Free food 24 hours a day, no alcohol and the threat of polar bears around the corner: welcome to one of the northernmost hotels in the world.
South Camp Inn is located in Resolute, which is an extremely remote, pint-sized settlement about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Nunavut, Canada.
Getting there involves flying from Ottawa, Montreal or Yellowknife to the city of Iqaluit, and from there, it’s another four hours of flight with Canadian North airline, whose return trip costs more than $2,000.
The only tourists who venture to this part of the world are wildlife enthusiasts, hunters or adventurers and I fell into the latter category.
I was participating in an all-female ski expedition venturing to the North Magnetic Pole in 1996 to collect snow and ice samples to better understand climate change, and our team (five of us in total) checked into a modest-looking hotel before of leaving.
From the outside, the South Camp Inn appears rather nondescript, with a cream-colored, rugged exterior resembling a giant shipping container.
South Camp Inn is located in Resolute, a tiny, extremely remote settlement about 500 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Nunavut, Canada.
The only tourists who venture to this part of the world are wildlife enthusiasts, hunters or adventurers.
Resolute is home to about 200 full-time residents and most are Inuit
DailyMail.com’s Sadie Whitelocks, pictured left, had only intended to stay at the hotel for a few days, but bad weather left her stranded there for six nights.
As with other hotels in the Arctic region, rates at South Camp Inn are very high and it costs around $350 (CA$500) per person, per night, to stay there.
While Sadie was staying at the South Camp Inn, she met two hunters, a man from Texas and a man from Denmark, who had traveled to Resolute to hunt polar bears with the locals.
Resolute is the second northernmost community in Canada and is difficult and expensive to get there.
Upon entering, the first thing we noticed was the tropical heat, which was very welcome after being hit by sub-4F temperatures upon arriving at Resolute on a charter plane.
To prevent guests from trapping snow and dirt around the building, there is a trunk room at the hotel entrance to store shoes and warm clothing.
Our first attempt to reach Resolute had been thwarted by bad weather, and the only commercial airline operating flights there, Canadian North, had canceled all takeoffs for the following week.
In the end, we resorted to chartering a small plane to get there, as we needed to sort out our ski equipment and start planning before embarking on the expedition.
At the reception, one of the hotel workers gave us the keys and they gave us a room each.
As with other hotels in the Arctic region, rates at South Camp Inn are very high and it costs around $350 (CA$500) per person per night to stay there.
However, the price includes all meals and 24-hour access to snacks, which are replenished periodically in the dining room.
As alcohol is restricted in Resolute, as it is in many Nunavut communities, there is no alcohol available for purchase at South Camp and only soft drinks and hot drinks are offered.
The rooms include everything you need for a comfortable night’s sleep and there are several room configurations to choose from depending on the number of people you are traveling with.
Some of the newer accommodation units have a private bathroom, while other rooms have a shared bathroom.
Amenities include a fitness center, conference room, and laundry rooms, which are free to use.
While we only intended to check into South Camp for three nights, due to bad weather involving strong 40 mph winds, we were stranded there for six nights total.
The cost of staying at South Camp Inn includes all meals and access to 24-hour refreshments, which are replenished regularly in the dining room.
From the outside, Sadie says the South Camp Inn “looks pretty nondescript, with a creamy, rugged exterior similar to a giant shipping container.”
Hotel amenities include a gym, conference room (pictured) and laundry rooms, which are free to use.
A musk ox on display in the hotel’s conference room. The area is popular with hunters.
While the hotel is basic, Sadie said it “felt like the Ritz” upon returning there after her ski expedition that involved sleeping in a tent.
Since there wasn’t much to do at Resolute, Sadie said she slowly discovered that her days revolved mostly around meal times: breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m., and dinner at 5 p.m.
One of South Camp Inn’s refrigerators, stocked with treats for guests to enjoy
This meant that the team’s stay amounted to $10,500 ($14,372 Canadian) when we finished.
When it comes to spending time in Resolute, there isn’t much to do and by the second day we had seen most of the sights including the co-op, post office, local police station and national parks office .
As the Resolute area is prime polar bear territory, long walks through the frozen bay area without carrying a gun or “bear bangers” are not recommended.
However, several of us decided to stretch our legs with a hike up Signal Hill, which is a small mountain that stands proud behind the community.
From the top of the hill, the community seemed small and other islands around Resolute could be seen across the frozen expanse.
Resolute is home to around 200 full-time residents. Most are Inuit and the story behind how they came to live in such a desolate place still carries sadness.
Some locals we spoke to explained that the Canadian government had forcibly relocated their ancestors to Resolute during the Cold War to help the country exercise sovereignty over the High Arctic.
For decades, the Inuit struggled to adapt to the alien environment and many perished.
However, the community gradually learned to navigate the new hunting grounds, and the bay and surrounding waters proved rich in beluga whales, narwhals, and seals.
Like other communities in Nunavut, Resolute gets a quota to hunt certain animals to ensure it is a sustainable practice, and this includes polar bears.
To supplement their income and government welfare, many Inuit take foreigners hunting with them.
While staying at South Camp Inn, we met two hunters, a man from Texas and a man from Denmark, who had traveled to Resolute to hunt polar bears with the locals.
Polar bear hunting costs around $70,000 and costs even more if hunters want to export their prized pelts for taxidermy.
Currently, polar bear fur products are prohibited for export to the US and Mexico, but it is possible to ship them to Europe.
The Danish man we met told us that he had helped photograph a 14-year-old male bear and that the skin would be sent home for display.
Together with the hunters, we met a couple who were tourists at the hotel.
The man and woman, both intrepid retirees from Australia, explained that they were passionate about the Arctic and that some of the activities they had done while at Resolute included dog sledding and a snowmobile tour to try to spot polar bears. .
Since there wasn’t much to do at Resolute, we gradually discovered that the days revolved mainly around meal times: breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12pm, and dinner at 5pm.
Then, there was a living room to watch a Netflix spot before bed.
Finally, after days stranded at South Camp Inn, it was time to leave and embark on an expedition.
But after spending a week much further north in a tent fighting another storm, the modest hotel felt like the Ritz upon our return with a simple shower and flushing toilet that proved wonderful.