25th edition of the Hôtel de Glace de Québec: the largest to date

With its 53,000 square feet of surface area, the Quebec Ice Hotel will be the most imposing in its history and could well be the largest in the world of the season, for its 25^e edition this winter.

“From what I know, from what I have seen, a 100% natural ice hotel, I do not know of any other ice hotel in the world that has this size,” explains Hugues Painchaud, director of construction site of the emblematic ephemeral building, located at the Village Vacances Valcartier (VVV).

A team of around fifty craftsmen works tirelessly to deliver the construction on time. In this anniversary edition, the designers thought big: “25 years is a great number so we said to ourselves: it’s here or never,” sums up Mr. Painchaud.

At 30, the number of rooms does not change. Rather, it is the addition of common spaces that increases the size by 5 to 10%. We are also close to the surface area of ​​an American football field (57,600 square feet).

Something new

A 60-seat ice cream restaurant is being added in collaboration with Château Frontenac, with the promise of a culinary experience that is off the beaten track. A performance hall will also be created under a new 40-foot igloo-shaped dome.

According to Mr. Painchaud, last week’s rains did not slow down the calendar. More than half of the building is completed. “All the signs are there for us to be able to open between Christmas and New Year’s Day,” he says.

Overnight stays will begin on January 4.

Under the theme “return to origins”, the decorations will call on the four elements of earth, water, air and fire. There will be nods to the past of the Hôtel de Glace and a tribute to its artisans. The Great Hall, for its part, will be inspired by indigenous nations.

80,000 visitors expected

80,000 visitors are expected during the winter, including nearly 3,000 to spend the night. Weddings are already on the agenda. A package of four tickets is also offered in order to attract more families.

“We invest a lot in lighting, in new styles of formwork to innovate every year and then it happened, with the additions of the mold [pour le dôme de neige] and the restaurant that we greatly increased our surface area,” explains Pierre Thivierge, general director of the VVV.

“We have new ideas every year. The talent for sculpture, since I started the ice hotels 15 years ago, has really increased tenfold,” adds artistic director Guy-Olivier Deveau, about the expertise there in Quebec, which is world-class according to him.

The very first edition took place in 2001 at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency under the leadership of its founder Jacques Desbois. The attraction, a real postcard of Quebec winter, then moved successively to the Duchesnay tourist resort and the former Quebec zoo before settling in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier in 2017.

The opening of the VVV Winter Games Center is planned for Friday.

25^e edition of the Ice Hotel of Quebec

• Area of ​​53,000 square feet
• 45,000 tons of snow
• 3000 ice blocks
• 80,000 visitors expected
• 30 suites, including 20 themes
• Around thirty workers and around fifteen sculptors for its creation
• Economic benefits estimated at more than $20 million per year

Source: Village Vacances Valcartier