around whether we should keep it as a surprise or
not. However, the leaders felt that some people
in the group might object to staying in such cold
circumstances, so all were informed and at the end of
the day all decided to go.
An ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up entirely
of snow and sculpted blocks of ice. All the ice hotels
are reconstructed every year, and are dependent upon
constant sub-freezing temperatures during construction
and operation. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made
entirely of ice, and are held together using a substance
known as snice, which takes the place of mortar in a
traditional brick-built hotel. The hotel rooms and décor
are quite often only completed at the end of the season,
as it is an ongoing, daily work of art.
Snow Village is located in the western part of Finnish
Lapland, in close proximity of Ylläs and Levi ski-resorts
and easily reachable from the international airport of
Kittilä.
The annual construction of the Snow Village begins
when the temperature drops to about −10°C (14°F)
which is usually at the end of October or the beginning
of November. Approximately 1 500 tonnes (1 650 US
tons) of snow and 300 tonnes (330 US tons) of crystal
clear, natural ice are used for the construction. The
constructors, specialised in using snow and ice as
building material, are constantly developing new tools
and instruments for snow construction, and exploring
innovative ways of taking this artform into new levels.
Snow Village is built entirely of snow and ice
covering approximately an area of 20 000 square
metres (220 000 sq ft). During the winter season,
about 3 000 square metres (32 000 sq ft) of covered
indoor spaces are built as a combination of different
snow and ice structures. The architectural design and
the themes of interior decoration vary from year to
year. Visitors can find, for example, the biggest ice
dome of Europe and an à la carte restaurant with ice
carved tables and bar, in addition to snow galleries full
of beautifully illuminated ice art.
At the Snow Village, visitors can also spend a night
in a room made of snow and ice. Because of the good
insulating qualities of snow, the indoor temperature of
Snow Village always remains between –2 and –5°C (28
to 23°F), regardless of the outdoor temperature. There
are approximately 30 rooms, all made of ice and snow.
Individually decorated suites with different themes are
also available.
The evening at the ice hotel, I think, was a highlight
for all. However, I do not think that I should say too
much more about what happened when we got there
as this is something that definitely needs to be on your
bucket list and you need to get there to find out all
about it!
All in all, the group had a wonderful time – the
duration was four nights and then about half of the
group extended into other destinations in Europe which
were also all arranged by our team. The destinations
included, Russia, Poland, Italy, Helsinki, Denmark and
the rest of the “normal” European destinations such as
INCENTIVE incentive
DESTINATION
the UK, Scotland, France, etc.
The trip is not extravagant from a cost point of view,
and is the most incredible education that a team will
get in four days. �
For more information circle 25 on reader
enquiry coupon.
Vol. 9 No. 4 2009
Double bed at the snow village.
Circle 16 on reader enquiry coupon.
incentiveworld.com
43
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