by Scott Murphy
I grew up in the mountains at Big Bear Lake and spent many winters building igloos. Behind all the effort was the dream that I would one day get to sleep overnight in one of these icy creations.
It now appears someone in Switzerland has beaten me to the punch.
Perched 8,500 ft in the Swiss mountains above 5-star resorts sits Davos, Switzerland. Here one will find Iglu-Dorf, a 15-igloo hotel linked by tunnels. Somehow, it looks like a cross between neolithic caves and eco-housing–where we might get to live like an Eskimo for a day or two (my childhood dream-come-true).
With tempatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius, warm clothing and high-tech thermal underwear would be in order as would a keen sense of adventure.
The Iglu-Dorf offers a sauna and whirlpool bath (not made of ice), luxurious toilets, carved features, and warm service. And how would one build such an icy resort that could handle 9000 guests per year?
“We built the complex in five weeks using giant inflatable balloons which were then covered with snow,” explained Alexander Lau, one of the staff at the Davos igloos.
And what about cost for such unusual accommodations? Recently, the cost was 119 euros on weekends. There is also a “romantik-iglu-plus” which runs 339 euros, and features candles, animal skins, a private whirlpool and luxurious toilet facilities.
“The demand for our igloo stays growing,” said Joern Grundmann, the manager of Davos igloo hotel.
“As a result, the Swiss luxury igloos are on their way to the mountains behind the Russian city of Sochi, the Black Sea resort that will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games”, says Andre Lehmann, who has researched the resort more extensively than I.
A tip of the tophat to Andre Lehmann and Yahoo News
Pretty cool, Scott. On balance, I’ll take an open-air tiki hut over an igloo anyday.
Nice work