Table of Contents
A Canadian Influence
“Hotel Rangá’s North America suite design was a team effort,” says hotelier Friðrik Pálsson. “In a way, everything in our hotel is Canadian. Both the indoor and outdoor cedar wood is sourced directly from Canada. We had Canadian carpenters helping us, and we asked them to make furniture for us in a Canadian style. They took it all the way, and the furniture is very rustic.”
Though the room highlights a variety of North American countries and regions, observant guests will notice a Canadian flag on the inside of the door.
“These carpenters knew that the room was supposed to be North American, but they thought the Canadians would be forgotten. So they decided to leave the Canadian flag in the room.”
Look Up at the Canoe
The suite is spacious and decorated in a rugged yet comfortable style.
“We had some ideas about the floor, and used wide wooden planks. We also collected a lot of authentic artwork. You will see an old saw, a set of American knives, a buffalo head and a brown bear skin.
As you enter the room, you will notice a canoe sailing into the room very close to the ceiling.
“We had this canoe built specially for this suite by Canadian craftsmen. The canoe is made of wood and birch bark. When you look through it, you almost see through the bark. Once it is placed in the water, it is completely watertight.”
Luxury Meets the Wild West
The North America Suite’s bathroom offers the ultimate luxury in a giant copper bathtub.
“In the bathroom, we found a pure copper bathtub in Mexico, the same with the sinks. The bathtub is handmade out of just one copper plate. It is completely beautiful with large handles on the sides. To get that Wild West feeling you just need John Wayne in that bathtub in full clothing with a hat, cigar in one hand and glass of whisky in the other. I’ve always been planning to have a photo taken of myself like that.”
“For the bathroom, we also sourced hundred-year-old nails. Until around 1930, the nails were made in a different way than we see them today. We actually decorated the ceiling of the bathroom with those nails. The door into the bathroom is similar to an old barn or stable in North America.”
The 10-Gallon Hat
The room has been a hit with travelers from around the world. In fact, one guest loved the room so much that he returned to Rangá with a gift for Friðrik.
“Big Jim Anderson was a Texan who visited Hotel Rangá some years ago. He fell in love with our place and loved the North America Suite. When he came back to Hotel Rangá the second time, he gave me a 10-gallon cowboy hat, a real Texas hat.”
So if you see Friðrik walking around Hotel Rangá in his 10-gallon hat, now you know the story behind it.
