New York – the city that never sleeps! It certainly lived up to its reputation and proved to be the perfect location for meetings and events. I recently went on a trip which was hosted by the New York Company who laid on a packed itinerary to showcase what this bustling city had to offer. The educational trip began with a flight from Heathrow to JFK with Delta Airways. It was a trouble free flight, the flight itself was great, the food and service excellent, and entry into the USA was very straight forward. You need a visa to gain access but once that is in place (and online it takes just minutes to do) access was very swift.
My base was the Marriot New York on Times Square – it was situated right in the heart of Times Square (Photo above is the view from my bedroom window) and is one of the largest conference hotels in New York City. Access was a little tricky by transport but its location made it easy to walk to key areas around the city – once I had a handle on the Avenues and the Streets getting around was very easy. There are six dedicated conference floors with over 100,000sqft of meeting space with varying room sizes from 8 to 2500 pax. The areas can be access by a private entrance and layout of each floor is such that it never feels huge – a smaller meeting would not feel lost. The Marriott has recently complete a refurbishment of all 1,966 bedrooms and meeting spaces and recently finished installing a large advertising screen that can be used for branding. It is the world’s largest and most technologically advanced LED screen and is bigger than a football pitch and most importantly lights up Broadway. The highlight of the Marriott was the Sky Lobby on the 16th Floor. It is a revolving restaurant that completes a full circuit every hour. With spectacular, ever changing views it is an ideal location for a private drinks party or dining experience.
After settling in we all headed off to Bar SixtyFive at the top of 30 Rockafeller Plaza to meet the hosts of the event. It was a fantastic venue with the most incredible views of the city – with a wraparound terrace we were treated to panoramic views of the whole of Manhattan. This would be an ideal private dining experience for larger groups, the Rainbow room can be hired exclusively and is absolutely stunning on the inside as well as the views out.
Day 1 of our trip was hosted by Briggs, Inc. Briggs have a wealth of experience and knowledge and passionate about their city.
Stop 1 – Breakfast at Eventi Hotel, The Eventi Hotel is part of the Kimpton Group of hotels and first opened their doors in May 2010. It is classed as a Boutique Hotel but with 290 bedrooms and 15 flexible meeting rooms (all with natural daylight) it has plenty of space whilst retaining the cosy, quality feel of a boutique hotel. The hotel also has a private veranda on the 5th floor which is covered so it can be used all year round – it is perfect for a drinks reception with great views of the Empires State Building. What makes Kimpton Eventi Hotel unique? The extremely popular wine hour, every night from 5-6pm, the free use of bikes to get around the city, the floor to ceiling windows in all the bedrooms with stunning views of the city (their bedrooms also include their signature animal print bathrobes) and a huge billboard on the building opposite that can be branded for your event. The Eventi hotel is also undergoing further refurbishment in their bar and private dining area, both having a very ‘cool’ urban feel. The refurbishment of the lobby was recently completed.
The Delegate experience – the financial district. This is an iconic area of Manhattan and there is a certain reverence when walking around this historic area. It has some great venues available for exclusive hire including the Cipriani 55 Building. A former bank, the 13,000-square-foot great hall with its 72-foot-high dome has been converted to a banqueting hall for weddings, private parties and public concerts – it is considered to be one of the most elegant ballrooms in the world.
New York will be forever associated with collapse of the World Trade Centre but out of the devastation the city is having 7 new towers built all of which surround the two large memorials of the towers that fell. One World Observatory was set to open its doors on the 29th May, I had the privilege of visiting before it officially opened. It is an amazing event space, the journey through its rise and the outstanding views make it an exceptional venue to host an event. It will be able to cater to groups of between 70 and 300 pax, 70 being hosted in sections whilst 300 would be in a wraparound in the whole space. The delegate experience would include a 2.5minute presentation on the rise of the building before the screens are lift to reveal the view.
Stop 2 – The Conrad Hotel. The Conrad Hotel is just three years old and is located in Lower Manhattan, it has 463 bedrooms (all suites) and a large ballroom (400t) with a 5.8m ceiling height and 7 additional breakout spaces. There is also a cinema in the hotel that can be hired exclusively. The ideal group size for this hotel is between 50 and 125 and with a modern and contemporary feel, close to some iconic landmarks and opposite Brookfield Place which home to high end retailers and plenty of restaurants it a great location for a meeting or conference. As it is in Lower Manhattan the rates at the weekend are extremely competitive.
The Delegate Experience continued – Brooklyn is fast becoming a very trendy location to hold an event and can offers some unique delegate experiences. Gleason’s Gym is the iconic Boxing Club noted for not only training 134 champions (including Muhammed Ali) but also the location for some of the most famous films of all time including Raging Bull and the Rocky movies. The gym itself has not been changed and the layout and kit is still the originals. It is a superb venue for an evening reception and/or team building experience and you never know who might wander in (Mike Tyson holds an office in the gym).
