From Frozen Dreams to Reality
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it - building a luxury lodge in the Arctic wasn't exactly the smartest business move on paper. But sometimes you've gotta follow what calls to you, y'know?
The First Winter
I'd been guiding northern lights tours for tourists for about five years when it hit me. Every single guest would ask - "Where can we stay that's actually comfortable AND lets us experience the real Arctic?" Hotels in town were fine, but they weren't IT. So I started sketching plans on napkins at 2am, which probably should've been my first warning sign that I was obsessed.
Breaking Ground (Literally)
Convinced three crazy friends to invest their savings, mortgaged everything I owned, and bought this beautiful stretch of land outside Yellowknife. The permafrost made construction a nightmare - our contractor quit twice. But we found a team who'd built in Nunavut before, and they taught us how to work WITH the land instead of against it.
The Pandemic Plot Twist
Yeah, so we opened right as the world shut down. Perfect timing, right? But honestly? It gave us time to get everything PERFECT. We trained our staff, tested every aurora viewing spot on the property, and figured out how to make the hot springs feel magical even at -40C. When borders finally reopened, we were more than ready.
Word Gets Out
A travel writer from Toronto stumbled onto us and wrote this incredible piece. Suddenly we're fielding calls from Europe, Japan, even Australia. People wanted what we were offering - genuine wilderness connection without sacrificing comfort. Who knew there were so many folks dreaming of the Arctic?
Growing the Dream
Added twelve new suites, expanded the spa, and brought in Chef Marie who'd worked in Scandinavia for a decade. She gets it - how to take local ingredients and make something that feels both rustic and refined. Her caribou dish? Life-changing. Also started our dog sledding program with mushers from the community.
Living the Vision
We're not the biggest lodge up here, and that's by design. I still greet most guests personally, still lead aurora tours when the skies cooperate, still jump on a snowmobile to check ice conditions myself. This place works because we're small enough to care about every single person who walks through our doors. That's not changing, no matter what.
"We built Frostbane Odyssey for people who want to experience the Arctic the way it deserves to be experienced - with respect, wonder, and yeah, a really comfortable bed to crawl into afterwards. The North has given me everything. This is my way of sharing it."
- Marcus Thorne, Founder
