The 2016 grand opening of North America’s longest-running ice hotel took place last night (15 January) in Quebec, Canada.

A fireworks display and concert marked the official unveiling of this year’s Hôtel de Glace, which has opened every winter in the city since 2001.

The hotel was originally inspired by Sweden’s famous Icehotel – which recently re-launched for its 26th year and is now launching an extension that does not melt – and emulates its counterpart by changing its appearance every year.

For 2016, the hotel covers 3,000sq m (32,000sq ft) and features 44 guest rooms, an ice bar and an Arctic spa. It has been constructed with more than 15,000 tons of ice and thick snow, which keep the hotel insulated and prevent the temperature from dropping below -3°C.

The design for 2016, created by Canadian studio Bourgeois/Lechasseur Architectes, has a river theme, reflected in interior ice sculptures and furnishings hand-crafted by local artists.

“From frozen glaciers to rivers flowing underground, visitors are free to explore the banks and meanders of rivers that capture the imagination,” said artistic director Pierre L’Heureux. “Man and water join forces to take you on a voyage along imaginary rivers through a world of ice and snow."

Guests at the hotel can also explore an ice labyrinth, take a ride on the ice-formed Super Slide or have a drink at the hotel’s ice bar or new Heineken sports bar – a new addition this year.

The hotel will remain open until 28 March, 2016, when temperatures begin to rise and the walls start to melt.

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