Ice Princess
October 29, 2020 - By Joy Reed Belt
Well I don’t know how your Halloween plans are coming along, but this year I began
playing my role of “Ice Princess” several days early. On Monday afternoon, due to
freezing rain and ice laden trees, the power totally went out in my home as well as at
the Gallery. After struggling 24 hours without heat or electricity, I decided, with the
encouragement of colleagues and friends, to move to a pet friendly hotel in downtown
Oklahoma City. Ordinarily I would tough it out at home. But I decided to seek comfort
since I am undergoing a series of procedures on my back in an effort to eliminate
chronic pain and felt I really needed a place to rest. What I have discovered is that
staying a few days in a hotel is akin to suddenly becoming a Princess. There are people
available and willing to do things for you. Almost any reasonable request will be granted
to make sure you have an enjoyable stay. The staff seems to think it’s normal for you to
kick back and relax. They have no expectations that you be particularly charming or
productive.
Joy Joy, my five year-old drop-eared Yorkie, really really loves these digs. She has
been welcomed for dinner in the nice restaurant downstairs, where surrounded by
admirers, she got to sit beside me in a booth and delicately eat her $8.00 hamburger
patty. When we go for our short, purposeful periodic jaunts outside, she enjoys having
someone open an umbrella and hand it to her Mommy because the umbrella partially
covers her. After all, it has been very cold and wet for the last several days. But most of
all, I think she appreciates the constant companionship we have been sharing. Living on
one of the two hotel pet floors has given Joy Joy and I the opportunity to meet so many
wonderful dogs. There is Roo, the stylish miniature poodle, Percy, the bloodhound,
Simone, the blond cocker spaniel, and Natasha, the Shih Tzu, Moose, the Short Haired
German Pointer and Dover, the Beagle. Walking the hallway and lobby area is a little
like attending a United Nations Assembly for dogs. These dogs are very much like
people. But Joy Joy and I are able to make the distinction because the dogs aren’t
wearing masks. While we were checking in, Joy Joy immediately realized she was
outnumbered, outclassed and outranked and has been on her very best behavior.
I am impressed.
After checking into the hotel and securing our room, as is my habit, I immediately began
assessing the art and decor. After all, I visited this building many years ago before it
became a hotel. One of my first clients, Amarex Petroleum, had their offices on the top
several floors. The handsome carved art nouveau elevators and the beautifully marbled
walls are as impressive now as they were then. I am happy to report that the building’s
transformation, several years ago into a hotel, was done thoughtfully and tastefully. The
color palette assembled and utilized in the lobby, restaurant, entertaining and private
rooms is presented in a varied, but compatible, range of colors and patterns. I am
particularly impressed with the solid doors, well crafted baseboards, the metal fittings
and fixtures on every surface. Particularly worth noting, is the type and placement of
mirrors throughout the building. No, unfortunately the art is not original which is
something I really do enjoy seeing in hotels. But since most hotels are owned by larger
holding companies, assembling the sheer number of necessary art work that is required
must seem overwhelming. Corporations rationalize that working with local artists in
several locations simultaneously isn’t terribly efficient. Hence the preponderance of
manufactured art in the hospitality industry. Nevertheless, even without original art, this
hotel is interesting, tasteful and has many welcoming and relaxing elements. The guests
I’ve seen include business travelers and a few tourists. But the majority of people
appear to be exhausted and consequently fragile Oklahoma City refugees that are
seeking light, comfort, and warmth. And I think the hotel is admirably providing those
folks that respite.
We are all tourists in life, aren’t we? Our arrival gives us a starting point, but where our
journey takes us is dependent, as noted by Robert Frost, on many roads taken and so
many roads not taken. Today, I am a Princess. My Tomorrows are largely unknown.
Images:
JRB and Joy Joy Out to Dinner
D.J. Lafon, "Untitled (Dog Sleeping)," 1993, Watercolor on Paper, 15 x 20 in.
Karl Brenner, "A Winter Blanket," 2009, Oil on Canvas, 18 x 14 in.
Karam Cheong, "A Day We Remember," 2017, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 24 in.
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