NYC & COMPANY SPOTLIGHTS NEW YORK CITYS NEW AND RENOVATED HOTELS AND EVENT SPACES
NYC & COMPANY SPOTLIGHTS NEW YORK CITY’S NEW AND RENOVATED HOTELS AND EVENT SPACES
— Hotels, Historic Venues, Studio Spaces and Museums Offer Fresh and Diverse Options for Meeting Planners —
New York City (April 4, 2016) — With several new and upcoming meeting venues and renovated ballroom spaces opening in New York City, NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, invites meeting planners to Make it NYC™ and plan their next meeting in New York City. As one of the world’s most iconic destinations, New York City continues to be a highly anticipated destination for meetings professionals thanks to new hotel developments, expansive ballroom spaces and diverse event venues throughout the five boroughs.
“With newly redesigned hotel ballrooms, historic spaces and world-class meeting venues opening this year, New York City continues to provide unmatched experiences to delegates looking for their next productive meeting, exhibition or event,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “The City offers one-of-a-kind options for any meeting, from iconic skyline views to outdoor green spaces and many more flexible options appealing to planners.”
Leading the growth of new venues is the recent announcement by Governor Cuomo’s office of the Jacob K. Javits Center expansion, which will add more than 1.2 million square feet of additional event space in the coming years, including the largest ballroom in the Northeast at 60,000 square feet.
New and renovated meeting and event venues that have opened or are set to open later this year include:
New and Renovated Hotels
Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown: Opening late summer 2016, Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown will introduce a new level of luxury to Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood. The hotel, a block away from the World Trade Center, will offer 185 guest rooms and suites with over 6,815 square feet of meeting room space, including salon-style corner meeting rooms and a 2,943-square-foot ballroom. CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrity chef's first restaurant in New York City, will offer downtown's newest destination dining scene (fourseasons.com/newyorkdowntown).
The William Vale Hotel: Opening late June 2016 in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, the 183-room William Vale will be the borough’s newest luxury boutique hotel. Offering 15,000 square feet of elevated public green space along with incredible views of the Manhattan skyline. The stunning, 4,100-square-foot Vale Ballroom will feature custom LED lighting, angular wooden walls and 23-foot ceilings. The space will be able to accommodate up to 300 guests and features the adjacent Salon pre-event space. Two boardrooms and two conference rooms will also be available for corporate meetings as well as 25 premier suites (thewilliamvale.com).
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge: Inspired by nature and situated along Brooklyn’s waterfront, the 1 Hotel brand will open their second New York City hotel in late 2016. Featuring unparalleled views of the Manhattan skyline along the East River, the hotel will have 194 guest rooms and suites, along with flexible meeting space. The Roof at 1 will provide breathtaking views of the East River and will be available for special events, as well as the Cellar Level screening room that can seat as many as 50 guests for private film screenings. The versatile Meadow Rue Ballroom can hold up to 400 people seated or 600 standing and will be inspired by neighboring Brooklyn Bridge Park (1hotels.com/brooklyn_bridge).
The Beekman: Originally built in 1881 as one of the first skyscrapers in Manhattan, The Beekman will feature 4,700 square feet of private meeting and events spaces when it opens this spring, accompanied by a beautiful nine-story atrium and pyramidal skylight. The hotel’s meeting spaces include the Farnsworth at 1,100 square feet with a capacity of up to 135, the Kelly at 1,000 square feet with a capacity of up to 125, Second Floor space at 1,600 square feet for meetings up to 75 guests and the Cellar Level space at 3,100 square feet for receptions up to 300 guests. In addition, the hotel will feature 287 guest rooms, 45 suites and two signature penthouses overlooking Lower Manhattan, as well as dining options from Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally (thompsonhotels.com/the-beekman).
Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel: New York City’s first digitally enhanced hotel, located in the center of Manhattan’s Fashion District, opened in late March. As the Renaissance brand’s flagship property, the hotel features 4,500 square feet of event space, three breakout rooms and five event rooms, the largest of which can hold up to 170 guests. Along with its 348 guest rooms and interactive elements throughout the building, the hotel’s Rock & Reilly's rooftop restaurant is great for year-round events. At 8,000 square feet, the rooftop space includes a retractable roof, private cabanas and two full bars (marriott.com).
