The Aurora Ice Hotel at Chena Hot Springs Resort was going to be the first year-round ice hotel in the world, but the refrigeration units and Styrofoam panels weren�t enough to keep America�s only ice hotel cold enough during the warm summer days of Fairbanks Alaska. It became obvious during the final days of May that too much melting had taken place for it to be saved, so owner Bernie Karl started taking down the outside panels this past weekend in order to save as much of the infrastructure as possible with the intention that it could be rebuilt next winter.

�They often say we learn more from our failures than our successes,� said Karl �and I know what we did right and what we did wrong. Next year will be different.�

The Aurora Ice Hotel was built for the first time at Chena Hot Springs Resort in 2004 and officially opened December 31. It had six bedrooms, a bar, a wedding gazebo, a jousting knight and an ice fireplace with glowing logs. World ice sculpting champion Steve Brice built the artistic interior including five ice chandeliers that were lit with fiber optics and changed colors. It was the only ice hotel in the world to be built entirely from private funds.

Many people experienced an overnight in the hotel and thousands toured it during the season. Overnight guests received a personalized certificate acknowledging their bravery. Several guests enjoyed an alcoholic beverage from the bar in a sculpted ice glass resembling a martini glass. The glass was so popular that people from outside Alaska have been clamoring for the unique glasses.

The hotel received significant publicity during the early phases because the Alaska State Fire Marshall stopped construction of the ice hotel because it didn�t meet fire codes. A compromise was struck and fire extinguishers and smoke detectors were placed in each bedroom. �The sight of them always drew laughter from those that toured the Aurora Ice Hotel,� said Karl.

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Media Contact: Brenda Hewitt +1 (907) 488-1505 bhewitt@chenahotsprings.com