Enter a Night of Ice with HBO’s Game of Thrones

By Matthew Bamber

http://www.hbocanada.com/

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It is cold as you stroll through the door. A cloaked figure approaches and ushers you through a doorway that leads to a corridor of ice. You hear voices getting louder as you approach a broad entryway. It is not long before you take in what you are seeing. An entire room constructed from ice lies before you. From the block ice walls, to the detail of various ice statues scattered throughout the room, it is clear where you have been summoned. This is the world of Westeros.

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On February 10^th, HBO invited a select audience to experience the Season 4 Launch of Game of Thrones to Blue Ray/DVD. The party was held at the Chill Ice House, located at 82 Bathurst St. in Toronto. The venue features a lounge room that is completely made of ice. The venue has been open since July 2014 and has locations around the world. The room is regulated to a constant -4 degrees Celsius, ensuring that all elements of the room remain frozen and that guests are not too cold. Even the glasses given to drink from are entirely cut from ice. Talk about a cold drink! There is also a warmer lounge room separate from the ice lounge that gives guests a place to defrost and grab a drink. The Chill Ice House staff was also extremely friendly and accommodating to all guests.

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Even if you were not a Game of Thrones fan, you would still have had a fantastic time at this event. The décor was perfectly themed to the world of Westeros that made fans of the show appreciate the venue that much more. A life sized Iron Throne carved entirely out of ice was the center piece of the room.  The sheer detail of the carving was unbelievable to both Game of Throne lovers and non-fans alike. There were various other theme related ice carvings that included the three-eyed raven with its wings spread, and a giant poster from Season 4 of Game of Thrones. Members from HBO were also present to discuss the array of special features contained within Season 4 of the series. A brief HBO presentation also took place in which guests were given a sneak peak of what to expect from HBO in the coming year. Viewers can catch the Season 5 premier of Game of Thrones April 12 on HBO.

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As the night dwindled down, the guests mingled over their Game of Thrones themed drinks and marvelled at how perfectly set up the décor was. It is clear that a lot of work was put into this event and it did not go unappreciated. As the guests left the venue and stumbled into the brisk Toronto night, it became clear that their night of Westeros wonder had come to a close.