Some day: ice hotels

[cjsmith]

I'd love to stay in an ice hotel someday.

Here's one in Quebec.
Here's one in Alta, Norway.
Here's one in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.
And here's a whole village, complete with 7-room hotel, in Yllas, Finland.

I have been to the Arctic Icebar in downtown Helsinki. I was most impressed by the sprinkler system. (A sprinkler system. In a room made of ice. Think about it.)

Comments

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

Fire sprinklers? What would burn? Decorative sprinklers? Or restorative sprinklers?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

A sprinkler system as mandated by the local fire code, regardless of the fact that if anything caught fire the entire room would melt and put it out. Laws don't often have a loophole for common sense.

So they had to find a way to keep a functioning sprinkler system despite the constant below-freezing temperature. There's one hole in the ice, in the ceiling, and inside there is a pipe wrapped in an inner layer of heating-wires (so the pipe won't burst) and an outer layer of insulation (so the ceiling won't melt).

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Laws don't often have a loophole for common sense.

Yeah, like the rule that certain types of government buildings have to have snow roofs... which doesn't get lifted for silly reasons like the Florida Keys being consistently balmy.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's crazy! Cool, but crazy! Heh, just now realized what I said... how embarrassing. :)

Personally, I'd be afraid to stay in one of these places, though. I don't even like staying in regular hotels much, because they always tuck the sheets in so tightly (what's up with that?). Ice sheets.... scary thought!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I bet there are lots of furs and other thick stuff atop the bed. I'm not even sure whether I need a good night's sleep... I just think this idea is so nifty that I'd love to experience it. :-)

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

It would definitely be neat! But now I'm curious how it all works. Doesn't the bed melt under all the furs and stuff.

And I'll forego the rest of the obvious jokes that pop to mind. :)