Classy style
Two hundred kilometres north of the Artie Circle, in a small Swedish village
called Jukkasjarvi, something amazing happens every winter. For the past
17 years, a stylish, fully-functional four-star hotel is built, enjoyed by guests
and then demolished; a luxury resort made entirely out of ice. The now
world-famous Ice Hotel - which appeared in the 2002 James Bond film Die
Another Day - is a modern-day architectural wonder.
But this kind of ice-cold construction is no longer restricted to the
winter months of the great white north. Following on the Ice Hotel's success
in Sweden, ice bars have since cropped up across the globe in exotic
locations like Stockholm, Milan, London, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Sydney,
Auckland and now Amsterdam. Last summer, the Xtracold Amsterdam
Lounge and Icebar opened its doors to a curious Dutch clientele, a stylish
new outlet situated along the picturesque Amstel River, which flows
through the heart of Holland's capital city.
With an interior designed by popular Dutch designer Jan des Bouvrie, this
classy bar and lounge is the first of its kind in the Netherlands. "That's what
attracted us to the Xtracold concept in the first place," says Wilfred Hunsel,
director of Ditems Entertainment, who together with Robert van Duuren is
co-owner of the lounge and bar. "The ultimate ice experience is a truly
refreshing concept for Holland, something that has never been done before
in this country. So it's extremely exciting to be involved."
Like other ice bars around the world and the Swedish Ice Hotel, Xtracold
Amsterdam is built entirely out of ice. The walls, the bar, the seats and even
the beer glasses are frozen solid. At a constant temperature of-7 degrees
Celsius, the Xtracold ice bar is perfect for those who want to sit down and
enjoy a super cold glass of Heineken Extra Cold, which is available on tap.
Every visitor who comes into the ice bar is given a jacket and gloves in