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge: Capturing the vibrancy and excitement of Downtown Brooklyn, the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge’s $45 million transformation is nearing completion. The renovation included a complete redesign of the more than 40,000 square feet of banquet and meeting spaces. In addition, the lobby was reimagined with a new contemporary look, as well as the addition of the exclusive M Club Lounge and The Bar, featuring a menu that is authentically Brooklyn. The final project of the three-phase renovation includes the modernization of the hotel’s 667 guest rooms and suites (marriott.com).
InterContinental New York Barclay: After undergoing a multimillion dollar renovation, the iconic InterContinental New York Barclay in Midtown Manhattan will reopen April 19, 2016, with seven meeting spaces at more than 15,000 square feet, as well as 704 redesigned guest rooms and 31 suites. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s east side between Lexington Avenue and 48th Street, the Barclay will feature two brand-new ballrooms; the Grand Ballroom at 5,000 square feet (up to 450 people) and the Empire Ballroom at 3,500 square feet (up to 350 people). Both ballrooms are elegantly decorated and feature breakout areas centered around a newly created grand staircase. The hotel will also debut its Dutch and English-inspired Gin Parlour, featuring 88 premium gins from around the world (intercontinentalnybarclay.com).
The Westin New York at Times Square: With over 34,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the Westin New York at Times Square recently completed a $33 million top-to-bottom renovation, offering 32 meeting and breakouts rooms, along with 13 theaters for presentations. Located at Eighth Avenue and 43rd Street, the hotel is a 20-minute walk to the Javits Center and features 873 guest rooms and suites, as well as three ballrooms (westinny.com).
LaGuardia Plaza Hotel: Located just outside LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, the newly renovated LaGuardia Plaza Hotel offers 12,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. In addition to its 358 guest rooms and suites, the hotel offers several conference rooms as well as a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 350 guests (laguardiaplazahotel.com).
Historic Venues
Weylin B. Seymour’s: Originally built in 1875 as a bank, this newly restored venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, can host events for up to 1,000 guests and features several beautifully designed spaces, including the Main Rotunda at 3,500 square feet, the Oculus Dome at 2,500 square feet and the Gallery on the ground floor at 5,900 square feet. Elegant domed ceilings, along with Victorian design throughout the space, make for a luxurious and unforgettable event venue (weylinbseymours.com).
Kings Theatre: After an extensive refurbishment, the renowned Kings Theatre reopened in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The classic 20th-century theater is available to rent for corporate events, business meetings, cocktail receptions and more, featuring over 93,000 square feet of productive space. The theater has hosted the liked of The Jackson Five and Diana Ross (kingstheatre.com).
Studio and Event Spaces
Brooklyn EXPO Center: Located in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, the Brooklyn EXPO Center is becoming ever popular with meeting planners, thanks to its access to multiple transportation options and flexible meeting space. The 60,000-square-foot venue features 28,000 square feet of exhibition space, 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and office and meeting space. In addition, the space can accommodate up to 2,200 people for banquets and is great for product launches, design shows, receptions and conferences. Last year, the Brooklyn EXPO Center was a host venue to New York City’s citywide celebration of design, NYCxDESIGN, which brought in professionals from designer industries around the world (brooklynexpocenter.com).
Convene Park Avenue: Opening later this summer, Convene at 237 Park Avenue will be Midtown Manhattan’s newest dedicated meeting space, complete with the conveniences of a full-service event venue. Innovative loft-style and gallery spaces throughout the venue feature intimate, warm decor, creating an environment that is perfect for screenings, TED talks, product launches and team-building activities (convene.com).
Current at Pier Sixty: Overlooking the Hudson River and Chelsea Piers marina in Manhattan, Pier Sixty recently unveiled Current, a new and innovative venue that has over 6,000 square feet of flexible event space for up to 360 guests. The 16-foot-high custom-lit ceilings, along with floor-to-ceiling windows, make this a unique venue for any kind of corporate event (piersixty.com).
