For $25,000 a night, you can rent a luxury chalet that sits on top of a glacier in a remote part of Alaska
Sheldon Chalet is an ultra-luxurious mountain lodge in Alaska that opened to guests in February 2018.
It sits in a glacial valley in the middle of Denali National Park, which encompasses more than six million acres of wilderness.
Source: National Park Service
Sheldon Chalet is anchored into the iron, titanium, and granite of the Sheldon Nunatak at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. A nunatak is a rock formation completely surrounded by glacial ice.
Source: Sheldon Chalet, Merriam Webster
The 40-minute flight offers views of lowland rivers, lakes, and forests, as well as vast mountain peaks including Foraker, Hunter and Denali.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The helicopter passes by the Great Gorge — which would be nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon if the thousands of feet of ice melted — and crosses over crevassed ice fields before reaching the chalet.
Source: Sheldon Chalet, Alaska.org
"One of my favorite things is seeing people's faces when they land — their brains can't quite comprehend what their eyes are seeing. They need a few breaths to take it all in," Marne Sheldon, one of three chalet owners, told Bloomberg.
Source: Bloomberg
The chalet was built in 2017 by sibling duo Robert and Kate Sheldon and Robert's wife, Marne.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
Against a backdrop of jagged mountain peaks and Northern Lights, the chalet looks small — but it has 2,000 square feet of space.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The interior décor is simple, warm, and modern.
Guests are met upon arrival with Champagne and a seafood spread. "Our chef is a local Alaskan, Dave Thorne aka Delicious Dave, and has been touted as the 'best chef in the state' by many," Marne told Business Insider.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The menu includes fresh Alaska King Crab and Copper River Salmon, locally grown micro greens, and other locally sourced ingredients paired with fine wine.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The chalet has five bedrooms, each with panoramic views of the surrounding snowy peaks.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
There are two full bathrooms upstairs in the sleeping quarters and one half bath downstairs. "The simple things in life, like running water, are actually quite luxurious when you're 6,000 feet up on a glacier," Marne told Bloomberg.
Source: Bloomberg
The cost to rent out the entire lodge is $25,000 a night, with a three-night minimum stay. There's room for up to 10 people.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
"Every experience includes a chef, concierge, and two guides for glacier adventures," Marne told Business Insider.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The $25,000 package also includes access to the nearby Mountain House, which predates Sheldon Chalet. Built in 1966 by pilot Don Sheldon, father of two of the current owners of the chalet, the rustic hut is reserved for guests with backcountry and glacier travel experience, as no guides are provided.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
Guests can also choose to book a shared experience for $2,300 per person per night for double occupancy, and $3,000 per person per night for single occupancy. The three-night minimum also applies to these stays.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
Although the chalet has luxe amenities, there is no internet or cell service — and the owners wouldn't have it any other way.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
"Guest LOVE disconnecting even if they were apprehensive to do so at first and have said to us after their experience — don't ever add Wi-Fi/cell coverage, it will ruin the experience," Marne told Business Insider.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The chalet includes an observation desk where guests can take in the mountain scenery.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
Depending on the season and the weather, there's a good chance you'll see the Northern Lights if you stay at Sheldon Chalet.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
"Our unique location – latitude 63 degrees, and elevation 6,000 feet means our troposphere is some of the thinnest on the planet, which allows you to see the aurora's blues and purples as well as shooting stars more often and brighter than elsewhere," reads Sheldon Chalet's website.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
Sheldon Chalet recommends that guests pack for extreme weather year-round in the form of layers of clothing, long underwear, winter jackets, and warm winter boots. Guests will be given a comprehensive packing list after making reservations.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
But it appears that sometimes the sunshine is warm enough to warrant a nap in a hammock.
Source: Sheldon Chalet
The many adventures to be had outside of the lodge include sledding, helicopter tours, skiing, mountaineering, fishing, glacier trekking ...
Source: Sheldon Chalet
... or simply catching a sunset behind the rugged Alaskan mountains.
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