Yellowknife (Mar 25/05) - If you've ever pondered spending the night in the famous ice hotels in Quebec or Sweden, now you don't need to travel to enjoy the experience.

SnowKing Tony Foliot demonstrates the luxurious comfort of the Snotel's sleeping chamber. - Jennifer Geens/NNSL photo

Yellowknife now has its own ephemeral winter lodging, only this one's made of snow.

The SnowKing's snow hotel, known as the Snotel, is now open. The snotel is part of the snow castle on Yellowknife Bay. But the snotel rooms are closed to the general public, and protected by an innovative security system.

On entering through the special door, you step into a dark room with a slippery ice floor.

Climb the snow stairs and you emerge onto the open aurora viewing deck.

From your perch atop the castle, there's the snow-covered vista of the frozen bay, as far as the eye can see.

Attached to the deck, also on the second storey of the castle, is the snotel's sleeping chamber.

The vaulted room of snowblocks, with one ice window, features a wall-to-wall snow bench covered in fur hides.

Whatever you do, don't tell the SnowKing it's cool.

"It's not cool," he said.

"It's warm. It's very warm."

Throw a sleeping bag on top of the hides, and you'll be warm and toasty all night, he promises.

A night in the snotel will set you back $100.