Since Quebec�s Ice Hotel opened its crystalline halls on 1 January 2001, it has delivered an unparalleled and enchanting winter experience to over 40,000 visitors.

Over 1,500 of these guests stayed overnight in the beautiful ice castle, three times the estimated number of visitors predicted to stay at the hotel for its short period of operation during winter 2001.

The first Ice Hotel in Canada, unique to North America, offers guests the chance to stay in suites individually designed and crafted by Qu�bec artists. Patrons spend the night in one of the hotel�s luxury suites tucked in a warm sleeping bag on a bed sculptured from ice.

Quebec�s Ice Hotel is impressive. With its spacious halls adorned with candelabra, artwork emerging from its walls of snow and furniture crafted from sheer ice, it is nothing short of a spectacular winter wonderland.

In the Absolut Ice Bar, vodka is served in cool ice shooter glasses. Guests can also roam through the hotel�s two art galleries, enjoying the collection of stunning ice sculptures. They can even take in a film at the ice cinema!

The Ice Hotel was built in November 2000 at the Montmorency Falls Park on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, ten minutes from Qu�bec City. Construction of this huge structure took five weeks using more than 4500 tons of snow and 250 tons of ice.

The hotel will open again in January 2002 until the end of March when the hotel slowly disappears as the warm days of spring arrive� to return magically the following year with the first snow fall.

The 2002 resort, Duchesnay Ecotourism Station, will provide accommodation for up to 80 guests. Visitors will be able to enjoy many winter pursuits including dogsledding and snowmobiling.

For more information visit the Ice Hotel�s web site at www.icehotel-canada.com.

For free brochures, maps and information on Canada, contact Canada Travel Information on tel: 1300 300 576. The Canadian Tourism Commission's web site can be located at www.canada.trav.net.

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Prepared and distributed for the Canadian Tourism Commission by Savage Communications. For more information contact: Donna Brinkhaus Canadian Tourism Commission Tel: 02 9364 3027 Justine Laundy Savage Communications Tel: 02 9959 3822