Approximately five to six weeks. Large-capacity ice hotels take roughly five to six weeks to construct. Smaller versions can be built in a matter of days. The ice hotels are designed by Icehotel staff and inspired by historical monuments and buildings. They are built on site at temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius, with no electricity or gas supply. Only torches are used for light. Inside the ice hotel you will find a sleeping area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a gallery where guests can enjoy the ice sculptures created by the hotel's carvers. Guests can stay in the ice hotels for one night or even longer if they wish. In the summer, an employee will come inside to check on the guests and make sure they are comfortable. If they are not, they will let someone know outside the ice hotel so that they can be brought in to sleep indoors. The concept for ice hotels was invented in Japan in 1994 by Satsuki Odawara. Since then, other artists have been invited to create sculptures for these temporary museums of ice art. People all over the world have asked how they can help with the construction of an ice hotel.