A Cold Stoic on a Penthouse Terrace at the Essex House
Bill Bachand sketched the first Cold Stoic six years ago. This week he found one on the penthouse wellness terrace of the JW Marriott Essex House, a few steps from a sauna, with Central Park just beyond the railing. He was in town to drop his daughter at Fordham, the hotel put them up, and he spent a morning on the terrace talking about why a cold plunge belongs in a place like this.
How much did the way it looks matter to you?
"When I designed it, I knew it had to look good in a great outdoor space. Central Park is right there, in the heart of the city, and this thing looks like it belongs here."
Most recovery gear is something you tuck away. The Cold Stoic was drawn to sit out in the open, closer to furniture than to gym equipment.
How do you know it'll still be running years from now?
"It comes down to four components: the body, the chiller, the filtration, and the pump. The mechanics are tucked in the bay to protect them from the elements, and those parts can be replaced. It's built like a Yeti cooler. In twenty years someone could swap the equipment and put it right back into use. This could last fifty to a hundred years. It won't look as good, but it won't deteriorate."
In a hotel, that matters, constant use, and it still has to be running years from now. You can read more aboutĀ how we build a cold plunge that lasts.
Honestly, how much upkeep does it take?
"At home I change my filter every three months. If you come in clean, it's really a couple of minutes a month, if that. On a natural wood deck you oil it now and then, or you get the cover and keep it out of the sun. Very little maintenance."
The upkeep, not the cold, is what makes most people quit, and the answer here is that there is very little of it.
If someone's picturing one in their own space, what would you tell them?
"Put it somewhere you'll actually use it, with zero friction. If it's around a corner or down some stairs, you're giving yourself a way out. I do this every day, and every time I still have to talk myself into the cold. So keep it close, by your shower, with your sauna."
It is the most honest thing a founder can say about cold, and the best design advice in the piece.
A suite where everything is top of the line needed a plunge that matched the standard and would hold up to people coming and going.
"I'm really proud to have a Cold Stoic up here on the deck."
If you are picturing the same ritual at home, explore the Cold Stoic 3.0, or learn more about pairing the cold and heat.
