It’s not easy to sleep when there are 3,000 tonnes of compacted ice and snow stacked above your head. At least, I thought, warily contemplating the glittering white ceiling above, it would be a pretty unique way to go. Unique is an apt description for the Iglu-Dorf, a luxe hotel constructed every autumn at the summit of the Rinderberg peak. From the outside, you’d be forgiven for failing to realise that the Iglu-Dorf was there at all, as it resembles nothing so much as a gigantic pile of snow, particularly if – as I did – you arrive in the midst of a blizzard.

Once inside, everything goes quiet as the thick ice walls cut off all sound from without. It’s not, as I’d imagined, particularly warm inside, with the temperature perpetually hovering around zero. Lucky then, that the Iglu-Dorf’s smiley complement of staff is on hand at all times to ply you with warming mugs of glühwein, vast vats of moreish cheese fondue, or if you’re in desperate need, shots of Jägermeister that scorch down your throat and warm you from within. After a few of those, it all starts to feel rather cosy, helped along by the piles of thick woollen blankets dotted around the main bar area coupled with a welcoming atmosphere.

Curled into an alcove on one of the many red bean bags inside what is essentially one giant sculpture, you can appreciate the work that’s gone into the Iglu-Dorf. That the edifice is constructed over just three weeks, I found mind-boggling, particularly as it’s no rough and ready job but instead a slick operation complete with artworks galore, albeit ones carved from ice. According to our guide, Iglu-Dorf ships in artists from all over Switzerland to create the glittering ice sculptures and murals, all striking in their attention to detail and the speed with which they were made. Perched on the bar is a clear bust of a chap who looked a lot like English playwright, William Shakespeare, complete with an Elizabethan-era hairdo. On the walls, meanwhile, a zoo’s-worth of animals slid, wriggled and stomped across the walls. To one side was a huge giraffe, with characteristic diamond-shaped markings inscribed across its hide. On the other, a fearsome lion roared over the bar, its mane snaking out in ringlets on either side.

It’s the same story in the bedrooms, some of which are deluxe private rooms for two and some dorms sleeping up to five people. Our room had a fantastical mural complete with wild beasts, rugged mountains and gingerbread cottages that looked as if they had sprung fully formed from the imagination of JR Tolkien or Hans Christian Andersen. Bedded down on an ice platform, thankfully covered with a cheerful red mattress, and ensconced in an Arctic-strength sleeping bag, the mural made an enthralling change from monochrome painted walls.

The next morning, I woke cosy in my sleeping bag but found getting out even more challenging than usual thanks to the bitter cold. My nose was icy and my toes felt like blocks of snow, so I took my cup of mint tea off to the sauna to warm up. The only heated part of the Iglu-Dorf, the sauna is a fragrant pine affair and feels blissfully warm after a night in one of the frigid igloo rooms. For those who are particularly brave, or possibly insane, there’s an outdoor Jacuzzi filled with warm frothing water, although you do have to make a naked dash through the snow to get to it. A surprising number of takers were there, luxuriating in the bubbling water and ignoring the snow surrounding them. I watched from the warmth of the sauna.

Although a fondue supper is served in the Iglu-Dorf, breakfast is provided at the Saanerslochgrat mountain restaurant, 300 yards away next to the cable car. Because it had snowed in the night, we had to use snowshoes to get back or risk falling into one of the metre-deep drifts that had piled up. Vats of coffee, traditional Swiss breakfast fare of ham, local cheese and excellent crusty bread, all served up in the warm restaurant dining room was enough finish the thawing process that the sauna had started. The wood panelled restaurant isn’t the place for those who want arty brilliance – for that, the Iglu-Dorf wins hands down – but it is warm, which after a night in the Iglu-Dorf, was all I really wanted. The Iglu-Dorf is a wonderful concept, expertly executed and I adored it - for one night at least. Could I do two? Not without a break in between.

Prices for a night at the Iglu-Dorf, including glühwein, a fondue supper and breakfast at the Saanerslochgrat mountain restaurant, starts at approximately £95 per person. See iglu-dorf.com for more information. To find out more about Saanenmöser and the Gstaad region, see gstaad.ch or myswitzerland.com

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