Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

The Ice Hotel

Aired January 13, 2004 - 11:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of places like to be called the cool place to stay. But there is one that really means cool. It's an ice hotel, it's the Ice Hotel. It's in Quebec, Canada. The name tells you really all you need to do.
The CEO, Jacques Desbois, join us. He's on the phone to talk about the hotel and the Web site where you can check it out from the warmth of your own home. Jacques, bon jour.

JACQUES DESBOIS, CEO, ICE HOTEL: Bon jour.

KAGAN: Good to have you here with us.

DESBOIS: Thank you very much to receive me.

KAGAN: Now there are a lot of hotels that have to be in season. Yours truly has to be in season. You just opened last Friday, I believe, right?

DESBOIS: Yes, what a great opening we had. Already, we have (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 100 people that have spent a night. Practically 2,000 have visited yet. And we have a great opening celebration this Thursday at the Ice Hotel.

KAGAN: It's really made out of ice?

DESBOIS: Yes, the Ice Hotel. It is made with 15 tons of really hard packed snow that is creating huge arches, huge gaps. And inside we use 500 tons of ice to structure, to design, to create the magical inside the Ice Hotel. This is tremendous.

KAGAN: And does it stay together just by the coldness of the Canadian winter? What if you have a heat wave?

DESBOIS: Well, the Ice Hotel is basically insulated by its walls of snow and in the rooms we are providing the guest with all the winter sleeping bag equipment, clothing, practical advice. It is the body warmth...

KAGAN: Exactly, cozy up. Good reason there. That was my next question, how do the guests stay warm.

But you're also taking this ice theme to the next step and you have ice shot glasses and ice plates that the food is served on.

DESBOIS: Yes, sure. We have (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we have also our reception room (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Drinks are on the rocks and we're serving also little meals on ice plates. And also we have our Nordic health space, including hot tub, sauna, and a Nordic decor. Art gallery with paint in ice. The chapel, where 50 of our weddings are from U.S. people and 30 percent of overnight stays at the Ice Hotel are from U.S. people also.

KAGAN: So let's get right down to it. How much cold, hard cash does it cost to stay at the Ice Hotel?

DESBOIS: Well, actually, we have an all-included package. I mean, a four-course dinner in the evening, the buffet breakfast, the hotel room, the ice cocktail, equipment, everything. It is about 140 U.S., but we have also -- if people are asking for any other special -- we have a 99 U.S. dollar special also to -- as a basic offer for people. All information they can have on our Web site...

KAGAN: Yes, let's talk about the Web site.

DESBOIS: Yes, it is IceHotel-Canada.com. And there's a free phone number which is the 1-877-558-0423.

KAGAN: Is this the first year of the Ice Hotel?

DESBOIS: It is our fourth season. And we are receiving more and more guests every year. We expect to receive 65,000 people at the Ice Hotel, including the overnight stays, the day visitors, the weddings, the corporate events. And this is a great progression for Ice Hotel. We're really glad...

KAGAN: Jacques, in three or four years, what's the biggest lesson you've learned?

DESBOIS: Yes, yes, well -- we will be on the fourth season...

KAGAN: What have you learned as you've gone along? Oops, we shouldn't do that, because it didn't work out.

DESBOIS: Yes, yes. But for these season, we've learned a lot from the comments we received from the people through the three past years. And our orientation this year was really to improve (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside the Ice Hotel. And we've been really listening to the guests comments for these three years. And we are sure that we will increase the amazement we'll create in all the visitors this year.

KAGAN: It looks like a cool place.

You know, the big Canadian news today, President Bush and your prime minister, Paul Martin, announcing that Canada will be allowed to bid on reconstruction contracts for Iraq. Maybe there's a place for an Ice Hotel...

DESBOIS: Oh, well, when we're talking about Ice Hotel, we're talking about art. We're talking about artistic innovation. We're not especially involved in the regular standard of construction. We're another thing.

KAGAN: Got it. Might not work out too well in the Baghdad summer. Better keep it in Quebec for the winter.

How much longer will you be in business this year?

DESBOIS: Oh, well, we expect to operate until March 31 at least. Over that, it will be Mother Nature and the number of visitors will predict what will happen further.

KAGAN: Jacques, good luck with all that.

DESBOIS: Thank you very much. I really thank you to have received me today.

