://icebarorlando.com/

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

Sunday, January 7, 2018

An Ice Hotel - A Nice Hotel - For a Wedding with a difference

Problem
Where can we go that's new, where we haven't been before? Where could we have a wedding or honeymoon with a difference, something to remember, something to talk about?

How about an ice hotel?

Answers
Where is it?
Canada. Near Quebec City.

I think it's stunning. What do I like? It's all wedding white. You might have to stand against a colourful sheet as a backdrop to make a white dress stand out.

I like the ice-white arches of the public areas. The ice sculptures. The decorative, sculptured walls and ceilings. The skill. It must have taken hours to plan and to create and decorate. Plus complying with health and safety.

How does it work? Do you sit on fur or mock-fur so as not to freeze or stick to the chairs? Presumably you have to get out before it all melts in springtime. (I feel inspired to write a short story, or horror movie.)

The ice white bed bases. The novelty. The idea of cuddling up together.

When will it melt and fade away like Greek Euridice? They say:
"Rooms will be available from January 4 until March 25, 2018."

Europe
If you want to go to Europe, there are others in Finland, Romania and Sweden.

In alphabetical order by country:
Canada
Finland
Romania
Sweden

CANADA
Hôtel de Glace Québec-Canada inc.
1860, boulevard Valcartier, Valcartier
Québec, G0A 4S0 Canada

Telephone : 418 844-2200
Toll free : 1 888 384-5524
(Canada and USA)

FINLAND

Lapland Hotels Snow Village
Lainiotie 566
99120 Kittilä
Finland
+358 40 416 7227
snowvillage@laplandhotels.com
Wikipedia has a comprehensive round-up and some out of date photos. The photos give you an idea, but not a guarantee of what you get, since the hotels change every year.

If you are not sure whether you'd like a hotel, or you want a quick taste of the cold novelty, for an evening out, a birthday, an anniversary, try London's Ice Bar. Not just ice in your drink, but ice all around.

You can also enjoy outdoor events, ice sculptures and ice festivals. The world's biggest ice festival is at Harbin City, China.

Video of Russia's ice hotel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1KLpTpsijo

More details of Ice Hotels from:
www.hoteldeglace-canada.com
https://www.laplandhotels.com/EN/hotels-in-lapland/yllas/lapland-hotels-snowvillage/
https://www.expedia.com.sg/Kiruna-Hotels-Icehotel (Sweden)

Ice Bar
https://www.icebarlondon.com

Ice Festival
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5242147/Stunning-photos-ice-sculptures-Harbin-China.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

A Hot Long Weekend, in London or worldwide - where to go?



Baskin Robbins ice cream parlour in Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

If you are not keen on sugary ice cream, look for a frozen or iced yogurt.

Problem
It's hot in London, England. Predictions say that over the bank holiday weekend it will be hotter in London, England, than in Nice, in the South of France, than Lisbon, in Portugal, and hotter than Barcelona in Spain. Where can you go to cool off, or enjoy the sunshine?

Answer
If you like it hot (to adapt the title of the film starring Marilyn Monroe), a good time to be in London, England. The restaurants with pavement seating are enjoying a boom.


Let's Do Lunch! says the sign outside Izgara restaurant in Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

What do you need? What might you look for?

Air  Conditioned Car
An air conditioned car, to hire. Make sure when you collect it they show you how to turn on the car conditioning. If you have a car with a sliding roof, or a convertible, you will be popular.

Trip to the Seaside

But traffic was very heavy in London suburbs Friday 26th because everybody was heading home or out for the long weekend. It's the same every bank holiday. Long delays. Check before you travel.

Maybe you'd be better off taking the bus, which can use bus lanes, or the underground railway, or the overground. Or a bicycle, and head along the cooling canals and rivers.
the Thames goes through the middle of London.

Lido
Go north west to Ruislip and there's Ruislip Lido, a lake, an artificial sandy beach and on certain summer weekend you can pay to take a ride on a a miniature train. You can walk around the lake looking at swans and dog-walkers, and meander off through the forest. You might even see a cow in a field near the car park.


Ruislip Lido where you can watch the swans on the lake from the restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury, Copyright.

A cheap and cheerful carvery restaurant offers good value meals in an art deco building. My favourite.

Train
You can take the train from London to Brighton, if you are happy with a pebbly beach. Brighton is south of London, in East Sussex.

Beach
You will find beaches in England, Scotland and Wales. In Wales, a beach near Cardiff, costal areas like Tenby, more on the north. Cornwall and Devon are famous for their coastal resorts.

Lakes
Or you can drive to England's Lake District. Rival to new Zealand from a photographer's point of view. Wonderful reflections of green hills and green trees in water. If it's not too hot, but lots of rain, you'll get to see a waterfall or two, if that's what you want.

