Eerily sculpted headboards adorn rooms at the Balea Lac Ice Hotel

It's been over a year since we last reported on an ice hotel, which we took as a sign that the kitschy travel trend had seen its final day pass. But rounding out this unusually mild winter season is news about the latest contender in (relatively) cheap and chilly accommodations: Romania.

The Balea Lac is one in a series of European icy lodgings that are rebuilt to compensate for melting and other seasonal changes. Temperatures inside top off at a spine-tingling 35 degrees Fahrenheit, though rest assured, every stay includes a "specialist sleeping bag" and some furs. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2012-01-04T09:30:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/2/2/235917/2558 <![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/2474/romaniapic.jpg"><p><p> We knew the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/1/10/1836/21138/hotels/Igloo_Tels_Are_SO_Winter_2006">Romanian ice hotel existed</a>, but weren't sure anyone else did (other than the <a href="http://www.daily-news.ro/article_detail.php?idarticle=22247">Bucharest Daily News</a>, of course). <p> On Wednesday the <a href="http://www.balea.lac.en.meridian-travel.ro"><b>Lake Balea (Balea Lac) Hotel</b></a> officially opened to the public. Like the other <a href="http://icehotel.com">ice hotels</a>, this one is also entirely made of snow and ice. <p> No worries about avalanches, the 37-year-old owner, Aurelian Nica, is a trained mountain rescuer. And he's psyched, "a dream come true," he says. Last year's attempt melted before anyone ever knew about it. Higher altitude and a great Siberian-cold front leave little room for premature melting for the 2006 season.<p> <blockquote><p>The hotel can be reached only from a highway linking the cities GEM0330 2006-02-03T09:40:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2006/1/10/1836/21138 <![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/2474/romaniaice.jpg"><p> Igloos are popping up all over the world. Less than a month after Germany announced their plans for <a href="http://www.iglu-dorf.com"><b>Iglu-Dorf</b></a>, we hear Romania is the next hot, er... cold spot.<p> High in the <a href="http://www.skiresorts.ro/index.php?pn=show_resort&amp;res=6&amp;lang=eng">Fagaras Mountain Balea Lac resort</a>, the newest igloo-tel will open on February 1, 2006. Balea Lac resort will remain open for four months, or until it melts, then like all ice hotels, wait for its rebirth the following winter. <p> Here's the good news: Unlike it's <a href="http://www.icehotel-canada.com/en/packages/index.en.php"><b>Canadian cousin</b></a>, this ice hotel has yet to be booked up this season. With eight double rooms and a bar, space is limited, so if you want to experience frost bite-nights in `06, you can still GEM0330 2006-01-10T08:33:18-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/