KAGAN: Absolutely. With the Ice Hotel, Jacques Desbois, the ice hotel.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 13, 2004 - 11:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of places like to be called the cool place to stay. But there is one that really means cool. It's an ice hotel, it's the Ice Hotel. It's in Quebec, Canada. The name tells you really all you need to do.
The CEO, Jacques Desbois, join us. He's on the phone to talk about the hotel and the Web site where you can check it out from the warmth of your own home. Jacques, bon jour.

JACQUES DESBOIS, CEO, ICE HOTEL: Bon jour.

KAGAN: Good to have you here with us.

DESBOIS: Thank you very much to receive me.

KAGAN: Now there are a lot of hotels that have to be in season. Yours truly has to be in season. You just opened last Friday, I believe, right?

DESBOIS: Yes, what a great opening we had. Already, we have (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 100 people that have spent a night. Practically 2,000 have visited yet. And we have a great opening celebration this Thursday at the Ice Hotel.

KAGAN: It's really made out of ice?

DESBOIS: Yes, the Ice Hotel. It is made with 15 tons of really hard packed snow that is creating huge arches, huge gaps. And inside we use 500 tons of ice to structure, to design, to create the magical inside the Ice Hotel. This is tremendous.

KAGAN: And does it stay together just by the coldness of the Canadian winter? What if you have a heat wave?

DESBOIS: Well, the Ice Hotel is basically insulated by its walls of snow and in the rooms we are providing the guest with all the winter sleeping bag equipment, clothing, practical advice. It is the body warmth...

KAGAN: Exactly, cozy up. Good reason there. That was my next question, how do the guests stay warm.

But you're also taking this ice theme to the next step and you have ice shot glasses and ice plates that the food is served on.

DESBOIS: Yes, sure. We have (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we have also our reception room (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Drinks are on the rocks and we're serving also little meals on ice plates. And also we have our Nordic health space, including hot tub, sauna, and a Nordic decor. Art gallery with paint in ice. The chapel, where 50 of our weddings are from U.S. people and 30 percent of overnight stays at the Ice Hotel are from U.S. people also.

KAGAN: So let's get right down to it. How much cold, hard cash does it cost to stay at the Ice Hotel?

DESBOIS: Well, actually, we have an all-included package. I mean, a four-course dinner in the evening, the buffet breakfast, the hotel room, the ice cocktail, equipment, everything. It is about 140 U.S., but we have also -- if people are asking for any other special -- we have a 99 U.S. dollar special also to -- as a basic offer for people. All information they can have on our Web site...

KAGAN: Yes, let's talk about the Web site.

DESBOIS: Yes, it is IceHotel-Canada.com. And there's a free phone number which is the 1-877-558-0423.

KAGAN: Is this the first year of the Ice Hotel?

DESBOIS: It is our fourth season. And we are receiving more and more guests every year. We expect to receive 65,000 people at the Ice Hotel, including the overnight stays, the day visitors, the weddings, the corporate events. And this is a great progression for Ice Hotel. We're really glad...

KAGAN: Jacques, in three or four years, what's the biggest lesson you've learned?

DESBOIS: Yes, yes, well -- we will be on the fourth season...

KAGAN: What have you learned as you've gone along? Oops, we shouldn't do that, because it didn't work out.

DESBOIS: Yes, yes. But for these season, we've learned a lot from the comments we received from the people through the three past years. And our orientation this year was really to improve (UNINTELLIGIBLE) inside the Ice Hotel. And we've been really listening to the guests comments for these three years. And we are sure that we will increase the amazement we'll create in all the visitors this year.

KAGAN: It looks like a cool place.

You know, the big Canadian news today, President Bush and your prime minister, Paul Martin, announcing that Canada will be allowed to bid on reconstruction contracts for Iraq. Maybe there's a place for an Ice Hotel...

DESBOIS: Oh, well, when we're talking about Ice Hotel, we're talking about art. We're talking about artistic innovation. We're not especially involved in the regular standard of construction. We're another thing.

KAGAN: Got it. Might not work out too well in the Baghdad summer. Better keep it in Quebec for the winter.

How much longer will you be in business this year?

DESBOIS: Oh, well, we expect to operate until March 31 at least. Over that, it will be Mother Nature and the number of visitors will predict what will happen further.

KAGAN: Jacques, good luck with all that.

DESBOIS: Thank you very much. I really thank you to have received me today.

KAGAN: Absolutely. With the Ice Hotel, Jacques Desbois, the ice hotel.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com