We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the week—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
BizBash recently took a look at how American Express and Resy created safe, design-forward dining experiences for card members around the country. Click here to read about the strategy, and see inside some standout spaces from Kehoe Designs in Chicago.
The Chicago experience took place at upscale steakhouse Swift & Sons in the West Loop, where Kehoe Designs created 10 yurts with varying designs inspired by different decades.Photo: Courtesy of Kehoe Designs
Here are five more things you should know this week...
1. Venue restrictions continue to lift in cities around the country.
As COVID-19 cases slowly begin dropping after the winter surge, cities have continued loosening some of their venue-related restrictions. The big news out of New York City this week is that movie theaters will be reopening March 5 with 25% capacity as well as masks and social distancing. The announcement follows news that large arenas like Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center could reopen this week at 10% capacity, and that weddings and catered events can resume March 15 with their own strict guidelines.
New Jersey is following a similar path: This week, Governor Philip D. Murphy announced that venues with over 5,000 seats can reopen as soon as next week. Indoor venues will be limited to 10% of their seating capacity, and outdoor venues at 15%.
And in convention-industry favorite Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM and The Mirage plan to reopen for 24-hour-a-day operations March 3; previously, the MGM Resorts had implemented mid-week closures because of decreased business. “As we begin to see positive signs around the public’s sentiment about traveling, coupled with important progress on the vaccination front and decreasing COVID-19 case numbers, bringing [the resorts] back to full-week operations is an important step for us,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts CEO and president, in a statement. “We remain optimistic about Las Vegas’s recovery."
2. This Florida hotel built its own speakeasy inside a guest room.
In yet another fun example of hotels thinking outside the box to draw business, one Florida property built its own speakeasy inside a hotel room. Yes, you read that right. Open since Feb. 12 at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale, 901—named after its room number—is a guest room-turned-speakeasy that evokes classic Prohibition vibes: Think 1920-inspired velvet furniture and music, and drinks with fun names like "Late Check-Out" and "The Butler Did It." The best part? 901 is using a bartender-in-residence program, where bartenders from shuttered bars around the country are flown in for a period of time. 901 can be booked as a private experience for up to six guests at a time. 
The first bartender-in-residency run will come from Washington, D.C., bar The Gibson, which will pop up at 901 from March 3-17.Photo: Courtesy of Hyatt Centric Las Olas
3. Hotel workers may soon be eligible for vaccines.
The CDC has recently updated its recommendations to add "traveler accommodation"—a.k.a., hotel workers—under Phase 1c of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. "This is a significant achievement that directly impacts the health and safety of hotel workers across the country. It also recognizes that hotel employees continue to be on the front lines of the pandemic," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), in a statement.
He continued, “Travel and tourism are critical drivers of the American economy, and while travel demand has hit record lows, ensuring hotel employees are prioritized during the vaccine rollout will help keep both employees and guests safe when it becomes safe to travel and resume meetings and events once again.”
Arne SorensonPhoto: Courtesy of Marriott International
Arne M. Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, passed away on Feb. 15 at the age of 62. Sorenson took over the position in 2012, becoming the third CEO in Marriott’s history and the first from outside the Marriott family—and in a short period of time, he led a massive expansion that included the $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which led to Marriott becoming the largest hotel operator in the world.
This week, the company announced that Anthony "Tony" Capuano is the new CEO of Marriott International, effective immediately. Capuano—who joined the company in 1995 and was formerly the group president of global development, design and operations services—most recently oversaw Marriott’s Commitment to Clean initiative. The board of directors also announced that Stephanie Linnartz has been appointed president.
5. Texas restaurants stepped up during the state's historic winter storm.
Texas restaurants helped in a major way during last week's devastating winter storm that left many residents without power, heat or food. The website Eater recently told the story of Olamaie, an Austin restaurant that—with the help of a monetary donation from the LEE Initiative—bought frozen produce from local farmers in order to cook 500 meals a day for the Palmer Events Center, one of the city's designated warming centers, during the storm's peak.
From the story: "[Restaurant owner and chef Michael] Fojtasek reached out to local farmers who have been severely impacted by the storms. Crops have been unsalvageable and frozen, power outages took out equipment and greenhouses, struggles provide food and water to livestock, not to mention the widespread lack of water, nevertheless clean water in areas. 'These farmers are losing the next six to eight weeks of their work,' he says. ... After the LEE Initiative’s immediate Austin efforts are done, [the nonprofit's founders] are already making plans to further aid Texas farms in the spring."