Going further north, more lakes are around Glasgow. Yes, not just little harbours. Scotland also has lakes. You will recall the Loch Ness Monster. No need to be afraid. Apart from a distant ripple nobody has actually seen it, although some pretty serious expeditions by scientists have hunted, as the museum will tell you.

Parks
Picnic in the park. Central London has parks with lakes. Outer London has many more. Famous parks include Green Park, Hyde Park. A map will show you parks, and which ones have lakes or mini zoos and playgrounds for children.

Garden Centres
Some garden centres have cafes with indoor and outdoor seating areas.

LAKES, RIVERS AND BOATS
Water Rides At Theme Parks

Boating on lakes
There is a boating lake in Regents Park.

RIVER TRIPS
Take a river trip down the Thames in London.

RIVERSIDE WALKS
Walk along the Thames past statues and landmarks, to end up at a waterside pub.

RIVERSIDE PUBS
Several historic pubs.

DRIVING TO THE RIVER
Take trips to riverside towns such as:
Maidenhead
Cambridge, where you can see people punting on the river Cam.

Go to south London to Greenwich to see the Cutty Sark, a restored ship. On England's south coast, at Portsmouth, learn about England's maritime history and Henry VIII's ill fated ship, the Mary Rose.


THE OPEN TOP BUS
Take on open top bus tour around London, other cities in Britain, and many cities worldwide.
The bigbustours.com in London at the World Travel Market gave me a bag saying they went to Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Las Vegas, London, Miami, Muscat, New York Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Vienna and Washington DC.

I also saw an open top City Sightseeing bus tour in Singapore. For price comparisons and review of who does what, and who does it best, see TripAdvisor.

CitySightseeing open top bus in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

INDOOR SNOW SKIING
England and Singapore have artificial snow ski slopes.
The Snow Centre near Milton Keynes. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright. 
SWIM, SAUNA AND SPA
Find an outdoor swimming area.

Visit a spa or a hotel with a spa which is open to the public.

ICE FOOD AND DRINK
Go out for an ice cream.
Ice cream bars all over London.

Visit London's Ice Bar. That's a bar which is made of ice, and you drink icy drinks. Follow their instructions on clothing.

Choose a rooftop terrace and drink a cold alcoholic cocktail or non alcoholic m o c k t a i l. (I inserted s p a c e s because spell checker has already changed the m back to c once.)

Evenings
The evenings stay light longer at this time of year. Play floodlit evening tennis. Maps will show you the locations of public tennis courts, tennis clubs and golf clubs.

HOME OR AWAY
Organize an outdoor barbecue in a back garden. Look for events and festivals of food and drink in parks and attached to stately homes. Check out the National Trust website for what is near you.

Sit in a pub with a garden. Many around central London and also in the suburbs and out in the countryside.

INSECTS
Cover up against insects. Some are active by day, others at dawn and dusk, some attracted by flowers and picnics. Others by your perfume. Others fly in when you open windows and attract them with light. I just learned today that one of my neighbours in London, England, has been in hospital over a week because of a wasp sting.

Tips
Take with you:
Brimmed hat
Suncream
Insect repellent
Sting relief
Bottle of water
Clothes and scarves to cover up against insects and change in temperature.
Carry a fan or improvise one from stiff card.
Mural of skiers. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

ACTIVITY
Visit an ice rink. In London you have a choice of Queens, or Alexandra Palace.

Skiing
Go indoor skiing. I've been several times to S n o w z o n e near Milton Keynes. Non-skiers can sit by the window of the cafeteria and watch the skiers being pulled up the slope and skiing down. You need to book your hour's slot in advance. You can hire ski gear. Check what is available. Look for which days and times and deals are better bargains.

WALKING OR SITTING
Or just stay home and buy a motorised fan. Read a book about mountain climbing, drink iced water and suck on an ice lolly.

ESCAPE THE HEAT
If all else fails, and you can't stand the heat, take a trip to a cooler country such as Iceland or Greenland. Your holiday could be fly-drive, or a cruise. Alternatively travel down under to Australia or New Zealand where the seasons are reversed and you will have their cool winter.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-weather-temperatures-could-hit-30c-as-spring-heatwave-continues-before-thunderstorms-move-in-a3548681.html
http://eishaus.co.uk (Ice bar)
http://www.alexandrapalace.com/ice-rink/ice-skating-london/
www.queens.london/Ice_Rink/Ice_Skating
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/infoandadvice/uksnowsports/ukslopesmap.aspx#.WSjaQjOZNo4
https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/lidos-and-outdoor-swimming-pools-in-london
https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-east-england/article/beaches-near-london
http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/attractions/london-s-best-fountains-9620460.html
www.bigbustours.com
https://city-sightseeing.com/en/home
https://www.theoriginaltour.com

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have several other posts on London, England, taking a canal boat, indoor skiing, Europe, hot countries like Singapore with its river and breaches, and cool countries. Please share links to posts.