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Ice Lounge bar is now open at Waldorf Astoria Park City

Alexandria Gonzalez, The Park Record
Viara Crosby shakes up a drink for a customer at the Ice Lounge Thursday, Dec. 19 during the soft opening party for the Waldorf Astoria Park City. Christopher Reeves/Park Record
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When a bartender serves up an ice cold drink, that usually means in a cup with ice. The Ice Lounge at the Waldorf Astoria Park City offers something a little bit colder: drinks mixed and served up on a bar made of actual ice.

Christina Guzman, restaurant supervisor at the Waldorf Astoria, said the hotel and resort hired Gheron Kingston of Amazing Ice Creations in Salt Lake City to create the bar, which opened this weekend.

Kingston said he has been working with ice for over 20 years, and this is the second year he has created the Ice Lounge bar for the Waldorf. Guzman said it took Kingston four nights to complete the bar, two seats and two loveseats.

The bar counter is three blocks of ice set on top of five, intricately engraved glass-like pieces. The back bar is another set-up just like it with two large, jagged pieces of ices with built-in holes to fit and chill four or five bottles of champagne. The whole bar sits on top of a wooden base with blue lights illuminating the ice above it.

To the left of the bar are two loveseats also made out of ice. They are big enough to seat two people comfortably with elaborate designs etched into each of them. To the right of the bar are two similar seats that each fit just one person.

The warmer than normal temperatures for the last couple days meant the sculptor had to do his work at night when the temperatures dropped.

"As long as Mother Nature is on our side, the ice will remain frozen for the season, but [the sculptor] will also be coming by weekly to touch up the ice," Guzman said. "We are also hoping to have him add a grand entrance by the time Sundance rolls around so we can have that here for the rest of the season as well."

While it is Guzman’s first winter at the Waldorf Astoria, it is not the Ice Lounge’s. Like the previous winter seasons it has been open at the hotel and resort, it will be open on Friday and Saturday nights for both people staying at the hotel and those that are not.

Guzman said the hotel houses a lot of "leisure guests," so it is nice to have yet another activity they can participate in. "They can ski on the mountain during the day, they’ve got our chocolate bar, and Main Street is nice to go to at night, but it’s exciting to have this as another option for them as well as our nightly fire pit s’mores," she said.

A bartender served champagne in chilled glasses as well as other drinks on a menu created especially for the lounge.

"The menu may change over time, but we are hoping to keep it the same all season," Guzman said. "We are just excited to be opening this unique bar where guests and visitors alike can come and grab a drink and sit by our fire pit and enjoy their night."


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