Love the idea of an ice hotel, but not into the frosty reality of sleeping in one? Gaylord Hotels has a solution that showcases many of the amazing things one can do with large chunks of frozen water, without requiring piles of thick blankets to keep you warm at night.
The Nashville–based hotel company is once again hosting its annual ICE! event this holiday season, this time at all four of its U.S. properties, located in the family-friendly cities of Nashville, Orlando, Dallas and just outside Washington, D.C., in Maryland. Eight million pounds of the magical stuff will be transformed into sculptures, storybook scenes and characters, and slides by more than 100 artisans flown in from Harbin, China, that country’s ice capital and home of the internationally renown Ice and Snow World Festival.
Gaylord Hotels ICE! slide and winter pond scene.
Each resort will feature its own ice sculptures, series of events and special holiday packages, lasting from Thanksgiving into the new year.
- Gaylord National debuts its first year of ICE! with 10 different holiday scenes, from Santa’s toyshop to ice-skating polar bears. Don’t miss the hotel’s 60-foot glass Christmas tree and nightly snowfall. Packages start at $249 per night.
- The Gaylord Opryland Resort will convey the story of A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring the entire Peanuts gang on the ice set. Outside of the frozen attraction, guests can have breakfast with Charlie Brown himself, with family photo ops available on Fridays through Sundays. A Country Christmas packages are available Nov. 20 to Dec. 25, 2009.
- A “cold front” will take over Gaylord Palms this holiday season with Jolly Cold Saint Nicholas, depicting scenes featuring Santa Claus and his reindeer, as well as a life-sized Nativity, carved out of crystal-clear ice. Kids also can participate in a holiday gnome hunt and make gingerbread houses. Holiday packages, good from Nov. 14, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010, start at $129 per night.
- The Gaylord Texan ICE! display will feature How the Grinch Stole Christmas complete with toy soldier stilt walkers, a live reindeer and a 50-foot rotating Christmas tree. A variety of Lone Star Christmas packages are available for the holiday season.
Still worried about the cold? Fear not. Visitors can borrow oversized parkas to stay warm while touring the exhibits, which are kept at a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Read our previous post about how the Gaylord Opryland is great for families.)