Metropolitan West: With 10-to-13-foot-high ceilings providing direct natural sunlight and an open floor plan, the recently renovated Metropolitan West in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen is an ideal adaptable event space. Overlooking the Hudson River on Manhattan’s west side, the venue offers 12,000 square feet of flexible space that can accommodate up to 712 guests, as well as catering and bar services (metropolitanevents.com).
Riviera at the World Trade Center: At 860 feet above the City, Riviera at the World Trade Center features 34,000 square feet of column-free space that can be customized for almost any kind of event. Located on the 68th floor of World Trade Center 4 in Lower Manhattan, this stunning venue is great for corporate outings, galas, fashion and more (rivieracaterers.com).
Skylight Clarkson Square: In Manhattan’s west SoHo neighborhood is one of the City’s newest and largest event spaces. With 60,000 square feet of versatile space, Skylight Clarkson Square is a historic venue that once served as the High Line’s most southern terminal. The space can accommodate up to 2,000 guests and comprises five studios that can be combined into one space. In addition, the venue was also host to New York Fashion Week (skylightnyc.com).
Spring Studios: From new product launches to luxury designer showcases, Spring Studios’ 150,000-square-foot venue in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood has everything planners need under one roof. The space is outfitted with several flexible spaces, including five full-service studios, the 2,900 square foot Gallery, the 3,500 square foot South Mezzanine with lounge and event space, as well as in-house production facilities. Opening later this year, Spring Studios will have a 10,500-square-foot full-service rooftop with views of the New York City skyline, along with a 2,000-square-foot cinema that can accommodate 65 guests (springstudios.com).
Museum Spaces
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: Housed inside famed philanthropist and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie’s former mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Cooper Hewitt recently completed a restoration of the mansion’s event spaces. The Great Hall, which is the main entry to the museum, features extraordinary architectural details and is a great space for a seated dinner for 70 or a cocktail reception for 250. The newly restored Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden is great for larger events, complete with views of Central Park. The space is flexible for 1,000 standing guests or 500 seated for dinner (cooperhewitt.org).
Museum of the City of New York: Located along Manhattan’s Museum Mile, the Museum of the City of New York celebrates and connects the past, present and future of New York City through several exhibits, publications and collections. The museum recently unveiled its beautifully renovated event space, such as the Rotunda, with an elegant marble staircase, can accommodate up to 350 guests for cocktail receptions or 160 guests for dinner. Connected to the space is Marble Court overlooking Central Park, which can accommodate up to 150 guests for dinner or a cocktail reception for 250. The museum’s outdoor Fifth Avenue Terrace can accommodate up to 450 guests for cocktail receptions or 350 guests for dinner (mcny.org).
The Whitney Museum of American Art: The new 220,000-square-foot Whitney Museum of American Art, which opened last May in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, features some of the world’s most exciting collections of modern and contemporary American Art. The museum offers several spaces, including the 6,200-square-foot Kenneth C. Griffin Hall, perfect for large events and receptions for up to 450 guests, as well as the unique Fifth Floor Outdoor Gallery, with 5,118 square feet of space for 125 guests, providing incredible views of the High Line (whitney.org).
Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor: One of Staten Island’s newest cultural gems, the Staten Island Museum opened its expansion at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden last September. In addition to its expansive galleries depicting the borough’s history and culture, the museum offers four climate-controlled galleries, an auditorium and performance venue as well as classroom space. Overall, the new museum provides over 18,000 square feet of usable space (statenislandmuseum.org).
In 2015 a record 6.1 million meetings and conventions delegates visited the City’s five boroughs. In addition, New York City has the most active hotel pipeline in the country, with more than 107,000 hotel rooms throughout the five boroughs and 133,000 total hotel rooms expected by the end of 2019.
As a member of the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition, NYC & Company promotes meetings industry travel to New York City, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face meetings and events throughout the five boroughs.
For more information, visit nycgo.com/makeitnyc.To contact a member of NYC & Company’s Destination Services team, visit nycandcompany.org/destinationservices.
About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.
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Contact: NYC & Company / Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
NYC & Company / Sean Altberger 212-484-1270