By Amanda McGregor
HAMILTON — Belinda Recio slept on a bed of ice, drank from ice glasses, coasted down an ice slide and marveled at an ice chandelier in the great hall during her recent stay at the Ice Hotel in Canada.
Recio and her husband, Ed Blomquist, spent two nights this month at the Quebec hotel, known as "Hotel de Glace."
"I have a deep love of all things northern and wintry," said Recio, who owns True North Gallery on Woodbury Street in Hamilton. She had long dreamed of a stay at the Ice Hotel.
"Despite having fantasized about this a long time, I was still surprised by the sheer opulence," Recio said. "It was one of the nicest vacations we've had."
The Ice Hotel opened in 2001, and overnight stays start at $219 per person.
"Every year, they rebuild it, which is like an exercise in Buddhist non-attachment," Recio said. "Workers spend months building this magnificent piece of art. Then it just melts and returns to the river. It's completely ephemeral."
The Salem News caught up with Recio to ask about her two-day stay.
What was the Ice Hotel like?
From the outside, it doesn't look as big or spectacular as it does from the inside, but it's still amazing. It's like a large pseudo igloo. Inside, it's breathtaking. You look up and say, "Wow."
Is the furniture made of ice?
You're sitting on chairs made of ice, at tables made of ice. You drink out of glasses made of ice. There was a "splash room," the chairs were carved like splashes.
Are the toilets made of ice, too?
It's funny, everyone asks that. The courtyard has a spa that is heated that has restrooms, showers, hair dryers, etc. Outside, there is a sauna and hot tubs.
Were you cold?
Never once were we cold because we had the right gear. You need layers and the windbreaker, which just keeps the cold from penetrating. It's really important you don't wear anything cotton because it holds moisture. Inside the hotel, it stays 24 degrees Fahrenheit all the time.
What's it like to sleep on ice?
There is a foam mattress on top of the ice, and you sleep in a polar sleeping bag, which is very tight, mummy-style. ... Ideally, you want to plan your evening so you don't get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. It wasn't the most comfortable night I ever had, but it was more comfortable than camping.
Is the Ice Hotel lit?
They use low-voltage colored lights embedded in the snow and ice. It was beautiful.
What do the walls look like?
Most of the walls are 4 feet thick. There are carved chandeliers and incredible details in the ice. There is art everywhere and decoration. It's fantastical.
Are the doors ice?
The rooms have thick fur doors made of caribou.
Surprising elements?
Some of the rooms had fireplaces, but they are very well-insulated in glass, so they are only for ambiance. You can put your hand to them. ... And they have an ice slide that you whip down. That was a really fun surprise. It's just long enough and fast enough to be thrilling, but not hurt or scared.
What do you do at the Ice Hotel?
It was probably the quietest place on earth. Time slowed down there. A friend of mine joked we were "frozen in time." We had a blast. It felt like we were gone 10 days. There is just some weird time effect that happened.
What do you do at bedtime?
You go to the sauna and hot tubs to raise your body temperature and then you make sure you're completely dry. I remember the sky was perfectly clear and yet it was snowing. The steam from the open tubs rises and crystallizes like snow. It was like fairy dust snow.
Where is the ice from?
They're right on a lake. Some of the ice is purified. You know how an ice cube is white in the middle? They have a technology for pulling the air out so it's completely clear.
How long is the hotel open?
From January to April. They actually have to dismantle it at the end of the season. They have to assist in pushing it down, and the purified water is returned to the lake.
Would you go again?
We want to go every year. Instead of a Caribbean getaway, we'll have an ice palace getaway.
Staff writer Amanda McGregor can be reached at amcgregor@salemnews.com.
