In May, the popular rooftop lounge Roof at the Wit hotel in Chicago's Loop added a permanent 3-D mapping installation dubbed "the Wall." The 20- by 12-foot surface took inspiration from electronic dance music festivals and has motion production capability and a retractable flat screen. The lounge has the capacity for 350 guests and is available for buyout.
Opening this month, Monarch is an indoor-outdoor space on the 18th floor of a Midtown Manhattan building. With Scandinavian decor designed by Natalia Todorova of Gwathmey, Siegel, Kaufman & Associates Architects, the 5,000-square-foot space has floor-to-ceiling silk curtains framing a view of the Empire State Building. Monarch holds 300 guests and is available for buyouts.
The just-opened lounge atop Boston's Revere Hotel, Rooftop at Revere is a 16,000-square-foot space seven stories above street level. With staffers outfitted in uniforms from Pret-à-Surf's spring/summer 2013 collection, the chic spot offers snacks such as Nantucket Bay scallop ceviche and cocktails such as a Sangria Blanco. The space holds 125 for receptions.
Vertigo Sky Lounge, atop the Dana Hotel & Spa in Chicago, renovated its entire space in time for the summer season. The redesign from Collins Design & Company includes a focal point fire pit, an oversize aluminum "V" installed in one corner, stacked ipe wood benches, and stainless steel side tables. Vertigo Sky Lounge also added a six-person Bartender’s Booth chef's table concept, a permanent 14-foot outdoor bar and programming such as mixologist appearances, patio chef demos, and master cocktail classes. The 1,000-square-foot lounge holds 150 outdoors, or 300 when combined with the indoor space.
Donovan House, the downtown Washington hotel from Kimpton, renovated its rooftop pool deck, DNV Rooftop, in time for summer. With design from GrizForm, the space features dark woods, glass, and chrome and has seating at banquettes, cocktail tables, and drink rail. Along with the $300,000 renovation, DNV debuted new cocktail and Asian tapas menus. The rooftop holds 100 people for events and can add a satellite bar.
Located in a LEED-certified building, the Rooftop on Ponce is an independent event space with panoramic views of Coral Gables, Florida. The 5,500-square-foot space features a grass lawn and holds 200 guests for receptions or seats 100. The site also includes a gazebo with full-length glass windows, suitable as a V.I.P. lounge or silent auction area.
San Francisco's Lolinda restaurant opened a new rooftop space dubbed El Techo de Lolinda. Serving Latin American street food, cerveza, and classic Latino cocktails such as caipirinhas and piña coladas, the space holds 200 people for events.
A spinoff of its Corus Quay location, Against the Grain Urban Tavern Leaside in Toronto opened this spring with a second-floor patio that seats 120. With heaters and Tuuci umbrellas, the space is prepared for warm or cool weather. The bar includes local and European brews, and the tavern menu offers flatbreads, burgers, and an Ontario pork belly B.L.T.
Legoland Discovery Centre, Canada’s first Lego attraction, opened in March at the Vaughan Mills mall. The 34,000-square-foot indoor facility includes a 4-D movie theatre, a Lego Master Builder Academy, and a Miniland Lego replica city of Toronto. For events, a party room is available for 50 people, and venue buyouts are available.
A music club and restaurant, Jazz Bistro opened in April in the former jazz club Top O’ the Senator. The massive venue includes several spaces over its three floors: a performance and dining area, wine bar, event space and expansive rooftop patio. The decor features dark woods with gold and red accents, including a large red chandelier over the stage and a Red Pops Steinway piano.
Drake Hotel Properties' first stand-alone restaurant, Drake One Fifty, is set to open in August in a converted bank building. The 6,000-plus-square-foot space includes a dining room, bar, micro-Drake General Store, curated art and performance space, and 70-seat patio that is covered and heated. The interiors were styled by Martin Brudnizki, whose previous projects include Miami's Soho Beach House, Cecconi’s West Hollywood in Los Angeles, and Le Caprice New York. The venue seats 175 guests and is available for buyout.
Also from the Drake Hotel, Sky Yard patio has been redesigned. Opened June 6, the space features New England boardwalk benches, bold colours, geometric patterns, and black and white stripes. The graffiti artist Futura created artwork for the venue. The patio is available for buyout and accommodates 150 guests.
A new event centre at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park opened in late April with several event spaces such as a ballroom overlooking the Grand Prix racetrack, a lounge, boardrooms, and lower-level meeting space. The main space fits as many as 140 people in rounds of eight, and the lower level seats 100 people. An open patio on the third level offers views of Lake Ontario. Set on more than 850 acres just north of Bowmanville, the park offers driving experiences on the track, a drier development track, go-kart racing, A.T.V.s, and other teambuilding options. The facility also offers V.I.P. suites for its six major race event weekends.
The Glenerin Inn & Spa renovated part of its main level into the Stone House Lounge, a 1,200-square-foot space with a menu of upscale comfort foods, along with wine and cocktails. The lounge, which opened in April, has its own bar and can seat 28 or accommodate as many as 50 for receptions. With views overlooking the Sawmill Valley, it can be used with the adjacent patio.
The Middle Eastern restaurant Tabülè opened a new Leslieville location in May following a $500,000 renovation to a former medical clinic. The new venue seats 70 people inside and 40 on a back patio.
Sky Zone Toronto opened March 1 with more than 15,000 square feet of trampoline playing courts suitable for teambuilding or corporate retreats. Groups of as many as 20 people can reserve a private court for dodgeball and other games. Corporate rates are also available for the main space, which includes the main court, a giant foam pit, and the Sky Slam court where players can dunk a basketball. A catering menu is available.
The Radisson Admiral Hotel opened a new conference centre last year along with a renovation of its ballroom. The Cove and Retreat boardrooms feature high-tech presentation devices such as Mondopads, essentially giant touch tablets. The Monopads provide a multi-touch, high-definition 55-inch display, interactive whiteboard and document annotation, videoconferencing, and a full version of Microsoft Office, and they can be controlled, shared, and viewed from a tablet or smartphone.
