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| - I was fortunate enough to visit the Ice Rink a couple times last season and enjoyed it thoroughly. Each time we were able to enjoy one of the fire pits and loved being able to create delicious s'mores! My visits were wonderful experiences and contributed to great memories with good friends.
I didn't think I was going to be able to return this season, however, a friend wanted to celebrate her 30th birthday here and, of course, we were happy to go! I accompanied my friend, Kim, and her fiancé early so we could snag a fire pit for the group. Side note: Kim e-mailed The Cosmopolitan for information to reserve a fire pit for her special occasion and was told that 2-3 fire pits were available for first come, first serve, however, majority of the fire pits required a reservation of $250-400 for two hours. Our jaws dropped.
When we arrived at the Ice Rink around 4:15 pm, it was very crowded and I had a bad feeling - there was NO way we were going to be able to snatch a fire pit with a line at Skate Rentals. As we walked between the rink and bar, I noticed all the empty seats surrounding 5-6 fire pits on the south side of the pool. I figured it was worthwhile to talk to the host at the Reservations Stand and discuss options. We were very happy to hear that utilizing one of the fire pits would just require a food and beverage minimum of $200 for 10 people. Since it can only be reserved for two hours, we set a reservation for 6 pm and went downstairs for drinks while waiting for everyone else.
We arrived a few minutes before 6 to hopefully secure a spot on the second or third levels - the host previously explained that the tables could not be selected and that they are assigned at the time of your reservation - but when we asked for one of those vacant spots, we were denied (no explanation, of course) and given a space next to the rink. Weird. Apparently not first come, first serve? Anyway, we were happy with our fire pit and still enjoyed the (limited) strip view.
From their "Tastes" menu, I chose the Crispy Aged Gouda and Potato Perogies with Crème Fraîche and Caramelized Onions ($10) - an order comes with three good-sized dumplings. Really, really tasty. A tad expensive, but good. Since I was raving about it so much, everyone else ended up ordering the same thing! For a beverage, I went with a "Who's a Hot Tea?" ($14) made with EG Earl Grey Tea & Sage Vodka, lemon juice, and Cardamom-Black Pepper Honey Syrup. It was really interesting. I was surprised to see it in a travel mug (I thought it was a cold cocktail) and that there wasn't any tea in it aside from the infused vodka. A friend asked for an actual Earl Grey tea bag to seep in the drink (although they only had regular black tea), so I added it to my drink as well. I thought it improved the drink, but it was still a really odd beverage.
My fiancé, friends, and I shared a "That's S'more Like It" kit ($14) that comes with a bag of (approximately 10) marshmallows, a package of graham crackers, two regular bars of Hershey's milk chocolate, and two very long, thin skewers. It's a decent amount of ingredients so it depends on how much you want to eat, but six of us were happy with one kit and we split the sticks into six pieces.
Anyway, it's such a shame that service was so rocky. First, we weren't told there would be a "Service Charge" (separately listed from the automatic Gratuity of 18%) nor was it explained when given our bill. I'm sure no one likes mysterious charges. Second, our server, although really nice, wasn't very attentive. After asking for our tab total, we waited 15+ minutes for her return (she tended to the group next to us TWICE during this time); no explanation during or after the wait as if it didn't happen. We obviously needed to fulfill our F&B minimum before our two-hour reservation ended. It was already 8 pm when our last order was placed! Third, we get a visit from the reservations host to deliver a courtesy reminder of our two-hour limit...after it ended. He apologized that he hadn't come earlier, explaining that they were very busy, but nicely said he would allow us to remain at our fire pit as long as possible. All the while, I was trying to explain that we wanted to leave on time, but JUST received service and our last order was barely entered. I couldn't help but shake my head about the whole situation. By the time we received our final receipts, it was approximately 8:45.
Aside from all the madness, it was and has been a fun winter experience. Last night, the weather was gorgeous and it was so much fun hanging out by the fire pit and sipping on spiked beverages with good friends! If I do return next season, I'll make sure to go at the beginning (November)!
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