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Reykjavik Hotel Will Warm Your Heartby Marguerite Jordan
Taking the concept a step further, there are intimate boutique hotels where lovers can pretend to actually live in a museum setting amidst valuable works of art. Available through the SRS reservation service, the First Class Collection offers a variety of artistically furnished hotels all over Europe. One special place to find aesthetic ambiance is in Reykjavik, (RAY-kee-ah-vick), the capital of Iceland, at the Hotel Holt. This smart hotel functions also as Iceland's number one art museum, with over 300 works by accomplished local artists.
Five and a half hours from New York, Iceland is a rare rugged country with more geological phenomena than you can shake a stick at: awe-inspiring waterfalls, glaciers, geysers and hot springs, to name but a few. People come to this pristine country to tour the geologic wonders and to fish, golf, hike, dogsled, snowshoe and ride the charming Icelandic horses, known for their gentle gait.
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On the theory that surrounding yourselves with beautiful objects creates a sense of intimacy, art museums have long been a favorite place for lovers to meet for romantic interludes. If you lived in Boston, for instance, you'd saunter through the rooms and courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, an Italian palazzo imported and furnished by the late Mrs. Gardner. When she was not cavorting with her lovers, this Grande Dame collected masterpieces from all over Europe under the guidance of art-dealer Bernard Berenson. Now "The Gardner" is a museum and probably the number one place in town for lovers' trysts.
Owner Skuli Thorvaldsson and his family have taken care to curate an ongoing show of original oil paintings that hang throughout the public spaces and in each of the thirty guest rooms and twelve suites. Rich leather sofas, parquet floors, Oriental rugs and gallery lighting provide a setting that is both electric and homey. 
Popular mid-winter vacations include a jeep safari to the glacier, swimming in the Blue Lagoon, and climbing up alongside the thundering Gullfoss Waterfall. Following a day of
exhilarating outdoor adventure, The Holt provides a cozy and romantic retreat where you can dine on Icelandic caviar, rack of lamb, and Grand Marnier mousse, seated a few feet away from dozens of richly framed canvasses. Skol! Here's to a romantic visit!