These new (and newly renovated) properties in New York have meeting rooms, conference facilities, ballrooms, and outdoor spaces that can accommodate groups small and large. So consider these hotels for events, meetings, seminars, and business entertaining.
1. The newest property to open in the city is also one of the largest. Yotel New York, the first U.S. location of the European hotel brand, opened on Friday with 669 rooms and a wealth of facilities. Inspired by modern airports and first-class airline cabins, the Rockwell Group- and Softroom-designed site sits inside the Related Companies' tower near Times Square and offers its 18,000-square-foot fourth floor for events. The level includes 110-seat Japanese restaurant Dohyo, which has tables and seating that can be lowered to create a platform for performances, a flexible space for meetings known as the Studiyo, and what Yotel is billing as the largest hotel terrace in the city.
2. Long awaited and much buzzed about, the Morgan Hotel Group's first Mondrian property in New York (and the third overall) made its debut in March, The 270-room Mondrian SoHo carries the same artsy sensibility as its sister properties in Los Angeles and Miami, with a Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz design inspired by Jean Cocteau's fantasy film La Belle et la Bête. Interior decor includes antique mirrors, chandeliers, curved furniture, and a palette of powder blue. In addition to an on-site restaurant known as Imperial No. 9, the hotel offers a 1,170-square-foot penthouse with an attached 2,000-square-foot terrace, and a 2,500-square-foot meeting space dubbed the gallery.
3. The Grand Hyatt New York's $130 million renovation program has already revamped the look of the hotel's eateries and 18,000-square-foot Empire Ballroom. In early May, the storied venue revealed the latest addition, a social meeting space called the Gallery on Lex. Designed by architectural firm Bentel & Bentel as a sleek alternative to traditional boardrooms, the 4,400-square-foot lobby-level spot is residential in style and offers comfy lounge furniture centered around a communal kitchen space. The venue holds about 110 seated or as many as 250 for receptions. It can also be used in conjunction with the hotel's other meeting and event spaces, including the 5,000-square-foot Manhattan Ballroom, which is also on the lobby level.
4. Also undergoing renovation is the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. The $150 million project is being directed by interior architectural firm Wilson Associates and includes new color schemes, a modern HVAC system, and wired and wireless Internet connections in the guest rooms. The first phase of the makeover was completed in May, expanding the seating capacity of the 45th-floor lounge and refreshing the look of 1,080 guest rooms. The second phase will begin in December and is scheduled to finish by April next year.
5. Amid the throng of condo-hotel hybrids that flooded the city last year was the Setai Fifth Avenue, Capella Hotels and Resorts' first New York property, which debuted in November. Just two blocks north of the Empire State Building on a relatively quiet stretch of Fifth Avenue, the sleek limestone-clad tower houses 157 guest rooms, 54 apartment suites, and three penthouse apartments, as well as Michael White's restaurant Ai Fiori. There's room for meetings, too—dedicated space on the third floor includes a 2,394-square-foot salon and 12-seat boardroom, and is rigged with audiovisual technology for presentations.
6. The Times Square property originally known as the Portland Square Hotel reopened in May as the Sanctuary Hotel, operated by father-son team Hank and Brandon Freid of the Impulsive Group. After a redesign, the property now offers 115 guest rooms and a full-service restaurant. Matching the petite size of the hotel is an intimate meeting space, which measures 500 square feet and holds as many as 40 people.
7. Although the Gansevoort Park Avenue opened in late August last year, the Gramercy Park property only recently debuted its ballroom and in-house restaurant, Asellina. Both spaces are offered for events—the 3,000-square-foot ballroom comes equipped with an audiovisual system, high-speed Internet, and an adjoining terrace, while the 280-seat eatery is furnished with a fireplace, lounge, and two bars.
8. Next to the ever-popular Maritime Hotel in west Chelsea, the second New York location of Vikram Chatwal's Dream Hotel brand is slated to open sometime this summer. Like its Midtown sibling, the Dream Downtown will be a boutique property furnished with unusual visuals, such as a translucent-bottomed, heated pool that will be visible through the ceiling of the lobby lounge. The partners behind the Tao Group and Strategic Group will operate the food and beverage program at the 316-room property, including a 150-seat restaurant, expansive rooftop lounge, meeting rooms, and pool café and bar.
9. In January, a new downtown location of the DoubleTree opened, joining other hotels in the financial district suited for business groups and travelers. Just three blocks from the New York Stock Exchange, the 399-room property has an in-house eatery dubbed the Eightstone Restaurant & Bar, a 24-hour business center, and free wireless Internet access. There are also meeting facilities on site.
10. The neighborhood around the World Financial Center is growing for business, and on the site of what is currently the Embassy Suites New York, Hilton Worldwide will build the fifth U.S. location of the global hotel company's luxury brand and the first outpost in New York. Slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2011, the 463-room Conrad New York will offer more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 6,000-square-foot grand ballroom with the capacity for more than 600 guests.
