Ice bar at Hotel de Glace in Quebec City. (Photo courtesy of Hotel de Glace)

Cool retreats at ice hotels

Nothing beats an ice hotel to properly chill out when winter comes. Here's a short Relaxnews selection of the most famous temperature-challenged hotels around the world.

One of the most famous ice hotels in the world has been opening its doors every winter in Québec since 2001. This winter, it will open from January 5 to March 24, 2013. Although the beds are sculpted in ice, they are covered with a special mattress and sleeping bag to keep guests warm even when temperatures drop to -30°C outside. In the room, they oscillate between -3°C and 5°C. Room prices start from around US$400 a night.

In the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi, the Icehotel will accommodate guests from December 7 to April 13. Despite the freezing temperatures outside, the hotel's 47 rooms include all the necessary amenities to keep guests warm, as well as a bar. Prices start at US$185 a night per head in a room for two.

Every winter, world famous artists congregate to the Swedish village to carve ice sculptures, adding to the location's fairytale atmosphere.

On the banks of the Alta river, in Norway, lies a 1,600 square meter hotel with 50 beds in 20 rooms. The hotel also features a bar, several lounge areas and a suite, as well as a small ice chapel, a rather unusual location to exchange wedding vows. Prices for a night at the igloo hotel in Sorrisniva start at US$375.