8 Cool Ice Hotels and Restaurants

Montreal, Quebec’s Pommery Ice Restaurant at Snow Village Canada is the first of its kind in North America, combining a gourmet eating experience with extravagant ice and snow sculptures and architecture. Chef Matthieu Saunier’s dishes, like Jerusalem artichoke and cauliflower cream soup with stewed wild boar and fried artichoke ravioli; maplewood smokehouse sea trout tartare with blinis, yuzu, and tobiko mayo; and Cornish game hen stuffed with morels, make the edible experience just as enthralling as the visuals.

Located in Centropolis Laval, a short drive west of Montreal, Quebec, this is the second ice restaurant from the Snow Village Canada team that brought you Pommery Ice Restaurant. Helmed by chef Eric Gonzalez (of the Auberge Saint-Gabriel), the kitchen puts out plates like salmon gravlax with pomegranate and clementine, duck leg confit cassoulet style, and black chocolate cake with ginger-marinated pears and salted butter caramel, the latter of which pairs well with the restaurant’s namesake cream liqueur.

This ice hotel on the Alta River (12 miles from the city of Alta in Sorrisniva), which reopened January 6, 2014, with a brand-new layout, is known for providing adventurous expeditions like dogsledding and snow safaris. An ice chapel offers couples the chance to tie the knot in stunning surroundings, with the chance for an aurora borealis nightcap.

Opening in December or January and running through April each year, Hotel Kakslauttanen’s Igloo Village offers guests the opportunity to sleep in the comfortable silence of a snow igloo (20 glass igloos and one special glass kota [similar to a teepee] are also available). Equipped with wool socks and a hood, along with a super-warm sleeping bag that can withstand temperatures up to -32 degrees Celsius (all of which are provided), the hotel promises you’ll never feel cold. The on-premises Ice Gallery is a must-see, with ice and snow sculptures from international artists (and you can even take a lesson to test your sculpting skills).

Dubai is known for doing everything in lavish fashion, so of course the city would have an extraordinary ice lounge — the first of its kind in the Middle East. The ambiance is opulent and modern, combining ice, glass, and steel architecture with blue, red, and purple lighting to give guests an arctic experience amid the desert heat. Designer parkas, shoes, and gloves are provided along with a mocktail when you enter (there’s a $17 cover), and the website advises staying inside in increments of 40 minutes.

Last year, Iglu-Dorf operated six igloo villages across three countries, and they're at in again this season (they started around Christmas and will run through mid-April 2014). Standard igloos come with six beds, while romantic igloos offer a more intimate experience. Mulled wine and cheese fondue are included, and a public whirlpool and a sauna (the latter at Davos and Gstaad locations only) add to the amenities. Perhaps most unbelievable, Iglu-Dorf now has a heated igloo that comes with a wood stove and is decorated with sheepskins.

Changing size and shape each winter, the Snow Village spans more than 60,000 square feet and has plenty of arctic activities for adventurous travelers to indulge in. Try your hand at dogsledding with blue-eyed huskies or visit a reindeer farm to get a feel for the Lapland locals. The IceBar restaurant serves traditional Lappish treats in bowls carved from ice, and the mood is set by ambient lights and candles. Suites amp up the artwork and lighting compared to standard rooms, and fleece-lined sleeping bags in each make reaching slumberland as easy as a chilled breeze. When you wake up, you’ll be treated to hot berry juice (a local favorite) and a diploma recognizing your overnight stay in an igloo.

The SnowCastle boasts the SnowHotel, which is perfect for singles, couples with or without children, and larger groups. The air is kept at -5 degrees Celsius within the hotel, which helps guests to have a soothing, dream-filled night of sleep. 2014 will mark the hotel’s 19th incarnation, and it will be open from January 26 through April 6. Make sure to experience the SnowTube slide, as well as other activities like cross-country skiing (in the sun), ice fishing, and snow golf.

If these unbelievably cool destinations have you yearning for adventure, take a peek at these other amazing locations covered by The Daily Meal:

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