Ski back to your own igloo

Skiers looking for something a little bit different this season can now spend their holiday in an “ice hotel” built high in the Austrian Alps. According to the online news provider Ananova, the giant igloo-type construction, in the resort of Solden, can accommodate up to 30 guests and has its own bar, kitchen and toilet. The “hotel” also features ice tables and wall covered in ice sculptures. Bruno Guenther, who built the hotel with four other men on the resort’s Rettenbachferner mountain, is quoted as saying that the ice structure is “cosy” even when temperatures plummet outside. While the beds are also made of snow, Ananova reports, guests can snuggle down on Styrofoam and sheepskin mattresses and keep warm in heavy-duty sleeping bags. The hotel is expected to last until it melts. To see pictures, visit http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1283331.html?menu=news.quirkies. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd