"It is the coolest place in Dubai. While outside temperatures are pushing the 40s and the humidity is 82%, the bar stays a cool -6º" says Mike Ebenezer, business development manager, Sharaf Group. Ebenezer is talking about the Gulf's first ever ice bar, Chillout, a US$3m freezer made entirely of Canadian ice, in Times Square owned by the Sharaf Group.
Local dress layered with parkas, gloves and ski boots are not an uncommon sight since the opening of Ski Dubai but one involving sipping ‘mocktails' from an ice glass in a room made entirely of ice is a fairly unusual sight in most countries, not least in the middle of the desert. Even slipping ski boots over your flip-flops and a giant ski coat over your summer clothes is an unusual feeling - as is stepping into Chillout for the first time.
Everything at Chillout is made of ice; the walls, tables, chairs, the bar, the 7ft chandelier, the model Dubai skyline, the portrait of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the rest of the art which adorns the walls. Guests can even eat their glasses once they have finished their drink. Low heat LED bulbs allow the atmosphere to be instantly changed with pink lighting planned for a Valentine's Day special and sheepskin rugs are draped over the seats for comfort and heat.
When Arabian Property visits a family enjoys hot drinks and a bite to eat and two men look to be conducting a business meeting. All of them are wrapped up in warm clothes with their teeth chattering. Chillout has been hugely popular since it first opened in June, according to Ebenezer who says: "A lot of people in the Middle East have never experienced freezing temperatures so it is a new experience for them. We recommend that visitors stay inside for around 40 minutes but locals are spending far longer in there. Children as young as eight years old are also enjoying the temperatures. So far it has been very popular."
"Chillout is the ninth ice bar in the world but many of them are temporary fixtures in cold countries. Dubai is looking at attracting eight million visitors this year alone so why not have a permanent ice bar in the middle of the desert?" he continues.
Chillout was designed by a team from the Sharaf Group in Dubai but all of the ice was carved and cut by Iceculture Inc, a company specialising in ice sculpture in Canada before being shipped to Dubai. The entire project from start to finish took a year and a half to achieve but took just two months to install. "It is impossible to get this purity of ice from anywhere else in the world" Ebenezer says.
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