Frosty reception! Celia Imrie slams ice hotels, revealing she had a 'nightmare' stay on a frozen block under an animal skin - and was so cold she went for breakfast at 3:30am

Freezing walls, solid blocks of ice for a bed and animal skin blankets – ice hotels are certainly unique, and they often cost a lot too.Despite the novelty of it all, actress Celia Imrie, 74, described her stay at one as a 'b****y nightmare'.Speaking to Travel Secrets podcast host Tanya Rose, Celia explained: 'I won't name the exact one. I was very excited about the idea of sleeping on a block of ice. What a mad idea is that?'However, when it came to lying down and getting some shut-eye, the veteran British star says she thought 'What on earth am I doing?!''You're covered with sort of animal skin which being a vegetarian I'm not mad about,' she added, going on to explain how she found it difficult to sleep in her igloo room.Halfway through the night she admitted she thought 'I've had enough of this' and got up early, hoping to be first in line for breakfast. No chill thrill for Celia: The British actress told the Travel Secrets podcast that ice hotels are hugely overrated in her opinionBut at 3.30am, she found lots of other guests 'all had the same idea'.'They're all fed up with their blocks of ice and they're all lining up for hot breakfast,' Celia said. To make things worse, the ice had started to thaw when Celia visited and iced over again which made it difficult to do many of the activities.'You couldn't go with the horses obviously because it's far too icy for them and they'd hurt themselves,' she said. 'They did take the huskies out which I think they shouldn't have done.'Celia admitted the next night 'was a bit less of a trouble' and the best part of the stay was being able to look at stars through a glass roof.Nevertheless, the actress insisted she will 'never again' visit an ice hotel. Despite Celia's experience, the spectacular snowbound retreats have become bucket-list destinations for many keen travellers, drawing tourists in with their elaborate ice sculptures, frozen cocktail bars and otherworldly bedrooms that are rebuilt from scratch every winter. From Norway to Sweden, Austria to Switzerland, Europe's icy accommodation offerings have expanded rapidly over the years. Ice, ice, baby: The unique accommodation option has become bucket-list destinations for many keen travellers (stock)The Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, located about 20km (12 miles) from Alta's town centre, is one example. The abode is built entirely from snow and ice – and has to be re-constructed from scratch every winter. The hotel is not only Norway's oldest ice hotel, but it is also officially the world's northernmost igloo hotel. An impressive 2,500 square metre structure, it is crafted using 250 tons of ice and over 7,000 cubic metres of snow harvested from the local Sierravann lake and Alta River. When spring arrives, the accommodation melts away, before returning the following season with completely new designs – meaning no two stays are ever the same.Inside, temperatures stay between -4C (25F) and -7C (19F), with guests encouraged to bring thermal underwear – though each room is equipped with reindeer leather sleeping pads and ultra-warm sleeping bags. Prices for a one-night stay at Sorrisniva start at £385, rising to around £525 during busier periods. Meanwhile, Scandinavia's southernmost snow hotel is a much more expensive example. Hunderfossen Snow Hotel offers suites for two, four or six people and guests spend the night in a sleeping bag from £1,005 per night.Included in a snow hotel accommodation package is entrance to The Winter Park, a winter activity wonderland, dinner and breakfast at Hunderfossen Hotel, kick sled transportation, an ice drink at King Valemon's Ice Bar, and a private apartment.