Photo courtesy of Hôtel de Glace 

When it was founded in 2001, Hôtel de Glace became an instant success with visitors to Québec. The hotel, which remains the only ice hotel in North America, completely reinvent itself every winter when artisans and construction workers shape 30,000 tons of snow into an all-new design. Since its opening in 2001, the 44-room property, has hosted more than one million visitors.

Now, Valcartier Vacation Village (VVV), an outdoor playground located about 20 minutes from Québec City, has announced it is acquiring Hôtel de Glace. Guy Drouin, VVV CEO and founder, has said he will invest five million dollars to acquire the property and to move and integrate it into current VVV operations. As part of the acquisition, VVV will keep ice hotel founder Jacques Desbois as well as key project artisans in their current jobs so they can continue to drive the property’s artistic vision.

"Together we will push Hôtel de Glace concept even further,” said Drouin. “It will have the resources and additional services it deserves: restaurants, amenities, a spa, indoor and outdoor activities, and much more. In addition, we will pull out all the stops to open the site earlier than in the past, definitely in time for Christmas season,"

After conducting a series of market analyses, Drouin found that adding Hôtel de Glace to a comprehensive tourism package would help ensure the property’s long-term profitability, which in turn will better support the long-term creative vision of Hôtel de Glace artisans.

"Hôtel de Glace guests will now be able to enhance their winter wonderland experience of outdoor slides and ice skating trails by escaping to a gigantic, Polynesian-themed 30°C indoor waterpark,” said Drouin. “By merging our customer bases, Valcartier Vacation Village could bring in up to a third of a million visitors every winter and some 750,000 a year."

Hôtel de Glace will open its doors in December 2016 in its all new location, which features spectacular views of the Jacques-Cartier River. The hotel will be situated near other new VVV project, including an indoor waterpark and four-star hotel and spa—all currently under construction.

The four-star hotel will feature 153 suites, a one-of-a-kind spa and a 10,600 square foot entertainment and gaming room. The Polynesian-themed indoor waterpark, which will be the size of six NHL skating rinks, will include a wave pool, slides and a surf ride. The new investments, totalling $130 million, will make Valcartier Vacation Village Eastern Canada's largest all-season resort. Currently, VVV is home to 600 summer campsites as well as a variety of outdoor activities for winter and summer.

For more information, visit www.valcartier.com/en or www.hoteldeglace-canada.com/?action=〈ue=en.

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