W i n t e r g u i d e 2 0 1 8 3 5 sign knew better than to get rid of its gener- ous fireside options. Inside, grab an icy mar- tini and sling yourself into the deep, blue couches that frame the bar’s working fire- place. The plush setting, dancing firelight, and quiet, clockwork efficiency of the hotel’s staff creates a soporific sense of comfort. You won’t want to give up your spot for the en- tire night, much to the chagrin of the other guests. But wait, a fireside spot beneath the stars is in reach. Step outside to the garden area where the restaurant’s fire pit will be burning all winter. From January 25-27, the hotel will bring winter indoors for the return of its celebrated Ice Bar event after a hiatus in 2017. Guests can buy tickets ($30) to enjoy a party of music and martinis on ice–quite literally. A large, carved ice luge will make sure your drinks slip down in style and at lighting speed. Luge responsibly. If you take a trip north to brave the post- holiday sales in Freeport, you’ll need a mo- ment to unwind and shake the knots from your shopping bag-laden shoulders. Just a short distance from the furor of Bean’s and the outlet stores, you’ll find the hidden oasis of Harraseeket Inn’s outdoor patio, com- plete with an array of Adirondack chairs encircling a vast stone fire pit. “It’s lit every day at dusk,” says hotel manager Chip Gray. “Guests can order food and drink from the Broad Arrow Tavern” to be enjoyed under the night sky. E ven if you don’t have a suite booked, the Portland Regency and “restaurant with rooms” hotel The Francis both offer op- tions for guests looking for a slice of fireside luxury with their dinner. Book ahead to se- cure the choice spot at Twenty Milk Street in The Portland Regency Hotel, where an open hearth will warm your backs as you de- vour cedar plank-roasted Maine lobster. The Francis’s Bolster, Snow & Co. has two fire- places to choose from, each complete with glazed green tiles, polished mantel, and or- nate brass fire guards winged by dark velvet chairs. What else would you expect from the restored Mellen E. Bolster Mansion, a Fran- cis Fassett classic on Congress Street? “You Harraseeket Inn can come in to the hotel on a cold night and sit in The Parlor with a book and order a drink,” says manager Anthony DeLois. This is a hot seat you can relax in. “It’s absolutely available to the general public, not just hotel guests. And if you want a full meal fireside, we’ll seat you at a table right by the fire in Bolster, Snow & Co.; it also offers a great view of the kitchen.” n Boone’s Inset: Grab anAdirondack chair and settle in front of the blazing fire pit at the Harraseeket Inn.With the firelight on your face and the stars overhead,you’ll be swept away in the moment. Below left: The Ice Bar event at the Portland Harbor Hotel is a rowdy night of martini luges and music.Below right:You can’t beat a table by the fire and a spiced cocktail at Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room.