Williamsburg Savings Bank – a unique event space that opened its doors this year. It can take up to 450 seated or up to 1000 for a standing reception. It is a beautiful building that has retained its historic banking features including the vault – the perfect place to hide an act before they come on to entertain the guests. The space is very versatile and competitively priced.
The Brooklands Winery – NYC is synonymous with their wine, the water used to make the wine comes from a reservoir upstate which gives the vines grown in the region their distinctive taste. The delegate experience includes an overview of the wine making process and a wine tasting experience. The bottles can be branded to offers something unique.
Carnegie Hall – The May Room. The acoustics in the hall were phenomenal, we were treated to several piano pieces by an accomplished student followed by a standing buffet hosted by New York’s Luxury Hotels. It is another rather special venue to host a reception.
Stop 3 – The Knickerbocker Hotel. The Knickerbocker is located in the heart of Manhattan close to Times Square. The hotel was built in the early 1900’s but during prohibition became an office block – the renovation back to its former glory as a hotel began in 2013 and will be completed this year. It is luxury life style hotel with 330 bedrooms and versatile meeting space that can accommodate up to 250 theatre style. The crowning glory is the St Cloud bar and roof top terrace overlooking Times Square and the Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar which serves the best cocktails in Manhattan.
Day 2 of our trip was hosted by Shackman Associates, another first class DMC who demonstrated first class knowledge and limitless enthusiasm for their city.
Stop 1 – Breakfast at the Wardolf Astoria. This hotel oozed elegance and charm, with 1100 bedrooms and over 60,000 square feet of meeting space it is an ideal hotel for larger conferences. We were treated to the legendary eggs benedict in the Royal Suite, which was home to Edward and Mrs Simpson for several months during their courtship. The furnishings and layout has remained the same and with their personal photographs and effects dotted around the room it really felt like a step back nto history. There are several similar suites including the Obama Suite where the president stays on his trips to New York, all of which can be hired for meetings, private dining or for a reception. It is a beautiful hotel which has retained its historic relevance and unique appeal.
The Delegate Experience – Grand Central Station. We were treated to a tour of Grand Central Station by a local man who has lived and breathed the life of Central Station for many, many years. His entertaining and informative overview of this iconic building was fascinating. The front of the station can be hired for private receptions and a tour highly recommended.
Tours of Central Park, there are many opportunities to hire bikes or do walking tours of Central Park. We did a short stop at the memorial to John Lennon. On return to our bus a young chap jumped on and we were treated to a busking session of John Lennon favourites, this would be a great surprise for the delegates if they are being driven around the city.
Stop 2 – The Yotel New York. The Yotel has created a unique hotel experience at great value for money. The emphasis is on technology with self-service check in, a robot concierge and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, they are also focussed on sustainability with local produce, gardens on the roof and reusable energy. The 669 bedrooms are small but very well designed with foldaway beds and an effective use of space. There is some meeting space, the largest of which can host up 120 in theatre style.
The Delegate Experience Continued – Harlem. Harlem has always been considered a slightly unstable area but that is now changing and is fast becoming one of the most sought after areas to live in New York City. It still retains his connections to the past and its sense of community. We were taken to a small gospel church where we recorded our own gospel song – we were a slightly reticent group to begin with but I cannot deny that the music is uplifting and it was an hugely enjoyable and entertaining experience.
Stop 3 – Dinner at Gansevoort Park. Gansevoort Park is he second Gansevoort Hotel Group outpost in New York City after the flagship hotel in the Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Park Avenue offers downtown edge with an uptown sensibility. The 49 luxury roomed hotel is located on the corner of 29th Street and Park Avenue couldn’t be more centrally located. It oozes style and a three-story atrium lobby showcases striking herringbone granite floors, an oversized fireplace, and dramatic Aubergine chandeliers. It has rooftop pool, bar and lounge and is ideal for an evening reception.
Day 3
Lunch at Chelsea Market – this is a former biscuit factory converted into an enclosed food market and is a very popular location for dining. It is a great spot to do a delegate dine around and sample some of New York’s finest food.
Big Onion Tours – took us on a walking tour of the High line. The high line is disused elevated train line system that used to pass through the buildings and over the top of the streets. It has been out of commission for over 30 years and has become one of New York’s urban renewal projects. It has a fascinating history and is an excellent way to experience and cross much of Manhattan but without getting caught up in traffic. Our tour finished at Hudson’ Yard which is the newest development in Manhattan. It is the largest development of its kind in New York City since the Rockefeller centre. It covers 26 acres and will comprise of 16 skyscrapers and more than 2000 in habitants. It will be become one of the key destinations in New York City.
There is something for everyone in this city and it is constantly changing. It can offer so many different types of hotels and venues to make an event a memorable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend either DMC to host your off site activities and the New York Company are a font of all knowledge and extremely supportive when organising an event in this exciting city.
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