Abandoned Igloo Hotel Goes Up For Sale

It’s not a real estate listing you see everyday: a half-finished igloo in the Alaskan wilderness is on the market.

The four-story, dome-shaped structure was originally envisaged as a hotel, but it has sat half-finished and abandoned (save for the odd vandal) for nearly 40 years.

Dubbed “Igloo City” by locals, the building has fascinated passersby, but was never completed because of problems with the original construction and a lack of funds.So what’s the price for this rare piece of real estate? The owner says he’ll hear out any serious offers, just as long as the buyer is willing to put in the hard yards to get the igloo up and running as a hotel.

However, getting the building into shape is probably only the first part of the challenge for its new owner. Finding guests for the hotel might be quite the task too – the igloo is located along a remote highway 180 miles north of Anchorage, and the nearest town is home to a little over 200 residents.

Check out pictures of the igloo hotel below.

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[Photo credit: Allison Barden]

10 of the world’s most unique vacation rentals

Imagine sleeping in the renovated fuselage of a vintage 727 airplane in Costa Rica. Or how about feeding giraffes over the breakfast table at a castle in Kenya? These one-of-a-kind lodging experiences, and others, are available through online vacation rental websites like Airbnb, and often for less than the cost of a shoebox room in a budget hotel in downtown Manhattan.

Take, for example, the following sampling of Airbnb’s unique vacation rental listings:
  • Boot and Breakfast (pictured at right). A childhood tale comes to life in Tasman, New Zealand. $225/night.
  • Romantic Igloo. Temperatures in Igloo Village Krvavec in Slovenia hover around 0-5 degrees Celsius – perfect for cuddling. $189/night.
  • Alone on your own Fiji Island. Really get away by booking the private Fijian island of Nanuku. $350/night.
  • Ecopod Boutique Retreat. A low-carbon pod designed in partnership with Zendrome, Berlin, in the woods of Appin, United Kingdom. $241/night.
  • Aircamp Furillen. A vintage Airstream on tiny Furillen Island in Sweden. $204/night.
Airbnb also groups their most notable listings into fun collections, like “Trees and Zzz’s” for treehouse lodgings, “Grape Expectations” for wine country accommodations and “I’m On A Boat” for, well, boats.

For 10 of Airbnb’s most unique vacation rentals, check out the gallery below.

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GadlingTV’s Travel Talk 007: How to build an Igloo, end of Cuban travel ban?, business model of Somali pirates & more!


GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 7 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ever wanted to build an igloo? We’re savoring the end of the snow season by taking you to the Sierras to show you how!

This week we’ll also discuss the White House’s second attempt to nominate a TSA Director, why Cuba is developing faster than ever, the business model behind the Somali pirate industry, and a popular tourist destination where a kiss could land you in jail.

We’ve got a new (spicy) Tasteful Destination for you, and some little known facts about a tea you know and love with Tea Time. Grab a blanket or cup of hot cider and enjoy!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
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Hosts: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea
Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea


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Music:

Tea Time
“Revenge of the flying monkeys, part 2”
Ayetoro

Tasteful Destinations
“Stop Yield Go Merge”
Derek K Miller
http://www.penmachine.com/
(courtesy of Musicalley.com)

Adventure of the Week
“Wake”
Finn Riggins
http://myspace.com/finnriggins



The most amazing bed-time view in Finland

The Hotel Kakslauttanen is in Saariselka, Finland, a small town in the far north of this already northern country. From your guestroom, you can turn off the lights and take in the aurora borealis from your bed. This, quite simply, is an experience you won’t find anything else.

Glass igloos take the place of traditional guestrooms at the Hotel Katslauttanen. A small room, encased in transparency, comes with a small bedroom, and the main attraction is above. There are 20 of these spaces in the hotel built by Jussi Eiramo, designed specifically to take in the Northern Lights.

If you plan to soak in the arctic sky up in Saariselka, remember that there isn’t a lot of sunlight every year. In fact, January brings four hours of dusk, and that’s about it. Some guests have trouble finding their igloos, which would be comical if not for the cold. The management is ready for this challenge, offering flashlights to guests that overshoot their rooms.

A night will set you back $370, but you need to plan for some time in a traditional space, as well. The igloos have great views, but lack showers.

[Via NY Times]

Is This The World’s Most Southern Igloo?

Normally igloos are meant to be surrounded by polar bears and Inuit fishermen drilling holes in pack ice, but that hasn’t stopped a few wacky Kiwis from building one half way up an active volcano. Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand’s North Island last erupted in 1996 and earlier this year sent a lahar of mud, rocks and water careening down its slopes. Despite the occasional natural interruption, Ruapahu features two popular skifields, and visitors for the upcoming season now have the opportunity to sleep in an authentic igloo.

Visitors will need to be quick because the icy structure will only last until spring kicks in from October. There are already two dining rooms for up to 20 mountain-side diners, and new sleeping quarters are now being added that will house up to nine people.

There’s no reviews on Trip Advisor yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time.

Story and pic via the New Zealand Herald.